Last week saw a pre-season wild turkey hunting seminar at Chico Sportsmen's Den by Matt Brimmer of Primos Calls, the world's largest game call manufacturer. The presentation included a short history of the wild turkey in the United States, noting that the species would likely be extinct if not for the efforts of the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Considered among the wariest game birds anywhere, Brimmer quipped, "If a turkey had a sense of small, you'd never get one. You don't need a fancy vest and a ton of calls" observed Brimmer. "Only one or two calls get used everyday, the rest are ???just in case' of special situations.

"The number one key to success is scouting your hunting area. Look for feathers under roost trees, but don't go under the roost tree the night before the opener. Also look for scratching/feeding areas, along with dusting areas because turkeys are often infested with mites."

Discussing his special expertise in calls, Brimmer noted, "Overall calls should be loud and used often, depending on your skill level. Learn to read the bird you're working and adjust accordingly. A big mistake novices make is not learning the calls beforehand

"A shock gobble call will often set the turkeys off; a crow call is my favorite. Even if its' loud, its' not stressful to the turkeys. Box calls are easy to use and very loud. A pot call hits a higher frequency and gets the birds more excited. Mouth calls can be very frustrating, but let you keep your hands free. A gobbler call can be a huge safety issue if there are other hunters around."

Brimmer also ran through some basic safety issues. "Never wear the colors red, white or blue, because those are the same colors as a turkey. Be sure to have a backstop that is wider than your shoulders and higher than your head.

"If you see another hunter, don't wave; use your voice in a loud tone. When walking in or out of the hunting area, be sure that any decoys are completely stuffed into your vest. If you have bagged a turkey, mark it with blaze orange tape or fabric."

Interestingly, Brimmer attended Butte College in the 1990's. "I loved the all around outdoor activities when I lived in this area. Everything is so close to town, including pheasant, quail and duck hunting, along with mountain biking."