If I just said I’m a full blown omnivore that would have covered everything but that’s like eating dinner without a salt shaker, A shore lunch without the lake shore. Ice cream without chocolate sauce and that’s makes no sense so I go heavy on both from the sweetened dairy section.

When things get a bit over cooked and perhaps under done, is where some folks won’t eat, can’t eat, or choose not to eat peanuts, meat, eggs, dairy and so on. The reasons can be medical, to I just hate spinach, but unlike a guy I fished with last Saturday I’m not upset with any of the other select refined palette food groups, actually I appreciate them.

We roasted tators lightly seasoned and then just before they were done we laced the skillet with sweet summer onions and the screen porch became an ambient aroma the likes of which Neptune may rethink his immortal state for one more bite. One heavy cast iron cooker half full of oil was spitting like a hissing bobcat when we added freshly breaded filets from blue gills and walleyes taking there final swim. All was right in the world or so I thought, until it got better.

Rod doesn’t eat fish. Rod didn’t eat one piece of fish. Rod is a non fish consumer. Rod was adamant about not eating one piece of fish flesh. I felt bad for Rod, so we ate tenderly around the issue and my picnic table. After Rod left my home two of my buddies behind his back started to tell me what a meal he was missing and how could he be so ridiculous.

They were starting to harp pretty hard on not even trying one bite of a sumptuous feast so I said boys you shouldn’t be so hard on him. If it wasn’t for his generosity you would have eaten less. See boy’s, I’m an all inclusive food processor.

As a result of talking to Minnesota's State Farmland Wildlife Manager, Al Berner, about such various species as deer, ducks, pheasants, turkeys, sharp-tailed grouse and prairie chickens - I've come to realize that the loss of habitat for many game species also means loss of habitat for many non-game species, such as insects, fish, small mammals and songbirds. In other words what is good for the game birds, is also good for the songbirds and other types of birds.

While I was talking to Al he impressed upon me the need for habitat restoration such as Conservation Reserve Program lands, and other habitat conservation, such as preserving or maintaining existing prairie and wetland habitat. Many upland bird (game) species, such as pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse, prairie chickens, gray partridge, and even turkeys, need large areas of prairies, meadows, swamps, sloughs, fens, oak savanna, etc., for breeding and nesting habitat. Those areas also support Dickcissel, Bobolink, Meadowlark, and various species of sparrows. Many of those areas, because they are often on fairly level ground that might not be suitable for farming, are destroyed to make room for business complexes and housing. I see we just lost an area where I used to photograph Dickcissels in 2007, to farming.

To those outdoorsmen and nature lovers who don't hunt, this might not seem like a concern, except that those areas are also prime habitat for many species of birds, small animals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, wildflowers and other plants. As I lead our natural history tours I've begun noticing the wide variety of native plants, wildflowers and birds that use wetlands, meadows and prairies. I've also begun to realize how much of their habitat is destroyed by human encroachment, in the name of progress.

After watching several programs on the Discovery, History and Animal Planet channels, I've come to realize the importance of wetlands (that serve as important habitat for birds) as barriers to the negative effects of storm surges and flooding. Cattail, sawgrass, rushes and other wetland plants have the ability not only to reduce erosion due to flooding and storm surges, they also have the ability to reduce the harmful effects of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers on the water and plant life, which provides needed habitat for the wildlife (including birds).

When rain falls on land covered with natural vegetation, the plants can slow the flow of run-off until it has a chance to sink into the ground, resulting in only a 10 per cent run off. However, when rain falls on a parking lot, 55 per cent of the water can run off into local brooks, creeks and wetlands; and from them into larger bodies of water.

Run-off water may contain a variety of contaminants including oil, grease, heavy metals and sediments, plus harmful herbicides and pesticides, and fertilizers containing phosphorus, which can promote the growth of algae, often resulting in mass of green scum floating on the surface of the water, and result in algae "blooms" which often turn the water red-brown or blue-green.

Any of these conditions can result in less sunlight entering the water, causing less photosynthesis by native aquatic plants, resulting in less oxygen content in the water, and the possible spread of less beneficial and /or non-native and invasive plants, which do not help maintain the balance of the eco-system.

