Exploring the Delaware Water Gap Part II - The Hunt

The other recreational activity Zack has introduced me to is hunting.  The Water Gap has provided Zack and his family hunting adventures and wild fare for over 10 years.  It took some convincing, with promises of “free-range, steroid-free” meat and remote photo-shoot locations, but this past spring we embarked on a hunt for wild turkey. However, I quickly realized in observing the nuances of the hunt and Zack’s intimate knowledge of the area that has come from hunting the area for so long would provide plenty of unique photography opportunities.  Here is a general guideline for the process of turkey hunting and some photographs along the way.

Locating Turkey Populations

Before the hunt can begin the turkeys’ approximate locations must be found.  We narrowed our search to old farm fields and the wooded ridges that surround them.  Some of the fields are completely over-grown now, some are mowed and others are still leased out and used for farming.  All make for great turkey habitat.  Turkeys can be located using any number of calls impersonating a turkey.  Zack uses a “box call.”  It is ideal to find their location just before dark because the turkeys roost in trees for the night, so you know they’ll still be there in the morning.

A Lynch Box call.  The underside of the lid has a thin layer of chalk and is scraped across one side of the box.

This hen (female turkey) was getting ready to roost in the area close to where we decided to hunt.

Preparing our camp for the night.  We slept in the car.

The Morning Hunt

The key is to get close enough to where you think the turkeys are roosting, but not too close as to alert them of your presence.  The turkeys must be lured to you using a call, but using a decoy turkey can also add incentive, if you can find a spot open enough for the decoy to be visible while also offering enough cover for hiding.  As the sky begins to lighten, the turkeys begin to talk to each other.  We knew their approximate location, so we tried to plant ourselves amongst them in hopes of luring one within range.  All morning we could here them calling in what seemed like every direction, but no luck.

A Browning semi-automatic for the hunting and a Mindshift backpack for the photographing.

The Late-Morning Hunt

In New Jersey turkey hunting is only permitted until 12pm to prevent hens from being disturbed as they hunker-down in their nesting areas for the afternoon.  In the final hours before noon Zack likes to find a sunny-open area, preferably on a ridge close to a stream and take a little nap.  After putting our decoy out about 30 yards from us, we relaxed under cover amongst dense vegetation surrounded on all sides by a mowed field.  Zack would pop his head up every 15 minutes to look around and call.  Sure enough, after about an hour two turkeys came out to investigate.  The result was turkey chili. 

Looking out from our hiding spot amongst the brush in the middle of the field.

Turkey down!

Filling out the turkey tag.

Finishing the job

Shooting the turkey is not the end of the hunt.  After properly tagging and checking the turkey in at the proper location, the task becomes removing and cleaning the meat.

The turkey "beard."

Plucking the breast meat area.

After enough of the feathers are removed cut along the sternum to remove the breast meat.

After the breasts are cut out, the skin can be pealed away from the drum sticks (basically turning them inside-out) and then cut them away from the body.

If you missed part I of our favorite things to do at the Delaware Water Gap, click here. 

Bass River State Forest Valentine's Weekend

In honor of our Valentine's Day photo shoot, I decided to answer some questions prepared by Zack, my boyfriend and master navigator, concerning our time in the woods, so that you can read over them as you peruse my photographs from Bass River State Forest.

Where did you spend your Valentine’s Day?

Zack and I decided to go to Bass River State Forest in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey to rent a cabin-like structure called a Lean-To to spend a “snuggly” Valentine’s Day.

How were you convinced to spend Valentine’s Day in freezing conditions in a Lean-To heated only by a small wood stove?

I think the phrases “cozy” and “it won’t be that bad” were used. I also couldn’t fathom how cold it was going to be. The thing I hate most about camping are bugs and I thought, “This is going to be great. All the bugs are dead, no worries.”

How cold was it?

It was record lows all weekend, single digits. It was frigid and numbing. There were other people that decided to brave the elements that weekend. We weren’t the only crazy ones.

What did you think of the Lean-To when you first saw it?

Well, to start, I had envisioned a cute, cozy cabin. The lean-to was neither of these things. It’s one room with a wood-stove and our inflatable bed (the kind that needs a pump, which naturally, I forgot) took up most of the space. 

How was spending the night in the Lean-To? Did the wood-stove work?

There was minimal insulation in the walls, not much between you and the elements. It was definitely cold, like see your own breath cold. I stuck my hands in the stove, almost in the fire itself, but it was not enough. The stove did work to an extent. There was one night where we had a hard time starting the fire, which made it hard to do anything else except think of how to get warm. The lean-to, as small as they were, did not get as warm as I thought.  

What did you eat for your V-Day dinner?

We brought red wine, which got so cold that we had to store them in front of the fire. We cooked some turkey chili in a pot on top of the wood stove.  We brought some cheeses, crackers, and olives, our favorite snack. We definitely did not have to worry about chilling the food.

What were your impressions of the Pine Barrens and the BATONA Trail?

The Pine Barrens are creepy. It was only heightened by the fact that we didn’t see or hear any wildlife, even the animals seemed to know it was too cold.  I could only hear the occasional sounds of the trees. The wind didn’t blow much, so everything was so still. It was unreal, but the lighting and the eerie stillness made for some great photos.  The Pine Barrens are very flat, so it made for easy walking along the well maintained trail.  Everything looks the same in the Pine Barrens, if you venture of the trail its easy to get lost.

What wildlife did you see?

Nothing. It was weird.

How was hiking in the freezing conditions?

It was difficult, but I’m glad that I did it. I didn’t have great gloves. My hands would be really stiff when I would try to take a photo. We wore facemasks because it was just too cold to have your face uncovered. My eyeballs even felt cold. With all my layers I looked like a creature from Lord of the Rings.  

Any advice for braving the elements?

Invest in the gear. Having a great jacket really makes a difference. Pack many layers. Don’t forget to keep drinking water, even if it partially freezes, you can still get dehydrated. This was the first trip that I used my new MindShift backpack. This bag made it easy, especially in these elements, to access different lenses with the rotational pack that swings around your waist.