Has it been that long?

Wow!  I can’t believe that it’s been almost four months since I’ve posted anything…..but that doesn’t mean that I haven’t been busy!

Since February I’ve successfully bagged a turkey, gathered a bunch of morel mushrooms, and fished a ton including two tournaments!  It’s been so much fun!

Turkey Hunting

I hunted two weekly seasons this year.   The first season was difficult.   My hunting partner and I called in some birds but none of the birds were anything to brag about.   It seemed like the more mature toms were really staying close to the hens.   And of course that means that if you can’t get some hens in to your decoys, those ole’ mature birds will stay just out of reach with what they’ve got.   You know what they say and mature toms stay alive by it….”a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”….

But finally we got some jakes to come in to our decoys.   My partner lined up on a nice heavy jake and squeezed the trigger….kaboom!….and the bird went straight up in the air, came down, and never stopped running.   We didn’t get a single feather off that bird!   We’re really not sure what happened.   My buddy is a great shot – would put him up against any shooter I know – we wondered if the pattern had just spread out on him and just missed hitting any vital areas.  That’s just the way it goes.  It was still a lot of fun.   It’s truly about the hunting, not about the killing.

The second season was a little more productive.  I saw birds again from a distance but just couldn’t get ‘em to come in to the decoys.   So for a later hunt that season, I moved further south and set up a blind in a little draw close to an open field.   That next morning I saw a few birds west of me and started working them in to me.  They got interested pretty quickly and four nice jakes came in to my decoys.   As I looked at them I picked out the bird that I thought had the best beard and would be the best “eater”.   I looked at them quite a while as they came in to my decoys and actually went back and forth as to whether or not I wanted to take a jake, or wait for a mature tom.  If I passed on these birds, I might not get another chance.   About the time they decided that my decoys weren’t what they originally thought they were, I decided that yes, I was gonna put one of them in my freezer.   So I dropped one at 16 yards.  It was a good solid bird and I was truly appreciative to get him.  God put animals on this earth for us to harvest – and I respect and thank God and the bird for providing/being food for my family.

Having said that, you just can’t deny it, they are some kind of ugly bird!

One of the wonderful bounty’s of the spring during turkey season is the availability of wild morel mushrooms.   They are truly one of the most delicious things to eat in the world.   We found several morels while turkey hunting, and then once I got home my wife Lesa found a ton of huge morels in our back yard!   Here are a few pictures of mushrooms found during turkey season and morels found at home.   Man oh man were they tasty!

Fishing Spring 2016

Fishing began the first Saturday in May.   What a wonderful sport!   This year, the weed growth has been different – not as thick as is usually the case, even though we’re in early July.  Having said that I’ve caught a ton of good fish during the early season.

Tournament season started in early May.  Last year, I finished strong, missing Angler of the Year by only a little over 2 pounds.   This year has been different!  I have struggled the first two tournaments catching only one fish the first tournament and zero’ing the second tournament.   I take little comfort in the fact that no one else has been killing them either.   We’ve only had one limit in the two tournaments and the second tournament was won by someone who caught only two fish!   So I’ve not been alone in not filling the livewell, but I’m optimistic that things are going to turn around.   I just need to stay the course.   And be comfortable in my abilities – things will turn around!

Here are a few pictures of good fish that my son Ryan and I caught this spring – some really quality fish!

I’m so thankful that I continue to have the opportunity to fish in the Northwoods.   It’s such a wonderful natural resource.

Please keep checking back!   There’s lots of fishing to come!