The preservation or creation of shallow swamps, sloughs, ponds or lagoons, between run-of water and/or streams, and deeper bodies of water, with their native vegetation, can greatly increase the natural filtration of water. Plants such as cattails, saw grass and sedges that may have extensive root systems which survive in shallow water, not only slow the speed of the water, but also trap sediments, and can filter out and use some of the contaminants that may cause a negative impact on the ecosystem plants in deeper waters.

Looking at a more recent edition of the Pope and Young book shows that between 1985 and 1986 115 bulls scored over 300 points - a nice bull by any standard. That's 57 bulls per year. A closer look at the books shows that 35 of those bulls came from New Mexico, 18 from Montana, 13 from Arizona, 7 from Idaho, 5 each form Colorado, Wyoming and Oregon, 4 from Washington and 3 from Alberta. While Montana still has a good showing the best bet for a 300 score bull is definitely New Mexico.

By looking at a more recent record book you can pinpoint which unit or county in each state the big bulls are coming from. There are some differences to consider when analyzing these numbers. Montana has a lot of public land that is open to hunting. On the other hand New Mexico contains a lot of private land managed for elk. Most guided hunts in these states start around $3000. If you consider that the price includes lodging, meal, transportation, skinning, capping, and about double the chance of getting a good bull with a guide than you can expect without a guide, it's a pretty good deal.

Obviously things have changed since I checked these records. Colorado is now producing more big bulls than in the past because of minimum point restrictions. This, coupled with the fact that there is abundant public land, and some licenses are available over the counter, makes Colorado the choice of many hunters. Arizona, on the other hand, still produces many big bulls. But, most of the hunts are on private land or reservations, where prices are high and licenses hard to come by in a drawing.

If you are looking for good success rates you should obtain a copy of the Big Game Harvest Report of the state you are interested in. This will tell you how many elk the state has, how many elk there are in each unit, the bull to cow ratio of each unit, and the hunter success for cows and bulls, by hunting method, and the success rates by unit. When you are researching this information, check the size of the herd. The more animals there are the easier it is to find them. Next look at the bull to cow ratio, the higher the bull to cow ratio the better your chances of seeing a bull. Then look at the hunter success rate. If hunter success rate is high the elk may have been easy to hunt; there may have been a high bull to cow ratio; or the area was easy to hunt. It may also mean that most of the good bulls were taken during the hunt.

Locating Elk Habitat
After you choose a unit to hunt elk, get a topographical or forest service map of the area to see what the terrain and habitat look like. Look for areas that are well of the road, with access by foot or horseback only. The harder the habitat is to get to, the fewer hunters there will be. Because elk prefer to stay near water and feed on succulent forbs (wild flowers), sedges and grasses in the fall (after much of the food has dried up) you should look for finger ridges with drainages containing water, aspen groves and meadows, near evergreens that offer escape and thermal cover. If there are connecting saddles over the tops of the ridges to other drainages, meadows and forests, you have found a likely place to hunt.

One thing that needs to be considered when you are looking for elk in the fall, particularly after the rut when the large cow/calf herds begin to breakup, is that the larger the herd, the larger the food source needs to be. Large cow/calf herds, which often occur during September and October, use large meadows. Small cow/calf herds, which occur more frequently in November and December, can use smaller meadows. Solitary bulls or small groups of bulls, that are not with cows, or that have left the cows, can use smaller meadows. The number of animals in the group, the sex of the group, and the phase of the rut you are hunting determines the size of the meadows and the type of habitat where you should look for elk.

This article is an excerpt from the Elk Addict's Manual, by T.R. Michels (computer readable CD $14.95 plus $5 for s&h). T.R. Michels is a nationally recognized game researcher/wildlife behaviorist, outdoor writer and speaker. He is the author of the Whitetail, Elk, Duck & Goose, and Turkey Addict's Manuals. His latest products are Hunting the Whitetail Rut Phases, the Complete Whitetail Addict's Manual, the 2008 Revised Edition of the Elk Addict's Manual; and the 2008 Revised Edition of the Duck & Goose Addict's Manual.

If you are interested in more elk hunting tips, or more deer biology and behavior, log on to Trinity Mountain Outdoor News and T.R.'s Hunting Tips at www.TRMichels.com. If you have questions about deer, elk, turkey or waterfowl log on to the T.R.'s Tips message board. To find out when the elk rut begins, peaks and ends in your area click on Peak Elk Bugling Dates Chart. For a catalog of books and other hunting products; or for information on a wide variety of Natural History Eco-Tours, viewing and photographing regional and national scenic areas, birding, big game animal, elk bugling, wolf howling, sandhill crane, swan, prairie chicken, sharp-tailed grouse, wildflower or other tours contact: T.R. Michels, Trinity Mountain Outdoors, E-mail: TRMichels@yahoo.com, Web Site: www.TRMichels.com.

