Grand Slam Birds: Which Subspecies is the Hardest?

So I got your attention with my snappy title. Any successful turkey hunter who has gone after the Grand Slam has an opinion as to which subspecies is the hardest. My opinion is that they all are hard, but each in their own different ways. Noticed I said they were all hard but I did not specify which one was the hardest. I am sure if I sat down with other avid turkey hunters we would have some great discussions on this topic but since I need to write this article I am going to build my case for each one and then rank them at the end.

I currently lease properties that allow me to hunt three of the subspecies every year in Florida (Osceola), Georgia and Mississippi (Eastern), and Texas (Rio Grande). I got 2 of each bird during my 2009 season. Why do I do it? Well, because I enjoy the different styles of hunting involved with each subspecies.

Side Note: I have included the National Wildlife Turkey Foundation’s (www.nwtf.org) subspecies turkey map so you can visualize where each subspecies is located as I discussed them. The NWTF site has great information about each subspecies for the beginner and besides, they have been and are great stewards for the wild turkey.

Osceola

Let’s start with the subspecies where the hunting season opens up first, the Osceola. The Osceola is only found in the state of Florida and the fact that they are only found in Florida starts them off on the difficult scale. The environment in Florida is normally hot in March and April, with mosquitoes the size of dinosaurs. Out-of-state hunters have to find an outfitter, public lands, or a lease in order to hunt them. In my opinion, Osceola are modified Eastern turkeys that have evolved over time. They have longer legs to adapt to the Florida swamps and other terrain. They also have a tendency to not gobble a lot once off the roost. I can remember only a few times where they were fired up and gobbling their heads off for a given period of time. The mornings that I was present during these gobbling sessions, I harvested birds. My hunting style is very similar to how I hunt Easterns, but with them not gobbling on the roost it can be difficult and frustrating.

Eastern

Chances are if you consider yourself a turkey hunter, you hunt Easterns. They are the most abundant species of the grand slam birds. They are also the hardest in my opinion. Whoops, I let the cat out of the bag! Oh well. Taking an Eastern bird every year proves that you are an avid and successful hunter. In my opinion there is no other warier bird than the Eastern. What do I mean by wary? I think evolution has caused them to develop this keen sense of danger due to hunting pressure and the fact that they live in populated areas where people are present. Therefore wary to me means a smart bird that is constantly looking out for danger and is always alert. You probably hear the word wary mentioned about whitetail deer. Turkeys are the same way. The hunting terrain for Easterns is normally not a big factor on how you hunt these birds.

Rio Grande

Now, I love hunting Rio Grande turkeys. As I mentioned before, I have a lease in Texas just for hunting them. They are no way as wary as Easterns and Osceloa in my opinion, due to the non-dense population areas they are found on. The first time we got the lease I swore they have never been hunted. My hunting lease is on the Pecos River where the Rocky Mountains start. It is very hilly and rocky with creek bottoms that have open cattle fields. This openness makes it difficult to “Run and Gun” so we hunt out of tents placed strategically along their feeding corridors and roosting trees. Another factor is that Rios cover a lot of ground every day foraging for food. When you see them fly off the roost they are normally going somewhere fast. So, if you do not get them right off the roost they might be a couple miles off your property by noon that day. Finally, another difficult factor is that it is hard to hunt turkeys when you are constantly looking for snakes. I know snakes are found everywhere you hunt turkeys, but in Texas they grow them bigger. When I refer to them I mean diamond back rattlesnakes. Besides my turkey calls and decoys, my snake boots are my number one hunting accessories when hunting Rios.

Merriam

Merriams are a lot like Rios, meaning they are less wary due to lack of civilization. I hunted Merriams in the Colorado Mountains and these birds acted like they had never seen a human before. We could drive up on them in trucks and they would stand there and look at you. Once you got out of the truck they would run. You let an Eastern or Osceola see a truck or even hear one they will be in the next county before they stop flying. Hunting in the mountains to me was the biggest challenge. I was okay as long as I was going laterally or down the mountains but going up the mountains made me huff and puff like the big bad wolf in the three little pigs’ story. When turkeys would gobble, I would say let’s go for the one down there or over there. It was always hard to say let’s go up the mountain to get that one. Better yet let’s wait till another one gobbles. If you hunted Merriams in the mountains you know what I am talking about. The cold temperatures were another factor. Opening day when I was hunting in Colorado was 18 degrees Fahrenheit and five inches of snow on the ground. I was amazed to watch these beautiful birds gobbling and strutting in the snow.

