April showers bring ...
- Michelle Wood: SWCD
- April 20, 2018
- 1498
OK, enough already. Whatever happened to those gentle spring rains that brought out the daffodils and warming spring breezes that announced winter was officially over? No, let's have torrential downpours, tornado-force winds mixed with snow and flood out those daffodils. Sorry, enough ranting, I feel better.
Some people have claimed to have found some early mushrooms, but I think they grew them indoors. Taryn and I were planning to plant a garden this year, but if we do, it will be a late starter.
Farmers are doing their best to be patient for the ground to dry out and warm up, not only to start planting season, but also they need to clean their barns out, and the ground is just not conducive to tractor travel yet.
As I sit here typing, I’m watching our puppies. They are anxious for the rain to stop and be able to go outside, although our 10-year-old, 95-pound collie named Sable still has her winter fur coat on and loves to lay in the snow. When it gets warmer, we will shave her fur down to allow her to be cooler. The other puppy is a 7-pound, 2-year-old fox terrier/yorkie spitfire named Bexley.
Ohio spring turkey season will begin April 23 with youth season two days earlier on April 21. Reports show Ohio’s turkey population is strong with the 2017 spring harvest of over 21,000 birds and the fall harvest above 1,000. According to the National Wild Turkey Federation, the statewide population of birds is around 165,000 birds. Spring hunters can take a total of two male bearded gobblers but not on the same day.
I’ve heard some people say, “How hard can it be? You just sit on the ground, and the bird walks up to your decoy, and you shoot it.”
Not so much. What you see on TV is not always real life. I remember when turkey populations started to grow in our area. I decided I would try my hand at bagging one.
I had always been a rabbit and deer hunter, so I just assumed that’s how you hunted turkeys. I had a friend from the Stilwell area who had a farm and invited me to come to hunt his place.
I did know that you had to be out before daylight. I didn’t know about prescouting them and “putting them to bed” the night before. I didn’t have a turkey call because I could, in my opinion, imitate a “cluck” and a “gobble” quite well, thank you very much. So this was going to be a “piece of cake.”
I got there plenty early, figuring I would just sit in the woods and wait for them to start gobbling so I could find them. I did hear some shortly after daybreak, so I did my quietest woods walk in that direction. When I thought I was fairly close, I sat on a big rock and started clucking. To my surprise, the tom turkey did answer me. I told you I was good.
I could hear the answers getting closer, so I got ready. To my surprise the gobbler appeared to my left, about 40 yards. I swung my trusty shotgun in his direction, and you got it. He was gone before I even thought about pulling the trigger.
They are much more weary and alert than deer and have much keener instincts than any animal I’ve hunted. It is much harder than they make it look on TV. Good luck turkey hunters.
As for an update on elk hunt preparations, after consulting with sources who have taken the long-range course, I decided it was in my best interest to have a muzzle brake installed on my 7 mm.
As well as aiding in a more consistent shot, the recoil is reduced significantly. I figured I would like to have some shoulder left. I asked Emery Miller at Miller Gun Supply for a recommendation. He sent me to Gerald at Custom Blue LLC in Newcomerstown to install my brake.
This and more to come next time.
God bless.