Information Network
Once you've found a unit where you think you'd like to hunt make a call to the local conservation officer or forester, to find out how many elk they see and where they see them. You should also call the local taxidermy shops and locker plants to find out how many elk they take in and how big the bulls are. Check with the local fly shops and trout fisherman - they often see elk when they are out fishing; when you can't be there. Talk to anyone who might see elk in the area. Put together an information network of local people and let them do most of the observing and scouting for you. Then record all the information in your journal.

Pre Season Scouting
If you plan to hunt that year, and you have the time scout in late August or early September, look for drainages and meadows the elk are using at that time. By this time some of the older bulls will begin bugling in preparation for the rut which makes them easy to locate. Older bulls begin bugling earlier than young bulls, so they can attract cows earlier and breed more cows. Even if the bulls aren't bugling you may spot them, or a herd of cows, and find the areas they use. If the bulls are bugling it helps you find them and their favorite bedding and feeding areas. From August to November the forage patterns of the elk remain relatively the same, and they use many of the same areas, which means you may find elk in the same areas where you saw them when you scouted earlier that fall.

When you are scouting you should also look for areas the cows use, because when the rut approaches the bulls will travel to those areas to find the cows. You should also look for wet wallows near streams, rivers and other wet areas, and dry wallows along ridges and in low-lying areas where bulls wallow and bugle to attract cows. Do a lot of listening and observing on these early scouting trips. Then use your maps to determine where the bulls are, even if you can't see them. When you hear a bull shoot a compass heading, then look for good habitat along the heading on the map - that's probably where the bull is. If you spot bulls feeding or bedding mark the area on your map for use when you hunt later on.

If you can't scout before you hunt be sure to contact your information network when you arrive in the area. Find out where the best places to look for elk are. This cuts down the amount of time you have to scout yourself; the less time you spend scouting for elk, the more time you have to hunt. For this reason you may want to arrive 3-5 days ahead of your hunt, so you can scout, observe and pattern the elk yourself. The more time and effort you put into locating elk and their high use areas before the hunt, the more time you will save locating the elk once you arrive, which will give you more time to hunt, and the better your chances of a successful hunt will be.

Scouting
Scouting is important for hunting any animal. Unfortunately most non-residents, and many residents, do not have the luxury or time to scout an area for elk. For those who cannot scout there are some ways to increase their success rates. The most obvious way is to use the services of an outfitter. By using an outfitter you eliminate the need to scout, because the outfitter does it for you. They scout the area before the hunt, choose the best places to hunt and do the guiding. If you like to become more involved in the hunt you can choose a semi-guided hunt. Some guides offer pack-in and pre-scouting services to lessen the amount of time you have to scout during the hunt. A semi-guided hunt usually involves one guide for each four hunters, with the guide telling you where to hunt, rather than actually guiding you and going along. In this case you do your own daily scouting.

Another option for those who like to do their own scouting is a drop camp. A drop camp is exactly what the name implies: you are taken to the area by the guide, usually on horseback, and dropped off in an area where the camp, tents, cooking gear and firewood are ready for you. You provide your own sleeping gear and food, cook your own meals, and field dress, quarter and pack your game into camp, where the outfitter will pack it out to his headquarters. Usually you will not have horses in camp, and you have to do all of your scouting and hunting on foot. If you choose this type of hunt you should be in good physical condition, have First Aid, CPR and survival training.

If you have the ability and the time to do your own scouting, do it a couple of weeks before the hunt. For archery hunters this may be as early as late August. By this time some of the older bulls have begun to shed their velvet; making rubs and wet or dry wallows; and they may be bugling and associating with the cows. However, many of the bulls may be in bachelor herds by themselves in high alpine meadows.

