I had the opportunity to hunt turkeys for the first time this year in what they call the third season. I would have to say the weather was not kind to me. For the most part I was dealing with strong winds or cold rain.
My best chance was on Thursday morning when the temperature was still around 50 degrees and winds out of the north. I made one call and received an immediate gobble. I knew the tom was close, but I was above him in a 20 mile per hour gale. He decided he was going to stay in the calm area and wander the side of the ridge. I made a quick walk to where I thought he might come out. The only problem was that he had already made it to the same location, and his eyes are much better than mine. He was running when I saw him and for all I know he is still running. I went back that same evening and was able to see three hens. They didn’t seem to miss him, as they were very quiet. The good thing about this turkey season was that the morels were out. They were a little hard to find because of a lack of rain and cold morning temperatures. The most I found was under one dead elm tree was 7 mushrooms. Since I do not eat them, I gave them to a friend. I got sick on them once and that seemed to cure me forever. In looking for mushrooms I did almost step on a hen turkey. When she flew, I saw the nest under the bushes.
Jeff Kratch shot this nice bird that weighed in over 26 pound.
I counted 20 eggs and hope that they make it through the season. I am not sure of what percentages of eggs make it during spring but there doesn’t have to be too many successes for a good population next year. Fishing in the backwaters has been slow if you are after panfish. I was looking for crappies with my red and white mini jig and managed to get the northern pike fired up. In total I lost 4 jigs because I was only using 4 pound test monofilament line. I did get to see all the fish and none of them were records. The next warming trend should put all the fish into an active mode. There were some successes in the turkey season. Pictured is Ralph Hemling with a 27 pound 6 ounces, 11 ¼ beard, 1 1/16 spurs. My son, Kevin, got his opening weekend. His tom weighed 22 pounds 8 ounces, 10 ¼ beard, and 7/8 spurs. Jeff Kratch shot this nice bird that weighed in over 26 pound. Make sure to look at your fishing regulations as to when the seasons are opening up and the size limits. Hopefully, I will have some big fish stories for you next time. Don’t forget to take a friend out into the outdoors for relaxation and exercise.
