Nothing is a sure thing when it comes to turkey hunting, until you actually have a bird in hand. Photo by D. Toby Thompson

By Bruce Ingram

Last April on the first Saturday of the spring gobbler season, Mark Wayne and I made the long drive up Potts Mountain to reach a section of the 18,526-acre Potts Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA), which is part of the Jefferson National Forest. Wayne, a native of Mt. Alto in Jackson County, and I had high hopes that morning, as the normally stiff breezes that buffet the peaks of Potts were silent. We drove to an old logging road that ran along the top of the mountain and parked.

As soon as we eased shut the doors of my vehicle, we heard a gobbler sound off in the ebony darkness of the Mountain State morning. Mark and I quickly moved toward the tom, but we just as quickly had to stop our approach when a series of other toms began to gobble as well. The best we could figure was that there were two gobblers roosted to the right of the mountain peak and three more to the left.

There is no fair way to split five gobblers in half, but what a problem to have! Wayne decided to move toward the duo on the right, and I was "left" with the trio on the opposite side. Since it was still dark, we scudded quietly down the old byway until we both were about 100 yards from the still gobbling - and roosted - birds. Then, Mark and I bid each other good luck and separated. Quite frankly, I felt that a double was a real possibility.

I eased about 20 yards off to the left of the tote road, positioned a decoy about 20 yards out in front of me on the road, and issued some soft tree yelps. A paroxysm of gobbling was the result. A few minutes later, I could tell that the toms were on the ground by the sounds of their gobbling, but for some reason - hens possibly - they were moving away from me.

I decided to relocate, moving closer to the mountain peak where I believed the gobblers had roosted. Once again, I positioned my decoy 20 yards out in front and then set up against a pine. This time, though, I liked my setup much more as there was a small wildlife clearing directly in front of me where the decoy was. And I decided to dispense with the soft yelps and let loose with some hard, prolonged cutting.

Three quick gobbles were the result and soon I heard the steps of turkeys running, not walking, toward me. I quickly moved my gun into position and a few seconds later, the trio of birds was milling about the decoy. I greeted the lead gobbler with a load of No. 4s from my 12 gauge, and a moment or two later I was admiring my prize - a Jefferson National Forest tom.

Now it was time for the double play. I started to move toward where I thought Mark was, but he intercepted me, wanting to know if I had been successful. After his hearty congratulations, we moved toward where he had last heard his pair of longbeards. I placed the decoy about 15 yards out in front of Mark, and then I set up about 20 yards behind him. Mark then emitted a series of yelps from a rustic slate, made by his Uncle Okey Wayne, a Jackson County minister in the town of Cowen. I followed up with clucks and yelps on a diaphragm. An outburst of gobbling was the result.

For a few minutes, the gobbler was on his way and on a path that would lead him directly in front of Mark. But then one of those strange, inexplicable things that often occur in the spring woods happened. The gobbler made a wide circle around us and ended up directly behind our positions. Thirty minutes later, it was obvious that he had given us the proverbial slip.

Still, the morning had been a memorable one, and with great pride I took the public-land gobbler to a Gap Mills check station to record the kill. John Bellemore, staff officer for forest ecology for the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest, says this public land has much to offer the spring gobbler hunter.

"Spring gobbler hunting is very popular on the George Washington and Jefferson," he said. "We really have two different kinds of hunters who use the national forest. A lot of access roads lead into the forest, and some individuals like to hunt close to those roads because of the convenience. Other people like to get away from the crowds and the roads and access remote areas.

"My advice for prospective hunters is to contact the ranger districts that the Potts Creek WMA of the Jefferson and the Shenandoah and Wardensville WMAs of the Washington are in. Hunters should talk to the rangers in those offices and ask questions such as: What is the mast situation? Where has habitat manipulation taken place? What is the status of the local turkey flock?"

The Potts Creek WMA in Monroe County lies within the New Castle Ranger District. Call (540) 864-5195 for more information on this area; the Shenandoah (49,106 acres) in Pendleton County and Wardensville (55,327 acres) in Hampshire and Hardy counties are within the Drive River Ranger District. The number for this district office is: (540) 828-2591. The forest's Web site is also a good source of information: www.southernregion.fs.fed.us./gwj.

Bellemore adds that the forest service has a number of ongoing habitat improvement projects. Prescribed burning is an important undertaking as this practice results in nesting and bugging areas. Maintaining and establishing wildlife openings is also vital, as this activity produces habitat diversity. Bellemore emphasizes that given the drought that has afflicted the Mountain State in recent years, the forest service's creation of water sources has been especially timely. The Wardensville WMA has had wetlands created on it as well as some ponds.

Finally, timber sales have been conducted on the national forest. Moderate, well-planned amounts of timber cutting help every creature from songbirds to big-game animals, such as deer and turkeys.

The next morning, Matt Yeager, the superintendent of Kumbrabow, met me at my cabin and we drove to a place where he had heard several toms on Wednesday. Unfortunately, the air temperature was a frigid 37 degrees and a cold rain was falling. Indeed, I had escaped the hot weather of the locales I had been hunting.

Yeager took me to one of his favorite turkey hunting hotspots: an old tote road that leads through a field and past several evergreen and hardwood stands. The inclement conditions, however, had stifled any gobbling that the birds might have been doing. And the longer we stayed in the woods, the more the temperature dropped - or so it seemed. The forecast for that night was a low of 29 degrees and the possibility of snow.