If you are hunting private land that you can drive on, be sure to stop far enough away from where you expect to see elk that you don't disturb them. If you are using ATV's to get into back country on National Forest land realize that it will alert the elk and drive them out of the area for you and every other hunter who has worked so hard to get into the area without disturbing the elk. If you really want to be successful as an elk hunter don't go into elk country with a motor vehicle. To do a thorough job of scouting you will have to cover a lot of territory; elk home ranges may cover as much as forty square miles. Because of these large home ranges elk don't leave a lot of sign in some of the areas they use. Not finding recent elk sign doesn't mean there are no elk in the area, or that they won't be using it the next day, or the next week.

You can find out how many deer there are in the area by having several different people counting deer in different areas, at the same times, on several different days or nights. Be sure to determine the sex of all adult deer, and count all of the fawns. While you may miss some deer using this method, if you use the highest number of deer seen during any one time, you will have a fairly good estimation of the size and makeup of the deer herd n your area. You can also ask your local game managers how many deer they believe there are per square mile in your area. The game manager should also be able to tell you the carrying capacity of the land.

In order for any deer management program to work hunters and game managers must realize that:

1. The habitat can carry only so many deer, it makes no difference whether they are bucks or does. Once the number of deer exceeds the carrying capacity of the habitat there will eventually be habitat destruction, which can lead to disease, stress, and starvation of the deer. Or the deer, particularly younger bucks, will leave to find more suitable habitat, making them susceptible to injury and death by natural causes, hunting, or vehicle collisions.

2. Once the carrying capacity of the habitat has been determined, the total number of deer should be kept below that capacity, so that there is adequate nutrition in winter, and in case of forage and habitat loss due to natural causes.

3. Because the habitat can carry only so many deer, and one of the goals of deer management should be to ensure that there are appropriate numbers of both sexes, and all age classes of deer, one of the first objectives should be to balance the buck to doe ratio of the herd. The best way to increase the buck:doe ratio is to remove some of the does. In order to keep the buck:doe ratio stabilized an appropriate number of both bucks and does should be removed every year.

4. To increase the average age of the bucks in the herd younger bucks must be allowed to reach four to five years of age, which is when they should be the dominant breeding bucks. It may be four to five years before there are significant numbers of older bucks available to achieve all the breeding at the proper time.

5. The oldest and youngest deer, and bucks that are exhausted from the rut, are usually the weakest and the first to die. In order to keep weaker deer alive when they are under stress their health needs must be provided for. With the threat of infectious diseases, the best way to provide for the nutritional needs of the deer is through habitat improvement, and food plots; not through supplemental feeding.

6. Increased deer attraction to a particular property, improved survival and fawning rates, and increased body and antler size can be achieved by providing adequate cover and water, planting deer forage and browse, and providing year round minerals. Supplemental feed can be supplied (only where CWD and TB are not a concern) in the winter and early spring when deer are stressed.

This article is adapted from T.R. Michels' Deer Managers Manual ($9.95), and from the Deer Addict's Manual, Volume 1 ($9.95).

If you are interested in more whitetail hunting tips, or more whitetail biology and behavior, click on Trinity Mountain Outdoor News and T.R.'s Hunting Tips at www.TRMichels.com. If you have questions about whitetails log on to the T.R.'s Tips message board. To find out when the rut starts, peaks and ends in your area click on Whitetail Rut Dates Chart.

Goose Habits
Geese normally rest on lakes, river and ponds during the night, and feed on grass, clover and grain twice a day; shortly after sunrise, and shortly before sunset. The best way to find out where geese are feeding is find out where they are resting at night, and then follow them as they go out to fed in the morning. You can hunt the geese in the afternoon, but most hunters wait until the next morning to hunt. If you do hunt in the afternoon, the geese may not come back the next morning.
Geese prefer to land and take off into the wind, and they prefer to feed out of the wind. The also like to feed in open areas where one or more of the family members can see all around them. When you put out your decoys place them in the middle of an open field, on a hillside or low-lying area out of the wind if you can. Most of the decoys should face into the wind and not more than twenty percent of them should have their heads in the upright or "sentry" position. A goose with it's head up is either looking for danger, or has already spotted danger. A lot of geese, or decoys, with their heads sticking up is a sign that there may be something dangerous nearby.