Rankings

Now that I have built a case for each subspecies here is my rankings and a summary of why:

1. Eastern – Very wary birds to hunt due to surrounding population and hunting pressure.
2. Osceola – Less wary than an Eastern, but has a tendency not to gobble; therefore, hard to initially setup on. Limited places to hunt.
3. Merriam – Tougher environments to hunt in due to elevated terrain and/or winter hunting conditions.
4. Rio Grande – Wide open country with them traveling long distances during the day once off the roost; plus the possibility of rattle snakes.

So basically you can sum up the birds in two types of hunting groups. There’s the wary, pressured group, the Easterns and Osceolas, and the environmentally-challenged group, Rio Grandes and Merriams.

Now that you know my rankings, go over to my Facebook page or Twitter account and post your comments. Please feel free to disagree with me and voice your opinion. Or better yet, bring up points or experiences that I might have missed. I love a good healthy discussion about turkey hunting – a sport I am very passionate about. Good luck this spring!

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Last Call for New Hampshire’s Junior Duck Stamp Contest

Kids who want to enter New Hampshire’s 2012 Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest should start putting the finishing touches on their masterpieces. Entries must be postmarked by March 15. The contest is a chance for New Hampshire youth from kindergarten through grade 12 to create original artwork depicting any North American duck or goose. Entries are judged on artistic merit and scientific accuracy in portraying the waterfowl. The competition is open to public, private and home-schooled New Hampshire students.

The artist selected as Best-of-Show will receive a $500 scholarship, and the first-place winners in each of four age groups will be awarded cash prizes of up to $75. Prizes are provided through a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department runs the statewide competition, which is part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Contest. The contest serves a dual purpose, giving students a chance to use their artistic talents at the same time they learn about wildlife and conservation.

Don’t forget — entries must be postmarked by March 15, 2012. Competition guidelines, including dimension requirements and an entry form, can be downloaded from http://www.wildnh.com/Education/Junior_Duck_Contest.htm, or contact N.H. Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest Coordinator Ellen Macneil at the N.H. Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03301; email wildlife@wildlife.nh.gov or call 603-271-2461.

New Hampshire’s Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest will award first, second, third and honorable mention ribbons in four groups: grades K-3; 4-6; 7-9; and 10-12. The State Best-of-Show is selected from among the first-place winning designs. New Hampshire’s top winner advances to the National Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest, in which the three top winners receive a cash award and a trip to the adult Federal Duck Stamp Contest.

Winning artwork in all categories will be displayed at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (11 Hazen Drive) in Concord, N.H., in late April.

The Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program is an integrated art and science activity developed to teach environmental science and habitat conservation. Teachers who want to integrate these lessons into their coursework can find a curriculum guide for teaching conservation through the arts at http://www.fws.gov/juniorduck/EducationProgram.htm.

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The Best Time to Hunt Whitetail in Texas

My whole life growing up I watched Jackie Bushman and Bill Jordan show the world what it was like to hunt the rut in Texas. I can remember sitting in front of the TV with a stick of beef jerky just wishing that it was November already and that the rut would be here soon.

At that point in time all I thought I needed to kill the biggest buck in the county was my Ruger #1 .243 and a set of old rattling horns my dad had put together when he was a teenager. Year after year I set on the edge of that warped 2×4 in the top of an ancient pecan tree on the Sabinal River bank in Utopia, TX. Every twenty minutes from sun up until lunch time I would clank that set of horns together just hoping that a muy grande would appear out of nowhere to let my single shot Ruger put Thanksgiving venison on the table and another Hill Country whitetail on the wall. For years I thought this was the only time of the year to bag the big ones and from what I had experienced…it was.

In late 2005 I was introduced to my first trail camera and decided to set it up by my creek bed feeder on a small plot of land in the Hill Country. It didn’t take me long to figure out that I had been missing a huge opportunity for a long, long time. All these big bucks that I was chasing in late November were showing up in front of my camera like clockwork in October and the first part of November. Even better, they were all fat and didn’t have broken tines! What had I been doing all these years?

During the past seven years through guiding and hunting I have come to realize that a lot of hunters get “Rut Crazed” and miss out on some of the best big buck opportunities each year. To me, hunting the rut is like playing the lottery, whereas hunting the early season is like investing into a proven stock. Yes, when the lottery hits it usually hits big but if you are in a great stock you should see a good return year after year.

