Owen County Almanac: Sounds Of Spring

By Josh Rodamer

The sounds of spring have filled the air for more than a month now, and a watchful eye observes the quiet return of some of our favorite birds from their winter pilgrimage. One bird never left, and I’ve been keeping my eye on it since those bitter-cold weeks of January’s archery season. I stand on our front porch looking east toward Owenton as shades of dark purple and pink illuminate the cloud cover that rolled in overnight. Watching our lab-bloodhound mix sniff around the front yard through wisps of steam from the coffee in my hand, I hear it. A barely audible betrayal of its roost somewhere northwest of my location marks the first gobble of the year. For the turkey hunter, that first gobble is a promise of adventure to come, a reassurance that those magnificent birds are still part of the landscape, and subconsciously, a grin comes to my face.

Over the last five years, between 373 and 599 turkeys have been taken during the spring hunting season in Owen County, according to harvest data from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. The largest of these harvests occurred in 2023, nearly topping the 600 spring turkeys taken in 2010. One of these turkeys fell to the gun of 23-year-old Cody Lindsey on the second day of the 2023 season. Lindsey snuck in on the tom while it was busy strutting 150 yards away in a field. Setting up on the dam of a nearby pond, he began to work the turkey into his setup.

Lindsey prefers not to use decoys in his setups but moves in on a gobbling turkey and then calls to it once he spots its location. This spot-and-stalk method of turkey hunting is what draws so many to the pursuit. However, hunters who prefer a more sedentary hunt can pinpoint the familiar haunt of a proud tom and devise an ambush to lure in the cautious bird.

Lindsey crafted an auditory love note from his mouth call that the tom couldn’t resist, drawing it into its demise amidst a dense spread of tungsten pellets from a three-and-a-half-inch shell. Lindsey suggests that turkey hunters find a shotgun they’re willing to get a little banged up in the turkey woods since brush, mud, and rocks can cause some damage. “You need to get to where the turkey is,” said Lindsey, and this can put you in some tight spots. Lindsey’s lonely tom that day had three beards, the longest 11 ½ inches, with one-inch spurs. This was his favorite day pursuing the eastern turkey, a bird Benjamin Franklin called more honorable than the bald eagle.

Interestingly, President Joe Biden made the bald eagle the official national bird of the United States on Dec. 24, 2024. Although the eagle had been on our nation’s seals and currency, it was never made official, likely due to the founding fathers’ negative view of the eagle as a scavenger. Franklin is often attributed with suggesting the turkey as our national bird, a suggestion originating from a document he drafted on Jan. 26, 1784, which appeared to be a letter to his daughter, Sarah Bache. In reality, the document was never sent to his daughter. Still, it was used as a political piece to compare the attributes of European nobility to an organization called the Society of the Cincinnati. The name Cincinnati was taken from the Roman hero Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, with no connection to our neighbors to the north in Southern Ohio.

In that piece, Franklin asserts that the turkey is “a bird of courage and would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British guards who should presume to invade his farmyard with a red coat on.” Whether or not this is just future fodder for Kay’s Branch and Beyond, it’s something to ponder while watching bald eagles along the Kentucky River in Monterey or turkey hunting at your favorite spot.

Owen County is an ideal place to turkey hunt, offering hardwood hills with intersecting farmland. The topography and land use provide both a habitat for the turkey and opportunity for the hunter. It is also a relatively easy game animal to pursue. Current game regulations allow archery, breech-loading, and muzzle-loading shotgun options to take the game, including .410 shotguns. The Stevens 301 Turkey gun by Savage is a great entry-level option as a single-shot .410 designed for TSS loads. However, a trusty old 870 Express will surely do the trick in the turkey woods.

Although a spring storm may keep turkeys roosted, a slight drizzle can make for a great day of spot-and-stalk hunting and shouldn’t discourage a hunter from going afield. This is even more of a reason to keep the pheasant gun in the safe and bring an old, reliable beater to the field. Little more is required than a license and tag in hand and a willingness to go outdoors.

For many, turkey hunting will be the first reason one ventures afield each year to experience life emerging from the fields, hills, and hollows of Owen County. The 2025 turkey season will open to all hunters on April 12 and run through May 4. Youth season will take place on April 5 and 6. Please be sure to visit fw.ky.gov to read up on the latest hunting and fishing regulations. I hope all of you find a reason this spring to explore and enjoy the woods and waters of Owen County.