Family Structure and Decoys
Geese are very family oriented. Depending on which species of goose they are the male (gander) and female (goose) mate when they are 2-4 years old. The young geese (goslings) usually stay with their parents for the first year. They migrate with their parents during their first fall, spend the winter with their parents and migrate with their parents back to the area where they were raised the next spring. The young females will continue to return to the general are where they were born every year. When the young males mate they follow their female partner back to where she was raised. Many of the goose flocks you see in the fall are made up of related females and their families. When you setup your decoys, place them in family groups, with 5-12 decoys in each family. Separate the decoys in each family group by a foot or more, and separate the family groups from each other by a yard or more.
In order for geese to respond to your decoys they have to see them. Five or six stationary black and brown decoys in a dirt colored field are not easily seen by high flying geese. You can make your decoys easier for the geese to see by using bigger decoys, using more decoys, placing dark decoys in light brown fields or snow and light decoys in light brown fields or dirt, and by using decoys that move. One of the best ways to attract geese is by "flagging." You can flag geese by nailing a 12 inch square of black cloth to a broom handle, and then wave the flag back and forth in the air. When geese see the flag they will often fly closer to investigate. Then when they see your decoys and hear your calling they may try to land near your decoys.
Randy "Flag Man" Bartz decided he wanted a more realistic looking goose flag, so he created the Lander Kite, a triangular piece of dark cloth with a tail, with a white crescent just above the tail. When the Lander Kite is attached to a 20 foot fishing pole and waved in the air, it looks just like a flying goose. By lightly shaking the pole up and down while you lower the flag toward the ground you can make the flag look liea goose landing. Randy suggests you keep flagging until the geese are within shooting range. If you stop flagging they may stop coming, or stay.out of range. By using the fast cluck of the honk of the clucking landing

Communication and Calling
Geese use variations of several different calls, but the calls you should use when you are hunting include the social contact call, the landing call, the threat call and the feeding call. Most of these calls are honking sounds, but depending on how loud and how fast the calls are, they mean different things. When geese are worried or excited they call louder than normal. The landing, threat and the lost calls are louder than the social contact or feeding calls. The faster the geese are moving, the faster they call. When geese are flying or running they call faster than when they are walking. While they are flying geese normally call at the same time that they flap their wings; the faster their wings beat, the faster they call. When geese flap their wings fast in order to slow down before landing their call is short and fast; when they glide in to land, and don't move their wings, their call is long and slow.
The social contact call is used to keep the family together, whether they are in the air or on the ground. Most of the slow honking that you hear when you see a flock of geese flying, or while they are feeding, is the social contact call; its usually a two note call that sounds like herr-onk. Use this call when the geese are far off and you are trying to get them to come closer. The farther away the geese are the louder you may have to blow the call, so the geese can hear it. The landing call is a louder, shorter and faster version of the social contact call, that geese use when they are flapping their wings as they land; it is usually a series of fast, short, one note honks; honk, honk, honk, honk. Hunters often refer to this call as fast clucking. Use this call when the geese are close and you want them to come closer and land.
The threat call is used by geese to tell other geese to stay away, that they are getting too close. It is usually a loud, short, fast double honk; honk-onk. Hunters often refer to this call as the hut-hut call. This is the call you hear geese on the ground make as a flying flock of geese gets close to them. You can use this call in combination with the landing call to get geese to land, because flying flocks almost always hear the threat call as they prepare to land near another flock of geese. The feeding call is used as combination social contact and threat call. It helps keep the family together while spacing the families out while they are feeding with their heads down and they can't see. It is a series of deep sounding gravely honks; onk, onk, onk onk. Use this call when geese get close, to convince them that your decoys are actually feeding geese.
To help you understand geese, and goose decoying and calling, read the Goose Addict's Manual from Trinity Mountain Publishing. To become a better caller, find someplace that has geese nearby, and listen to the geese; so you understand which calls the geese use as they feed, fly, land, takeoff, and squabble amongst themselves. Haydel's Game Calls has several excellent audio and video tapes, and CD's. If you really want to see how good you are, you can compare your calling to professional callers and real geese by using the new interactive Ultimate Calling System CD.

Goose Addict's Manual. Trinity Mouuntain Outdoors, 41267 Highway 56 Boulevard, Nerstrand , MN 55053, Phone:507-789-8808, Email: trmichels@yahoo.com, Website: www.trmichels.com

Recent legislation follows that philosophy by reduced the minimum age for deer hunting, from 14 to 12, with some special provisions. Here is a summary of legislation passed during the 2009 session.
HB 1167 allows 13-year-olds to participate in the youth deer hunting season if they turn 14 on or before the opening day of the November deer gun season.

