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The South turkey hunting zone opened last Saturday; North Zone opens April 1. Watch the weather condition, it’s ever-changing in spring. And see where you’re going and sitting. You’re getting into hostile area. Turkeys don’t bite, however snakes sure do! Some reports reference rattlesnakes that don’t rattle prior to striking. TPWD says no clinical research study verifies this, however they don’t question it. Pictured is a diamondback from Kerr County photographed by Fred Sherron Jr. a couple of miles northwest of among the documents bring this column, The West Kerr Current in Ingram.
Once, the only wild turkeys lawfully killed by Texas hunters were Rio Grande turkeys. They were shot in the fall by deer hunters. Few hunters went afield mainly hunting turkeys. Most gobblers were shot with rifles.
About 1970, a speculative spring turkey season was developed in Kerr, Kimble, and Sutton counties. The extremely effective experiment resulted in the very popular season for Rio Grandes now enjoyed in lots of counties. A brief season in twelve East Texas counties for Eastern turkeys opens April 22 – May 1.
But beware — It’s likewise snake season!
The Western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) is the most typical of the 4 poisonous snakes in Texas, and most likely the most many. It’s probably to be come across, and many feared. After all, its taxonomic name ways “frightful.” Several other rattlesnake subspecies likewise exist here.
The other 3 types of poisonous snakes are copperheads, cottonmouths, and coral snakes. Coral snakes have the most dangerous venom however the least reported bites on human beings. Their mouths need that they require to virtually chomp on a human or animal. Nonpoisonous kingsnakes are frequently incorrect for coral snakes considering that the bands walking around their bodies are likewise red, yellow, and black. If the red and yellow bands are touching — Look Out! “Red and yellow, KILL a fellow; red on black, venom LACK!”
John Jefferson is a long-lasting outdoorsman, Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept. hunting and fishing policies organizer and director, 20- year editor of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Annual, author of 2 hunting books, and recipient of many awards for composing and photography.
Cottonmouths are a various story. They generally hang out around water, are generally aggressive, and are black and awful. A friend in high school almost passed away from bites (plural!) from one while swimming in a rice canal.
Copperheads threaten considering that they frequently lie camouflaged in leaves or low brush and are tough to see. Their pigmentation assists them mix in. They are extreme in East Texas, however discovered in much of the remainder of the state, too.
Back to turkey hunting, a female friend sat versus a tree in the dark. Feeling the requirement to address Nature’s call prior to daytime and understanding turkey hunters need to stay still, she chose to handle it prior to hunting time. She felt a scratch on her behind and believed it was a stick or greenbrier. Later, when the warm water in the shower struck her back, she blurted a scream. She informed me tissue sloughed off for a number of months. Probably a copperhead.
A friend, Horace Gore, stopped on the path to listen for gobbles and felt something on his boot. He believed it was a stick. As Gore began to proceed, he looked down and saw a little rattlesnake strike his boot a 3rd time. He was lucky; the bites didn’t permeate his boot. And considering that he didn’t wish to scare the turkeys, the snake was lucky, too.
Rattlers are transferring to discover mates in the spring — which’s now!
Tagging/reporting guidelines for turkey hunters, brand-new county positioning for the North and South turkey zones, and hunting potential customers remain in the TPWD Outdoor Annual and the online app: tpwd. texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/.
Mucho details! Be sure you examine the county in which you hunt!