If you haven’t started yet, try this bit of advice and see where it takes you this year:

• Set up a couple feeders or food plots on good natural funnels or well traveled trails
• Set out game cameras at each location *It is imperative that the time and date is accurate on your cameras.
• Set up a blind so the deer can get used to it in a reasonable amount of time
• Find a great mature buck that you would consider a trophy
• Make a log of the times he is coming into your locations each day
• Mark the distances he is traveling in front of your blind

Try these tips and most important of all, try to get out there on opening day before any pressure begins in your area. If done correctly you should have a great picture and story to post up either October 1st or November 5th and during the rut you will be able to afford to play the “lottery” because you’ve already got money in the bank!

From texasoutdoorsman.com.

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Strange Sounds from the Turkey Decoy Spread

Turkeys decoys are visual, add the right sounds

Turkey decoys work best if you couple the visual attractant with natural sounds.  While most hunters only use yelps and clucks in their turkey tactics, many other sounds should be employed when hunting turkeys.  I guarantee you a hen turkey makes a lot more noise scratching than she does yelping, and you should do the same.  Watch the turkeys feed and mock the cadence of their feet scratching the ground, scratch scratch scratch, peck peck peck peck.  That is the noise a hen makes all day long, and gobblers recognize it as natural.  The scratching involves motion on your part, and a blind works best to shield that movement from mature toms as they approach.  It is a tremendously successful turkey tactic when birds hang up at 50 or 100 yards.  Trust me, they can hear it.

Turkey decoys or just parts?

A lot of people made fun of ‘the wing’ when Primos came out with it, but the tactic is solid.  I usually use my ball cap instead, but the sounds of a turkeys wing can make the difference between a dead gobbler and a noisy one.  Fly down is the obvious time to make the sound of a flapping wing, but it is not the only time.  Prior to fly down, turkeys do a lot of adjusting and preening on the limb.  Mock this sound by dragging some primary wing feathers on the bark of a tree.  Don’t over-do it, but a little of these before your fly down noises adds realism, and may be the ticket to getting that gobbler inside your turkey decoys.

A good fight brings them to your turkey decoys

The sounds of a turkey’s wings are always present during a good turkey fight.  The wing slap is a turkey’s version of a punch, and if you ever get to feel it, you will remember it.  I had a hen wing me in the cheek on a relocate and it hurts like a son of a %$^&*.  Combine intermittent ‘wing punches’ with aggressive fighting purrs to bring big toms on a run to your turkey decoys.  One of the best times to use this turkey tactic is when you have a bird responding, but can’t get him to budge.  A couple gobbles, some heavy fighting purrs, and simulated wing slaps are too much for many toms to take.  You are on their turf, fighting to see who the boss is and it does not sit well with a dominant gobbler.  It is a better turkey tactic early when they toms are still fighting frequently, and less effective as the season wears on because the toms are tired and less inclined to battle.

You can also make some occasional wing noise to simulate the ‘stretch’ turkeys do throughout the day.  By stretch I mean they stand up and flap their wings three or four times, similar to when we yawn and stretch our arms out.   Try it when a tom is out of sight, as it is a very visual display, and if they can’t see it when they should it may arouse suspicion.

I use these subtle turkey tactics all season long in conjunction with my jake and hen turkey decoys.  The soft noises work better when the birds are close, as they are very natural and can put suspicious birds at ease.  Scratching and soft, soft purrs are all I will use inside 75 yards.  Real hens seldom squawk their heads off all day long, and neither should you once that tom gets close.  Settle down and use the soft natural noises of a hen turkey to get that big black bird into your turkey decoys.

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Interview: Big Buck Location and Management with Mark Drury

Today, Mark Drury and his brother Terry are two of the industry leaders in TV production and video production. The Drurys have produced more than 200-feature-length videos in more than two decades. They’ve also produced more than 250 TV episodes that air onWildlife Obsession, Dream Season and Bow Madnesson the Outdoor Channel and Natural Born Killers on the Pursuit Channel. I sat down with Mark previously to talk about choosing a bow setup, click here to read it.

Question: Mark, we all see you and Terry taking big deer every year with your bows. How are you able to consistently find and take those big deer?