SB 2165 allows individuals who are 16 years of age and older who have not taken the hunter education course to be issued an apprentice hunter validation to hunt small game and deer for one license year; allows youth ages 12 and 13 to receive a whitetail doe license valid only during the youth deer season; provides an online hunter education course for ages 16 and older.
HB 1188 increases the penalty for some individuals with multiple Game and Fish offenses.
HB 1045 continues the prohibition of severance of hunting rights from the surface estate.
HB 1217 makes it illegal to hunt unharvested oilseed crops (sunflower, soybeans, safflower, rapeseed or canola, crambe and flax) without permission of the owner or tenant.
HB 1239 clarifies that only the owner or tenant, or an individual authorized by the owner, may post land.

Let me highlight the philosophy involved with balancing safety and recruiting new hunters. Keep in mind that not all new hunters will be pulled from the pool of youth. Due to strong populations of pheasants and deer, we see a fair share of hunters taking to the field who hadn't in the past. Currently, the number of resident North Dakota hunters is at or near an all-time high. While those numbers may vary up or down from year to year, as long as we have ample game populations and opportunity for access, we will have continued high interest in hunting.
Part of that is making sure young hunters get started on the right foot. There is no minimum age for hunting waterfowl or upland game in North Dakota, so kids can start carrying a gun afield whenever the parent feels they’re physically and mentally ready. While age 12 is now the minimum for hunting deer with a rifle, it’s still up to the parent to determine if their child is ready.
And don't forget, the next legislative session is already less than two years away and the next opportunity to influence the future of hunting, fishing and trapping in North Dakota is on the horizon.

Leier is a biologist with the Game and Fish Department. He can be reached by email:dleier@nd.gov.

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“What’s that she asked”? “I said that’s a fish scale honey”. “Can I have one”? “Ah, you better ask your mom or dad”. Off she went. Then she pops back up on the chair, “Mom said I could have all I want”. I gave her a clear plastic sandwich bag.

I must have handed her ten scales when she says “you can have these back”. “Mr. I just want the orange and yellow ones”. I tried to explain that the color was in –All- the scales and the fish skin but there was not enough color in one or two scales to really show off how brilliant they can be. “Give me –all- the scales Mr. and I don’t need to ask my mom or dad”.

Now my daughter on occasion I could run a line past, this kid wasn’t going for any false casts on my part. She saw color and she wanted the color. I asked her to go get her folks. In walks mom and pop and I tried to explain what the little kid wanted and they tried to take over.

The line I liked the best from mom was “honey, the color of the fish has to stay with the fish; we just get to keep the meat”. She wasn’t buying that either, “How come his fish on the wall still has the color”?

I shoulda kept my mouth shut right then and there but I knelt down and told her “when my little girl was young she caught that fish, it was one of her first, and the day was so special I had it mounted”. Looking up at mom and dad she asks “are my fish special”?

Dad looks at me like thanks a lot buddy, and it didn’t look good. Mom looked at husband, that didn’t look much better. Then dad said” honey, you pick one, and will have it mounted for you”. Well there was one smile left in the room.

The little bugger didn’t want to set the fish down. When he did, he drops down on both knees into the boats carpeted deck. One dry docked walleye was really getting some appreciation. His dad undid the jig and Jr. wanted to just sit and hold his catch. So we let him.

This is your average little boy with a life jacket that is something he’s supposed to grow into for size. The vest is legal, but maybe a tad large. Finally his fish goes into the aerated live well and it becomes the onboard aquarium. Dad and I are happy for young son.

He doesn’t want to fish anymore right now, he just wants to watch it swim and flare its gills. His little face is a smeared grin. Two little Red wind whipped cheeks couldn’t look or make you feel any better.

Kinda cool how just one walleye makes you remember, how one walleye, is so special. Fingers go into the live well and dad issues a warning. We get the newest member of the Minnesota angling club rigged back up, but he just keeps lifting the live well lid.

Right then, for just a moment, I didn’t want him to catch another fish during our day. I knew it wasn’t a wall hanger, or a mounter, but it should have been. I think back now in what a mistake it was to keep fishing instead of just heading for the taxidermist.

