Managing for wild turkey takes habitat enhancement, regulated hunting, and providing for all of their daily needs. Habitat must provide food, cover, water and space. One way to provide additional foods for turkey is through food plots. Just make sure you get started on the right foot. Think of it this way: For every successful garden you see, brimming with ripe vegetables, realize that the work started before the seeds went in the ground.

It’s no different for food plots, whether for white-tailed deer or wild turkey. You want to start with one of the most important components of a food plot, soil. Plan on evaluationg the soil before moving forward with developing your turkey food plot.

Why is a soil test a good idea? First, the test is simple and inexpensive. Soil sample kits are readily available from your county extension office or the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) office. They usually cost $10 or less. You can also find them online from private companies.

But not only is soil testing inexpensive, it can give you a precise prescription for the amount of lime and fertilizer necessary for good plant growth. What would be the purpose of taking the time to prepare and plant costly seeds if you weren’t sure the soil was prime for your food plot?

Fertilizer and lime do cost money, but you are better of doing your turkey plot right from the start. Lime allows the soil to reach the necessary pH level needed for your specific planting, and the timing of any lime application is critical. Liming is generally done at least one month before you plant your food plot so the soil’s pH level has time to change and reach the proper level. If your soil is not at the correct pH level when you start planting, your plants will not grow well, even with adequate fertilizer.

Soil Sampling for Food Plots

• Take your samples in the fall, as close to the time of planting that allows you to get the results back from the lab in time.
• Fill out the sheet that comes with the kit as best as possible. If you are not sure what they want, contact a local extension agent.
• Take a sample of the soil at plow depth, or at least six inches. You want to take at least five samples of soil for each five acres of field.
• Mix the five samples together and let them dry before sending them.
• Place one cup of dry soil in the provided container or a one-pint plastic bag.
• Label the bag with your name and number that references the field you took the sample from.
• Record the sample location on an aerial photo or sketch of the farm, and keep for your reference.
• Make sure the soil information sheet is placed in a separate first-class envelope attached to the sample. You should ship the sample per instructions from your county agent.

Lastly, avoid sampling areas near fences, eroded knolls, lime, sludge or manure piles, dead furrows or back furrows, animal droppings, low spots and rows where fertilizer has been banded. In general, do not sample any area of a field that varies widely from the rest of the field in color, fertility, slope, texture (sandy, clayey, etc.), drainage or productivity. Sample the atypical area separately if it is large enough to receive lime or fertilizer treatments differing from the rest of the field.

In closing, using the proper amounts of lime and fertilizer will improve plant growth and your turkey food plot to benefit turkey and all local wildlife. Plots can be an important turkey management technique and should be used as part of a comprehensive turkey habitat management plan.

Continued dry range conditions throughout much of Texas this spring could have a negative impact on wild turkey production and hunting prospects, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) biologists. If parts of Texas, particular in the south, remain parched there is concern among wildlife officials that Rio Grande turkey breeding activity and nesting effort will be greatly reduced or nonexistent. Since spring turkey hunters rely upon gobbling activity to locate and attract birds, the lack of interest by hens in breeding could make for tough hunting.

Rio Grande spring turkey hunting season opens in the North Zone April 4 and runs through May 17. Special youth-only weekends are set for March 28-29 and May 23-24. The South Zone opens March 21 and runs through May 3, with youth-only weekends set for March 14-15 and May 9-10. A special one-gobbler-only Rio Grande spring season is set for April 1-30 in Bastrop, Caldwell, Colorado, Fayette, Jackson, Lavaca, Lee and Milam counties. The spring eastern turkey season is open in 43 East Texas counties from April 1-30.

TPWD estimates about 88,000 hunters take part in Texas’ spring turkey season and take about 25,000 gobblers. Most of the state’s spring turkey hunting activity occurs in South Texas and in the Hill Country, where TPWD turkey program leader Jason Hardin noted timely rainfall could give the bird population a boost.

“If we can get even a little green-up there will be some breeding activity,” Hardin said. “However, right now conditions look bad.” The good news for hunters is there should be plenty of two-year-old gobblers out there; birds not wary enough to ignore a hunter’s calls. “There are lots of two year old gobblers out there,” said Hardin.

According to Alan Cain, TPWD’s district wildlife biologist for South Texas, the northern portion of South Texas is currently experiencing the driest 18 months on record since rainfall data collection began in the area in1871. “The last couple of years we’ve had a poor hatch in this area,” Cain noted. “Consequently, there will be few gobblers and jakes available for hunters. Hunters should probably concentrate along the drainages where there might be a few green weeds to attract birds and I would assume that as hens start dispersing they will be moving to areas with suitable nesting habitat. Overall, hunting will probably be tough as birds will be concentrated to the more desirable habitat areas this year.”

The situation deeper in South Texas is not much different. TPWD wildlife biologist Randy Fugate in Falfurrias doesn’t expect to see many jakes in the populations. “There will be some 2-year old birds in some areas,” he said. “Hunters should stick close to riparian draws and other water sources.”

Ballinger-based wildlife biologist Ralph Suarez also agrees that the situation is just too dry to expect very much production at this point. However, he did see a lot of jakes last year and is predicting good spring hunting despite the fact that hens are not in the best condition with the lack of green vegetation and insects.