Drury: The answer is observed movement. The more you hunt one piece of property or the more intimate you become with the place you’re hunting, the better you are at hunting the deer on that land. Soon, you’ll start to learn where, how and when deer move, and you’ll see consistent patterns that almost always will tell you where and when the older-age-class bucks will be. We’ve learned over the years that if you can separate the place the deer feed from the area where they bed, having a definite transitional zone that the deer can travel through between feeding and bedding, you can set up in those transitional zones. You can take an older-age-class buck with your bow if you’re hunting during the early season or the rut.

Another tactic we use is what we call a “green-field-within-a green-field.” When we plant our major green fields, we also plant a little strip of clover or some other type of late-season planting that will be green after the rut. We usually make this planting on the edge of our major food plot planting. Then after the rut ends, we’ll set up on the edge of that green field where we have our late-season crop, sometimes that’s clover, planted to take bucks after the rut.

Question: Mark how did you develop the green-field-within-a-green-field idea?

Drury: We started by planting a soybean field. The whitetails usually feed on those soybeans all summer long. But from mid-September to late-September, those soybean leaves turn brown, and no longer have food value for the deer. Any green fields on the edges of those soybean patches will start putting out new foliage. So, I plant a green field around each soybean field between mid-August to late-August here in Missouri where I live and hunt. As the soybeans begin to die, the new young green fields start sprouting, so I don’t lose any of the deer that I’ve concentrated in an area with the soybeans during the summer and watched. By October, those bucks are so patterned to the edge of the soybean field where the green field is, that we can pick and choose the bucks we want to take.

Question: Besides clover, what are you planting, Mark?

Drury: I like Mossy Oak BioLogic Last Bite, a product that I tested during the 2010 season for Mossy Oak BioLogic. I also like BioLogic Winter Peas, Winter Bulbs and Sugar Beets and Maximum.

Question: Mark, most people believe to consistently take big bucks on a piece of property, you need to harvest some does. How many does do you take off the property you’re hunting?

Drury: You have to remember that you’re managing a deerherd, and that there are many factors that must be considered to answer that question. For instance, for the last several years, we’ve had some really severe winters here in Missouri. So, we’ve been taking fewer does now than we did a few years ago when the winters were much milder. Deer are born at almost a 1-to-1 ratio. In other words, you should have 50% bucks and 50% does born each year. I use summer and fall trail camera surveys to try to determine how many bucks versus does there are. From these surveys, I’ve learned that the buck-to-doe ratio can vary quite a bit on each individual property.

I have one piece of land in Missouri that I hunt that has a very low deer density. So, on that property I try to harvest about the same number of does as I do bucks. On some land I hunt in Iowa, there’s a large number of deer. I try to harvest or get my hunters to harvest 10 does to every 1 buck there. I’ve learned that deer management is property specific. Until you use trail cameras and do a deer census on a particular piece of property, you can’t set up a harvest management prescription to keep your deerherd in balance and enable that herd to produce the maximum number of big bucks. I think you have really got to use your own survey system to determine if you have too many or too few deer. I believe the best way to do that is with the trail cameras, because they survey an area 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Interview: Big Buck Location and Management with Mark Drury

Hot Spot Outfitter Spotlight: Kansas’ Blue River Whitetails

With today’s outfitter’s get-rich-quick mentality coupled with amplifying quantity versus quality, weld has been forged on the wallet of several thousand hard working hunters in search of a legitimate deer operation to spend their well-earned dollars. With outfitters sprouting from every nook and cranny of the country, it’s time to separate the wheat from the chaff.

In these difficult economic times we face, hunters looking to find an operation that provides one-on-one attention, reasonable expectations, and a proven track record is an absolute necessity before even entertaining cutting a deposit. I firmly believe that as a “client,” there should be virtually no room for shards of doubt or speculation in the booking process. On the very same token – you cannot expect a 150” buck served to you on a silver platter, that’s just not realistic when hunting free range whitetails. At the end of the day, you must find an operation that is not only genuine, but works with you to provide a fair opportunity to fill your tag and conquer your dream.

My hope is to help guide you in the right direction before throwing your greenbacks into the flames. I want to set the record straight and speak for every hunter in the country stashing their savings for a hunt this fall and give a few outfitters a well-deserved shout out for their relentless ability to deliver incredible hunts year-after-year.

Blue River Whitetails

I’ve had the great opportunity to hunt at a place that has not only proved successful for me the last five years, but currently maintains a 100% turkey slaying record and a world-class whitetail rate that’s very near that. The birds are plentiful, the landscape’s spectacular, and the privilege to hunt side-by-side with a hunting guru is truly a blessing.

