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John's
Journal... Entry 20- Day 4 TURKEY HUNTING AT BENT CREEK LODGE EDITOR'S NOTE: John Lanier and his partner, Leo Allen, have had the opportunity to hunt wild turkeys all their lives in this section of Alabama that's well-known for a large turkey population. Hunters from across the nation come to Bent Creek Lodge each year to have a chance to match wits with the bronze barons there. QUESTION: When does turkey season run during the spring? ANSWER: Generally turkey season runs from March 20th to April 30th in Alabama. QUESTION: How many turkeys can a hunter take each season? ANSWER: A hunter can kill one turkey a day during Alabama's season or five turkeys a year. QUESTION: How many turkeys do hunters bag at Bent Creek in a season? ANSWER: Our hunters usually take 60 to 70 longbeard gobblers off our lodge's 34,000 acres. QUESTION: How do you hunt turkeys at Bent Creek? How much land will a turkey hunter have to hunt at your lodge? ANSWER: Each guide gets 2,000 to 3,000 acres to hunt turkeys on, and he'll hunt that piece of property all turkey season. QUESTION: Are the turkey hunts at Bent Creek Lodge always guided? ANSWER: If you don't kill a turkey in the morning, you can hunt that evening. You can hunt by yourself or take a guide, but the guide costs extra for the afternoon. QUESTION: Do many people kill turkeys in the afternoon? ANSWER About as many hunters kill turkeys in the afternoon as in the morning at our lodge. QUESTION: What's the best turkey you've seen taken at Bent Creek? ANSWER: Most of the good turkeys weigh 20 to 23 pounds each and have 12-inch beards and 1-1/2-inch spurs. QUESTION: How many birds like that will you see in a season? ANSWER: Probably we'll have a couple of turkeys that size taken each year. QUESTION: Are most of the birds your hunters bag 2-year-old gobblers? ANSWER: No, John, most of them are 3-year-olds. QUESTION: Why do you think that is? ANSWER: Our guides like to get good gobblers. They don't hunt young turkeys much. QUESTION: Do you permit your turkey hunters to bag any jakes? ANSWER: We ask our hunters not to take jakes, but we don't have a rule saying they can't. They just usually don't. QUESTION: About how many days must a hunter hunt at Bent Creek Lodge to bag a tom? ANSWER: Well, that time varies. Some people take a turkey every day while at the lodge. A lot of luck is involved. QUESTION: Have you ever had anybody hunt for three days and kill three gobblers? ANSWER: Yes, that's happened a lot of times. Contact John Lanier, Bent Creek Lodge, P.O. Box 4267, Jachin, AL 36910, (205) 459-3065 or his partner, Leo Allen, at (205) 398-3437 to learn more about turkey hunting at the lodge. You can email Lanier at bclodge@pinebelt.net. TOMORROW: WHY BENT CREEK LODGE IS SO POPULAR |
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Check back each day this week for more from John Lanier and Bent Creek Lodge... Day 1 - Deer Hunting At Bent
Creek Lodge |
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