This was my second trip to the Kumbrabow State Forest, and I must agree with Yeager's assessment that spring gobbler hunting has the potential to be quite good there. Matt describes the state forest as possessing very mountainous terrain that is heavily forested. This is what is often known as "big country." Mark Wayne agrees.

"I think the Kumbrabow State Forest is one of the best examples of wilderness habitat that can be found in West Virginia," he said. "There are a lot of places in West Virginia that are isolated, but this one is very special. Hunters will quickly learn that they have to travel a long way to make it into the heart of the forest, but when they arrive there, they will be in God's country."

I enjoyed staying at one of the five rustic cabins at the park. Thirteen campsites are also available. For more information, contact the state forest by dialing (800) CALL-WVA. All of the state forests mentioned in this story can be contacted through that number.

"We receive a fair amount of hunting pressure, which is, of course, higher on Saturdays," said Teets. "One thing about the Kanawha State Forest, a hunter will be climbing uphill just about anywhere he hunts here. Many people use Kanawha State Forest Drive, which is at the entrance, to access the property and then branch off from there.

"There are vast amounts of little explored land in the rough terrain that makes up this state forest. Hunting here is very similar to the typical mountain hunting that people would expect to find, say, in Boone or Pocahontas counties. Our mountain peaks are not as high, however, and a 30-minute or so hike will bring you to the tops of most of them."

Teets informs that this state forest offers some 40 miles of trails and roads. Designated safety zones are in areas that are off-limits to hunting, such as where camping is permitted. Maps and signs make these areas very easy to find. Although this state forest has no cabins, it does have 46 campsites, which open in mid-April and continue to be available through Oct. 31.

The superintendent relates that he heard quite a bit of gobbling last spring and that he saw a number of flocks meandering about over the course of the summer. Kanawha also features a growing bear population. For more information, contact the Kanawha State Forest at the toll-free number listed earlier.

"Currently, we are working with Westvaco, Alleghany Power and the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) to create 4- to 5-acre food plots in different areas," says O'Brien. "These plots were formerly just 1 acre or so in size, but they have been made bigger. The NWTF especially has been giving help in recommending specific plants that draw turkeys. This has been a very good project for the state forest, as we have seen turkeys using the areas we have worked on.

"Many people who hunt the Greenbrier State Forest like to concentrate on the Kates Mountain area. Westvaco property adjoins it, and if an individual has a Westvaco permit, he doesn't have to worry about crossing a boundary line. Some 15 miles of trails are available on the state forest, and the only ones that are off-limits are those near the cabins and campgrounds, for example. Many people like to use our trails to access the more remote areas or to travel quietly and quickly away from the crowds."

Among these byways, O'Brien lists the Holsapple Trail as one that receives quite a bit of use. This pathway runs along the top of Kate's Mountain. Several trails from the valley lead to Holsapple. Also of note is a major game plot that lies just off the Holsapple Trail. The plot was only 1/4 to 3/4 acre in size, but is now about 10 acres, says O'Brien.

The Greenbrier State Forest possesses 12 cabins and 16 campsites. This public land is very close to the White Sulfur Springs and Lewisburg communities. For more information, call (800) CALL-WVA.

"With the limited number of hunters on Calvin Price and the good number of gobblers that can be found here, yes, I do enjoy hunting on this state forest," he said. "I could drive 90 minutes to my family's farm in Monroe County, but I can see and hear plenty of birds right here.

"I think a lot of people make a very easy to correct mistake when they hunt turkeys on Calvin Price. These hunters typically give up for the day around 8:30 to 9 a.m. My best hunting here has been after 9 a.m., and I like to stay in the woods until the 1 p.m. closing time, if necessary."

Another good strategy on this Pocahontas County public land, continues McCurdy, is to hunt high in the mountains early in the day. The mixed hardwoods and pines in the upper elevations typically draw gobblers that have roosted in the mountains. The manager says he walks the ridgetops early in the day, periodically checking out the finger ridges that lead from them.

Later in the morning, when the hens go into the lower reaches of the hollows to nest, McCurdy gravitates down the mountain, knowing that the gobblers will likely soon arrive. He tries to sound like a hot hen that wants one more chance to mate before sitting on her nest.

The Calvin Price State Forest also contains a number of old homesites and ponds. McCurdy says that from extensive scouting he has learned the locations of those abandoned homesteads and they are real turkey magnets. Old ponds are good places to check for turkey tracks. If a great deal of undergrowth exists nearby, these watering holes may draw hens - and gobblers - later in the season.

Yet another place to seek out is a wildlife clearing. Calvin Price features quite a few of these, continues McCurdy, and the turkeys relish using these places as strutting grounds. Old logging locales and tote roads are additional reasons why the hunting can be so productive. Camping, cabins and recreational facilities are located at the adjoining Watoga State Park. This year, the West Virginia spring gobbler season is slated to run from April 28 through May 24. The season limit will be two bearded birds.

Some people don't like to hunt on public land, saying that doing so is unsafe. I follow the same safety rules that I always do, such as being sure of my target, always setting up against a wide tree, never walking and calling at the same time, and not using decoys in heavily pressured areas.

As noted earlier in this story, I do employ decoys in the national forest, but only if I am sure that no other hunters are around. And I only use hen decoys, never bogus jakes. I also must add that the only time I have ever been stalked when turkey hunting was 100 yards behind my own house. Fools can show up anywhere at anytime on public or private land.

The point I am trying to make is that West Virginia public-land hunting can be safe and productive. I plan on making a return visit to the place where Mark Wayne and I hunted last year. Maybe this time both of us will fill our tags.