TPWD wildlife biologist Gene T. Miller in the Panhandle is expecting a large number of “hard-gobbling” two-year-old birds along with a few trophy birds. Again, hens are likely to be in poor breeding condition and until spring rains begin to fall Miller does not expect to see much nesting activity. He predicts the latter portions of the season will produce the best hunting.

In East Texas, Jasper-based wildlife biologist Gary Calkins reported he is expecting an average year in the Pineywoods. “In the areas we have birds, I think it will be okay,” Calkins reported. “The hatch last year appears to have been average but this year’s weather is not going to make for great hunting possibly. We seem to be getting fewer birds concentrated into fewer areas and in some cases more hunters in those spots, so it may be a bit crowded in some places.”

For eastern turkey hunting, Hardin said there are a few hotspots he expects will continue to be productive this spring. “As always, the northern counties along the Red River tend to take an above average number of birds relative to the rest of East Texas,” he noted. “There are a few ranches in Red River County that offer package deals. Some good public areas to look into are Cooper Wildlife Management Area, Pat Mayse WMA and Caddo National Grasslands. I feel like all three are underutilized. Areas around the Angelina and Sabine National Forest also harvest a fair number of birds, but these areas are typically well utilized. Hunters should check with the managers of these areas to get more advice.”

TPWD biologist Scott Mitchell in Victoria indicated turkeys are doing well along rivers and creek bottoms in the Guadalupe River and San Antonio River basins where habitat is not too fragmented. “I predict the birds will be working harder to find ample food and good nesting cover due to lousy range conditions,” said Mitchell. “Nest success could be affected due to these conditions, however, overall numbers of birds continue to be on the rise in my area. Less cover and food should equate to easier hunting for many, especially around feeders.”

Statewide regulations allow the use of shotgun, rifle, handgun, legal archery equipment or crossbow to take Rio Grande turkey; however, individual landowners and public hunting areas may further restrict the devices to be used. The bag limit for Rio Grande turkey is four turkeys per license year. Regulations and bag limits vary by county, so check the county specific rules where you are hunting. Only gobblers are allowed to be harvested during the spring hunting season. Consult the 2008-09 Outdoor Annual for turkey season dates and bag limits in your area.

Eastern turkey hunting is limited to shotgun, lawful archery equipment or crossbow, with a one-gobbler bag limit. All harvested eastern turkeys must be taken to a check station within 24 hours. Contact a TPWD field office or call (800) 792-1112 to find the check station nearest you.

Unless you are a wheat farmer, every landowner or hunter wants to see more wild turkey on their property. The best way to ensure that turkeys flourish on your property is to create high-quality habitat that provides adequate food and cover requirements. A great way to attract and hold turkeys on your land is to clear and maintain wildlife food plots. Creating and retaining forest openings should be an important component of any turkey management program. If your property is comprised of dense woodlands, then first you must create openings within the forested area for plots to be planted.

Forest openings will allow your turkey food plot to receive adequate amounts of sunlight, thrive, and provide supplemental food for your turkey population. Food plots are a good idea because they attract deer and turkey, but more importantly these plots provide supplemental food for game and other species of wildlife. Establishing and maintaining turkey plots can be expensive and, of course, requires some knowledge of planting and the skill in the proper use of farm equipment. Before jumping into a food plot, make sure you take the time to identify the forage species that is best suited for your area.

This is necessary to ensure that your food plot yields the highest results possible. Even with that said, one of the most often overlooked factors of food plots is soil testing and proper seedbed preparation. In addition, make sure that planting depth and nutrient requirements are met. The size of the seed to be planted and soil moisture conditions are two primary considerations before planting your turkey plot. Seedbeds for small-seeded plants such as clovers need to be as smooth and clean as possible. On the other hand, large-seed plants like corn, peas, and beans do not require as neat a seedbed. These robust seeds can literally plow right through the soil and around clods to get sunlight.

I guess now would be a good time to give you some food plot planting tips. First, soil that is too wet will create a hard and rough seedbed because of soil particles sticking together. On the other hand, when soil moisture low, working a seedbed will release the moisture needed to germinate seeds. In addition, make sure that the seedbed is not overly loose. Seed-to-soil contact is very important and very loose seedbeds loose moisture rapdily. This will not allow your food plot seeds to quickly germinate and grow.

Prior to planting any type of turkey forage seed, make sure that you test the soil to determine the amount of lime and fertilizer needed, if any. Often times, soils are not exactly ready for the seeds you want to plant. In this case, an inexpensive soil test can tell you if your soil has got what it takes or if you need to do a little tweaking before spending time and money on an unsuccessful food plot. A soil test will identify the unknowns and make efficient use of your time. And just so you know, most forest soils are acidic and low in nutrients, so be prepared to add lime and fertilizer before your seeds go into the ground. When adding lime, make sure that you do so well in advance of planting. Lime takes a substantial amount of time to react with the soil and adjust pH. Fertilizer, on the other hand, can be applied either before or after the seedbed has been prepared.

In short, nothing beats turkey food plots for providing supplemental forage for your turkey population. These single or multi-species plots can be targeted directly at wild turkey or towards other game species as well, such as white-tailed deer. Food plots may take some preparation and work, but nothing worth having comes easy. Supplemental food as planted plots will benefit many species of wildlife and improve your turkey and whitetail hunting. Good luck with your food plot and turkey management program!