We got plenty of pictures after the boat was tied up for the day and then I wasn’t sure exactly which was his first fish. I let dad dig the fish out of water for his posed into forever photo. Then we stringered the mess and took some more.

One picture shows two big goofy looking guys with camo hats and one whipper snapper of a young boy whose arms are stretched so big to try and hold up his end of the deal. Nick Punto, number eight, of the Minnesota Twins would be proud of whose wearing his cap today.

With our full time jobs calling, time wasn’t on our side most mornings, so we had to make decisions to pack it in before we would have liked. This caught us a few times; including one setup we had working for nearly 45 minutes. This gobbler was a long way off, but slowly heading our way. We actually picked up and moved in closer knowing that he wasn’t going to get to us in time. We slid up the hill and peaked over to see the bird heading down the logging road in our direction. We setup just down the hill top where he could see the decoy once he got to top of the ridge. After we got setup, he answered us once, then not a peep. Twenty minutes went by without one answered call. With work in the back of our minds, we decided we had run out of time and he had probably moved on in another direction. As we crept to the edge of the power lines which was 5 yards in front of us and looked to our left, there he was 35 yards getting ready to walk right down to our decoy.

There are quite a few stories were lady luck left the building this spring, I guess that's the fun of it all. We did get to hunt, we were on birds nearly every morning and we had a great time on the roller coaster of spring turkey season.

I’m not exactly sure how many times the alarm went off at 4am this spring, but of the thirty hunting days we are allowed; I’d be willing to bet it was more then twenty. Those figures don’t bode well for proof of our turkey hunting skills, or maybe they do, either way we had a lot of fun and learned quite a bit to take to the woods next spring.

The countryside is absolutely astounding. Sweeping green meadows sprawl across the vast terrain. Small creeks dissect the farmer’s fields and account for the only trees in the land. Schotte knows how to use the terrain to his advantage because he’s hunted here all his life. He has taught me more about turkey hunting than I’d ever read in a magazine or watch on TV combined. His turkey slaying record for the past ten years has been 100% and Schotte has helped defeat thousands of thundering toms. I was hoping to get lucky and add to his numbers and maintain his high percent Monday morning.

The first morning I sat nestled into the trunk of a cottonwood tree with my feet propped comfortably against my Turkey Dave footrest. Sprawled across both of my legs set a shooting-pod. I’ve been using shooting sticks the past few hunts because I’m able to keep my gun up at all times, which minimizes any movement. I also use them because they keep my shotgun’s barrel extremely steady.

As golden sunbeams pierced through the forest floor, thundering gobbles ignited above the canopy. Hundreds of gobbles rang from across the emerald meadow. I yanked down my camo Breath-Taker mask to deliver a quick audio-byte to the video camera. As I turned back around I spotted several birds shooting from tree limbs and gliding into the field. I gave the lovesick toms a brief rendition of sweet and charming yelps. They answered with strong desire! My plan was to spark jealousy with the mature toms by place a Spin-n-Strut jake decoy out front. The decoy’s fantail moves up and down, which tests the nerves of a dominant gobbler. I figured that I’d mix a few lady chatter with the scenario and we’d have a genuine chance at a kill.

The hens separated the end of my barrel from the gobblers. Luckily, the hens scratched my way toward our setup, while the gobblers paraded behind them in full strut. Each tom was blown up in a pompous fashion escorting the hens. Each waddle put them closer into the kill zone. As soon as the flock of feathers crossed the 25-yard line, I blitzed. A rumble of bb’s blasted through my barrel and into the vitals of a large Rio. The bird dropped, while the others took flight. Schotte and I congratulated each other and acknowledged the camera. The setup couldn’t have worked any better.

The hunt marked my fourth year of late-season turkey hunting with my dear friend David Schotte. It was another successful hunt in the hills of north central Kansas. The anticipated journey pleased us with another learning experience and memory to share for years to come. During this week I will be hunting for bird number two. Hopefully I will have an exciting update within the week!

On his way to Alaska to tape his TV show, Tred Barta suffered a rare occurrence called a spinal stroke affecting his T2-T10 vertebrae. Since there are only 12 of these Thoracic bones, that’s a very large area. He is currently paralyzed from just below the chest down. Prognosis is way up in the air at the moment. Some medicos predict permanent paralysis while others have given him up to a 60-percent chance of at least partial recovery. His message to everyone is… “Don’t take a single second of your life for granted.”