Ontario’s spring turkey seasons opens in late April and closes at the end of May. Anytime during the open spring season is an excellent time to pursue these birds.

-Additional Eastern Wild Turkey: Hunters may only take a maximum of x2 turkeys per season.  

-Steelhead/Trout Fishing: Half-day spring add-ons possible (river conditions permitting). 

Arrive in time to confirm your licensing with the outfitter, pattern the gun, shoot the bow or head out to roost birds for the morning, which comes early. Hunters are set up in pre-scouted locations before dawn. As turkeys begin gobbling, excitement surges and hunters know they are in the right area! Hunt with your local guide or the outfitter himself, with a proven and deadly array of calling & decoy tips and tactics, to lure these aggressive love-sick Toms into shotgun or archery range. The mid-mornings are spent calling and playing cat and mouse with big old long-beards, often translating to some pretty awesome spring turkey action. 

Break for a hearty brunch, either tailgate picnic style in the hunting area, or at a local diner. Continue hunting in the afternoon as needed. Ontario regulations only allow x1 wild turkey to be taken per hunter per day, but this only savors the experience, allowing hunters to do it all over again the next day! Legal hunting hours extend to 7pm each evening, which facilitates roosting turkeys again for the following morning.

Most clients use the outfitters shotgun rentals, which are already included in each package. Turkey shotguns are 12 gauge, usually semi-automatic and camouflage with an extra full choke, shooting 3 - 3.5 inch heavy 4,5 or 6 shot loads. 

Archery hunting is legal in Ontario and welcomed if desired, for those wishing to increase the challenge of the hunt. Vertical archers tend to bring their own equipment, while crossbows can also be rented at no charge if desired.

Central Ontario is a transitional region surrounded by great lakes. Rolling fertile agricultural land with deciduous woodlots and farmsteads, gives rise to the hilly southern boreal forest, dominated by conifers and small lakes. Most hunting areas are in farm country however, with a good mix of classic turkey habitat. Crop fields, hard wood ridges and low-lying cedar swamps. Several prominent rivers also carve their way through this landscape providing forested ravines in addition to the various more isolated hard wood stands. In all, its perfect wild turkey habitat, physically easy, and very huntable terrain.

Weather this time of year is generally pleasant. Late April and May are lovely times to head afield. Temperatures below the freezing mark would be very rare. Expect cooler mornings that warm up as the sun climbs in the sky. Later season will be warmer and more vegetated, which has its advantages such as providing hunters with cover while stalking, compared to early season when the trees, fields and bushes are still bare. Rain is not overly common, nor are mosquitos but always best to prepare for both. 

This is a 3-day hunt with 4 nights’ accommodation. Our hunters typically stay in a nice, rural, home-style lodge, on the edge of farm country, located in small, quaint, country town. Many hunting locations are conveniently within a 15-30 minutes’ drive to minimize commuting time. Hunters often have their own bedrooms or bathrooms, indoor and outdoor common lounge areas, phone service, Wi-Fi, and a complete kitchen with a continental style breakfast, and fully catered meals. The area is well poised for other regional activities, cottaging, hiking or eco-tourism side-ventures if desired. 

Enjoy a quick but satisfying continental style breakfast to get hunters out in the field before dawn. The lodge will have a full kitchen that will be stocked with classic breakfast items like cereal, toast, hard-boiled eggs, pastries, yogurt, fruit, coffee, tea and juice. Lunches are occasionally at a local diner, but often hefty home-made packed lunches are brought out with hunters, either in a nice picnic spot, or in the field waiting on a suborn gobbler. Dinners are filling, home cooked and catered. With a revolving menu of gourmet burgers, grilled pork loin, steaks, sausages, salmon, or pasta dishes with sides like potatoes, rice, coleslaws, with freshly baked buns and desserts. Snacks are available anytime, and clients are welcome to bring their own beer, wine or liquor. No one goes hungry. 

Destination City: The hunting areas are located around Barrie, Ontario. Hunters are welcomed to drive to the lodge, or otherwise arrive at Pearson’s International Airport in Toronto, Ontario, where they will be greeted by the outfitters shuttle service. The hunting areas are located roughly 1.5 hours north of Toronto.  

Travel Suggestions:  Pearson’s International Airport in Toronto is easily reached by nearly any North America airlines flight, often offering direct flights with no connections.  Niagara Falls is the closest border crossings if driving, followed by Detroit, or the Thousand Islands crossing being equidistant.

Basic meat or trophy preparations are done by the outfitter or his guides. Turkey meat is deboned, and tail fans, beards and spurs can be carefully removed, labelled and frozen upon a client’s request. If wishing for life-size turkey taxidermy, there are several local taxidermists, as well as the world acclaimed Advanced Taxidermy nearby focusing on high end products, and can also oversee all aspects of domestic and international shipments. Advanced Taxidermy can certify, crate and deliver trophies to a shipping agent or expeditor in Toronto to be shipped internationally. Turnaround time for life-size mounts is approximately 12 months.