Texas Turkey Hunting - 2019




Jason Hardin, TPWD Upland Game Bird Program specialist evalutes the 2019 turkey hunting prostpects:


The Edwards Plateau has always been the hot spot for Rios. The Cross Timbers always has the second-highest number of birds harvested. The reasons we have so many Rios in the Edwards Plateau, the Cross Timbers and in the coastal sand plains of South Texas is due to the availability of roosting habitat. The most limiting factor for Rios in most cases is adequate roosting cover.


Rios prefer to nest in the biggest and largest grove of trees around. These are typically associated with creeks and rivers. There is no lack of rivers, creeks and other waterways in the Edwards Plateau and Cross Timbers. The coastal sand plains is known for its distribution of large live oak mottes. These systems provide the Rios with adequate roosting habitat to better utilize the greater landscape. These areas typically provide rangelands dominated by native grasses and scattered shrubs, and these landscape features provide excellent nesting, brood-rearing and escape cover for adults and young alike.


In Texas turkey hunting seasons are staggered (north zone and south zone) an are also fairly long to better capture gobbling activity. Texas is a big and diverse state. This is true if you look east to west where we have a significant rainfall gradient, or if you look south to north where we experience a growing season gradient. A lot of hunters insist on hunting the opening weekend. However, this typically is only a good idea if we had a mild winter with adequate rainfall. The condition of the hens will play a large role in when they begin to breed. Mild and wet winters lead to early green vegetation being available earlier in the year, which means hens are ready to breed earlier than in more droughty or colder winters.


"By allowing for a long season, we provide hunters with an opportunity to better capture breeding activity. It is really impossible in Texas to put a date on the calendar and know for certain year-in and year-out that gobbling activity will be where the hunter wants it.”


Photo courtesy TPWD




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Fishing Report from TPWD (Sep. 17)

GOOD. Water stained; 84 degrees; 0.28 feet above pool. Striped bass fishing is up and down depending on the temperatures. Warmer days have the fish moving fast and surfacing on top early and late. Live bait and slabs are working on shallow flats and ledges off the main lake in 15-25 feet of water. Crappie are biting jigs or minnows on points with stumps and brush in 12-20 feet of water, or docks and shade in coves. Eater catfish are good on punch bait in 18-28 feet of water on flats and in the backs of ditches. Baited holes are producing numbers. Soon big blue catfish will roam the deep flats chasing big baits. Report by Jacob Orr, Lake Texoma, Guaranteed Guide Service. Stripers are hit-or-miss with the best bite on topwaters or slabs on flats in 10-20 feet of water or deep in 60 feet of water. Target structure and the ledges of drop-offs. Some anglers are using live bait or trolling. Fish should be moving shallow as the water begins to cool. Report by John Blasingame, Adventure Texoma Outdoors.

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