The calendar says it’s getting closer everyday, but we all know these next couple months will seem to take as long to pass as the last several. I’m ready for some dogwood blooms. I’m ready for the fresh green that gives the landscape its most vibrant look and feeling. I’m ready to sit down in the dark and listen to the woods come to life morning after morning. I’m just ready. 📸 @myleskwilliamson
2023…The spring of many lessons.
Many miles were traveled. Many places that I’ve never seen were visited and explored. Many opportunities were laid in front of me and while I managed to avoid my version of the favorable ending to most of them, I learned a lot of lessons the hard way. It taught me more than I could’ve imagined learning in such a short window. The lessons learned were important and learning them the hard way was important to my growing as a turkey hunter.
On top of learning tons this year I got to hunt with more friends and fellow turkey hunters than I have in quite some time. The time spent with them was priceless and I am and will remain a firm believer that hunting with other turkey hunters will make you a better hunter. The learning never stops. The time doesn’t slow down so enjoy it. Thank the people that allow you to enjoy it and thank the people that enjoy it with you. There is no other time like it.
I sure hope everybody enjoyed the spring season and learned a way to enjoy it just a little more. This great country offers some excellent times to be had across the board and I am very lucky to have experienced some of them for myself.
It’s been a grand total of 3 days and I can assure you I miss it more than anything. I’d give anything to be back on the road heading to the next place. I’d love to be waking up in the morning at 3am to head in once again. Unfortunately that won’t be the case and somehow waking up at 5:30 to go to work will seem like the hardest thing in the world. The want and need to turkey hunt is something I can’t explain. Those of you that share it know and understand. The feelings gained from the experience make every moment worth it. There’s a limited amount of time to play this great game every year, rain or shine you can bet I’ll be there. Any morning can be that morning. There is no substitute for time spent amongst them. There is no better teacher. Immerse yourself in it. You won’t regret it.
Finding gobblers amongst the sea of green and in the kind of mood that this one was in really makes my ticker tick. A stop by one of my favorite places on earth was good for the soul!
When I think of places that Rios should live in, places like this come to mind. Amongst the giant cottonwoods I experienced a morning of pure Rio Grande hunting. When anybody mentions Rios I will always think of this morning and the setting that I was in.
New places forever catch my attention…a place I’ve never been with some turkeys that I’ve never yelped at. This morning was and will remain one of those highlight hunts. Big timber and a hard gobbling turkey in a very unfamiliar environment. Luckily for me I just happened to sit down in a spot that worked out great. Not only did it get him where I needed him but it provided me one hell of a show in some wide open timber. They don’t often work out that well, but when they do it’s well worth the price of admission
I’d say that it was at least 15 if not closer to 20 years ago that we planted these sawtooth oaks. As we planted them I clearly remember the words “sure outta be the place the kill a good buck one day.” Now years later, those oaks are producing a food source that is irresistible to deer of all sorts. I’ve never been a very motivated early season deer hunter, but the cards were in my favor for this one and I knew I’d be a fool to sleep in. All that talk years ago about catching deer slipping back and forth to these oaks and here it is happening. If that ain’t memorable I don’t know what is.
The best was saved for last. It doesn’t always happen that way, but it was by far the best morning I’ve had in the woods all spring. Rewind to last year…I missed a turkey in these same Michigan woods and I never saw another opportunity while I was here. The first day I was here this year I had a gobbler at 40-45 yards in the same place like we never skipped a beat from last year. I probably could have killed him but the shot just wasn’t one I was willing to take and risk a painful miss or wounding the turkey. Little did I know that was the best decision I made all spring. When the next morning broke and the gobbling started everything was as pure spring as it is on April 5th back home. As the gobbler made his way to me through the dark hardwoods at 6:40 am I knew in my heart that this was it. He was committed and it was up to me to finish what I’d started. The shot rang out through the woods and I’m not sure exactly what feelings that I felt, but I feel them every year when the end comes around. This year they hit me a little faster than normal. After almost 2 months on the road my body may be relieved that it is over but my mind is right back to the next step, the next place, the next morning. The routine is unforgiving, but the rewards stretch much farther than just a turkey over my back. It’s fast paced and short lived. People ask me all the time “ain’t ya ready for a break?” No. I could do this everyday. The more I do it the more I love it and the more important savoring the moment becomes. One day you wake up and it’s over.
The travels never cease to amaze me. The unexpected circumstances the road tends to provide are a large part of what draws me into this. The final few days of May were spent hunting a place that hadn’t crossed my mind until about ten days ago. The weather was beautiful. The hunting was great. The company was even better. If May has to come to an end, I prefer it to look about like this.
Wary late season gobblers in the full foliage are some of my favorites. As spring matures the playing field levels out somewhat in our favor. The colors are vibrant. The sounds are not as far as you think. And the set ups are deadly. The Midwest offered me another lonely one. The setting was perfect. The duel was perfect. There’s just nothing like Easterns in the the hardwoods.
Spring has been a blur. Seems like I was just itching for the first morning and now I’m trying to accept that I’m watching the last few. Now more than ever I just want to be in the game. Yesterday was an all day game, and Wisconsin was a fine place to play it.