My Kansas go-to-guy is David Schotte, owner of Blue River Whitetails. Schotte runs a superb family oriented operation and has been doing a successful job putting his clients on both species year-after-year.

Schotte relies on Moultrie trail cam pictures to scarf big buck activity and insight. As we all know, trail cameras significantly reduce hunter error and keep human pressure and activity at the extreme minimum. This is exactly how Blue River Whitetails is able to provide their big buck hunting clients an unheard of 70% success rate with a 150” average!

The time and efforts Schotte put toward planting food plots, installing waterholes, building brush blinds, and strategically placing cameras all boiled down to that very moment; his clients grinning behind a set of gnarly antlers.

There truly is no greater feeling than the gift of accomplishment coupled with the fruitful passion of the outdoors. Together, they are a winning combination that defines the pinnacle of a hunter’s success. The fond memories of bonding with great company and waking up to a buffet of wild game is a dream come true.

If you are in search of a place to hunt spring turkey or fall deer; look no further than www.BlueRiverWhitetails.com.

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“Let’s Hear it From the Girls!”

Calling on all women in the field to share your stories, pictures, thoughts…women need girl talk!

Why is it a passion of mine is to encourage everyone to support women in the outdoors? Short story long, I have only been huntin’ and shootin’ things since 2000, and without a weekend workshop at Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, Becoming an Outdoors Woman (B.O.W.) along with my husband’s encouragement later that year, I may not having the wonderful adventures I am having now! It is still fresh in my memory and very much aware that it takes information, encouragement, and inspiration to enable some people to step outside of their comfort zone and try something new. I was lucky enough to have all three, and  I now strive to make those available to all who are curious. It may not be for every girl, but I am thankful that I had the chance to decide it was for me! As I always say about shooting, “You may like it, or you may not, but I‘m here to tell you, it’s worth a shot!”

I want to appeal to you girls out there that have already taken the leap of faith into the outdoors, be it hiking, four wheeling, fishing, camping, shooting, hunting, watching wildlife and capturing them on camera, etc. You are outdoors breathing that fresh air, loving life, and it is only fair that you take the time to inform, inspire, encourage…and share your experiences!

There are many ways to tell your tale, review a product, share a tip or show your trick. You may write on your own website; submit newsletters to various websites; also send content onto a few outdoor websites may approve a story. There are many social platforms available, but it is important to remember that if you take the time to write it, you want people to be able to find it and read it! So in addition to what you are doing now, I personally want to recommend and enlighten you about OutdoorHub.com. This organization is on track to be the online Mecca of information, the hub of all outdoor information/new/stories/photos and will link all aspects of outdoor information and products across the world. I know the history and capabilities of one of the founders in this organization and have every confidence that the company will live up to their name and goal to be the main hub for the best in resources for outdoor information, services and products!  Accepted and approved by P.O.M.A., they verified their credibility and can only create confidence in their missions and goals.

Outdoor Hub is actively seeking real stories from real people in various sports, with different platforms to offer, they will talk to you and decide where your words belong! They are currently providing outdoor content to over 12,000,000 people, growing steadily as I type. They have staff that work with you for editing, and also full time website masters that work continuously to help people find and actually read your story and allow you a link back to your own website! Thankfully they realize that not everyone is a professional writer and have developed carefully written guidelines that have been a tremendous help to me in my efforts to blog, write, and just share in general. Just ask and they are yours. Email them at content@outdoorhub.com. These are great people, a wonderful organization, and I am sure that once you begin working with them, you will totally agree. I say these things wholeheartedly and without reservation. Please contact me and I will give you all the direct contact info.
I am sincerely hoping that this information has encouraged and inspired you to begin sharing your stories somewhere…. ANYWHERE!

If you have any questions, I look forward to hearing from you!

BeckyLouOutdoors@gmail.com

“Camo can be Classy”

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Just a Few Turkey Facts

Turkey season is fast approaching among us hunters and huntresses. I find it intriguing to know some facts about the wild turkey. I know some of us just go out and shoot a bird, but do you actually study them? I decided this year I would do some research on the wild turkey and share with you some important facts.

I think it’s amazing that Benjamin Franklin’s first choice for the United States’ National Bird was the wild turkey. The turkey was well liked by the Native Americans as well as the Europeans. It was the choice for Thanksgiving Dinner. It’s also the largest game bird in North America.

