n Only a month remains in the spring turkey season after storms pass through the area last week.

By BUSTER WOLFE

Daily Journal

Northeast Mississippi turkey hunters are trying to be optimistic about the last month of the spring season as thunderstorms continue to pass through the area.

Turkey season started March 14 and ends May 3, with a limit of one gobbler per day and three per year. Tom Crook of Amory hasn't killed his first one yet, but he believes his fortunes are about to change.

"I think the weather's going to let up," said Crook, who added he had killed two gobblers by this time last year. "I still feel real good about it."

Not that the turkeys aren't out there, Crook said.

"On the one or two good days we had, we have heard some gobbling," he said. "We just didn't get a chance to shoot one."

The first month of the season is usually filled with younger hunters because of spring break in the state's schools. That also will change as the temperatures warm up and other activities begin to surface.

"Every year about this time I always say, 'Thank goodness for crappie,'" Hood said. "That usually brings people out of the woods a little earlier each year."

Dean Hudson, a state wildlife enforcement agent in Monroe County, said he saw the same attitude from anglers at Aberdeen last week.

"They said they hadn't seen any turkeys, so they decided to go fishing," he said. "Of course, when they got out, they heard some turkeys."

Hudson said he believes the number of turkey hunters has decreased this season, similar to a drop in deer hunters. The weather also has taken a toll on how many gobblers are active.

"Most of the time, hunters are going to want to hunt for turkeys in the bottomland," he said. "If a hen is going to lay eggs, it will be in the bottoms. And if it starts to flood because of the weather, it's going to flood first in the bottoms."

Turkeys won't build another nest after the flooding - unlike renesting by chickens, Hudson said.

For the final month, however, Crook said he expects to pick up his limit this year.

"When the hens start nesting and the gobblers get lonely, they'll start gobbling," he said, "and we'll have more shooting."

Crook's National Wild Turkey Federation group, the North Monroe chapter, has had its annual banquet. But two more Northeast Mississippi groups have their get-togethers scheduled in the next three months.

The Tenn-Tom Chapter of Corinth will meet May 9 at the Crossroads Arena. The chapter contact is Larry Muse at 287-4411.

The Lappatubby Chapter of Pontotoc will be at the Pontotoc Agriculture Center on June 6. Call Vince Torrance at 489-3315 for information.

Contact outdoors writer Buster Wolfe (buster.wolfe@djournal.com) at 678-1576. His blog is http://nems360.com/pages/busterontheoutdoors.