In the early 20th century wild turkeys were no longer roaming over the land. They had been killed off by hunters and many of their woodland habitats were destroyed. It’s thanks to the conservation programs we have now that wild turkeys are not extinct. We now have five different types of turkeys that are grouped in slams for turkey hunting.

These are five slams:

1. Grand Slam: Eastern, Rio Grande, Merriam’s and Osceola (Florida Birds)
2. Royal Slams: Eastern, Rio Grande, Merriam’s, Osceiola, and Gould’s
3. World Slams: Eastern, Rio Grande, Merriam’s, Osceiola, Gould’s, and Ocellated
4. Mexican Slams: Rio Grande, Oscellated, and Gould’s harvested only in Mexico
5. Canadian Slams: Eastern and the Merriam’s are harvested in the Provinces- Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, Manotoba or British Columbia

The male turkey is also known as the gobbler or the tom. They usually have large red, featherless red- head, red throat, red wattles (warts or abnormal growths) on throat and neck. The long fleshy skin that lay over the beak is called a snood. When they get excited the blood rushes to the head and neck causing the snood to expand and may even conceal the eyes and the beak.  When they’re ready to fight the head and neck turn blue. The Toms are known to have beards and the longest beard reported through the National Wild Turkey Federation is 18 inches long.  They also have little reddish-yellow to grayish-green legs and a black body.  The male is substantially larger than the female, and his feathers have areas of red, purple, green, copper, bronze, and gold iridescent shade.  The primary wing feathers have a white bar through them. The bird can have up to 5000-6000 feathers on them. Their wings expand up to­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ 47-59 inches. The adult males weigh 16-24 lbs. The record-sized adult male, according to the National Wild Turkey Federation, weighed 37 lbs.

The female turkeys are smaller in size weighing 8-12 lbs. Their color is dark dull gray and sometimes black. They camouflage the nest very well. The hens can lay 10-14 eggs and the incubation period is 28 days. Some beards are found on 10-20% on hens.

Turkeys are known to be omnivorous. They eat fruit such as juniper and bearberries in addition to seeds, insects, frogs, roots, acorn and nuts. They even eat small reptiles such as snakes, lizards, and frogs. They eat spiders and other insects that are found on the ground or in trees. They eat grain that is grown out in the field. They also eat tall variety wild grasses.

The sounds they make are yelps, gobbles, clucks, purrs, putts, whines, cackles, and kee-kees. Their gobbles can carry up to a mile. In the spring time they’re announcing their presence to the hen and other males. The males are polygamous and mate with as many hens as they can. They attract females by puffing out their chest, dragging their tails, and expanding their wings. This known behavior is called strutting.  Their color also changes around their head and neck. The mating season is March and April. The female hens yelp to let the gobbler know their presence. The immature turkeys are called jakes and they often yelp.

The turkeys nest up in a tree along streams at night to protect themselves from other preying animals. They have very poor night time vision. Turkeys have very good eyesight and hearing at daytime. They’re also extremely fast runners.

Wild turkeys have a pecking order, it’s usually the oldest to the youngest.

I enjoyed learning about the wild turkey that I will be hunting this spring. Remember it’s not about the kill, but the fun of hunting and enjoying wildlife. Seeing all the wildlife up close and personal and studying them is exciting to me. You just need to sit back, be patient, and observe. You will be amazed at what you see.

If you’re looking at registering your Wild Turkey this year with the National Wildlife Turkey Federation please check out this link http://www.nwtf.org/all_about_turkeys/records_FAQ.html

Have fun and be safe on your wild turkey hunting excursion, and remember to always use common sense while you’re hunting.  Practice your turkey calling off-season so you can be prepared doing the turkey season. To improve your hunting skills watch videos and turkey hunting shows to help you become a superior turkey caller.

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Howle’s Hints: Cleaning Your Hunting Gear

If you get blood on your favorite hunting jacket or pants from handling harvested game, pour hydrogen peroxide on the blood stain before it sets in. The peroxide will foam and bubble the blood stain right out of the fabric, then, simply wipe the area with a damp cloth. Apply the peroxide and wipe until the stain is completely gone.

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Howle’s Hints: Introducing Youth to Hunting and the Outdoors

Squirrel hunting is a great way to introduce youth to the outdoors. What’s even better after the shot is to have the youngster clean, cook, and eat the harvest. If you are using a shotgun and plan to eat the meat, hold the meat up to a bright light to reveal any stray pellets. This could easily save a trip to the dentist.

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