New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff

Leaves are popping, birds and frogs are singing, life is so grand this time of year. I'm trying to take it all in from sunrise to well past sunset. And I got my first turkey this year.

Tuesday 05/08/2007

Oh what treasures await us in the fields and forests this time of year. Last Tuesday I was out early in the morning and spotted a lone tom turkey in a secluded field. My brain started clicking real fast and I was thinking " I bet I can get that turkey." So I decided to take up turkey hunting. Oh I have held a turkey hunting license most of the last twenty or more years we have had a turkey season. I just never really got around to hunting them. It was more of an annual donation to a very worthy program although I had been out a few times in-season scouting for birds. Early one I gave it a bit more of a serious try but was thwarted by too many hunters pursuing too few turkeys in my area. So I never really took it up. In fact I kind of avoided it not needing another "sport" during the busy spring fishing season. Plus I was already "hunting" turkeys as part of my normal work with several sunrise turkey routes each spring.

But something clicked this year and I kind of made a bet to myself about getting that tom. So Tuesday afternoon I bought my turkey permit. Found my box call tucked away in a garage cupboard and even found a turkey hen decoy I had probably won at some function years ago. And dug out my camo clothes by 10:00Pm Wednesday night. I was out by the field I saw the turkey in well before light opening day on Thursday. I had made a little ground blind up against a boulder with a few of the many pine boughs laying about. By 5:15 I was clucking to the tom way off. I simply answered his gobbles with a few clucks on the box call. It was nearly 20 minutes later as he cam strutting then spotting the hen decoy jogging towards me. I KNOW this turkeys last thoughts. He was a 14 1/2 pound jake with a double 4 1/2 inch beard. What a great way to start my turkey hunting career.

Leaves are popping on the trees this week. I did get down to get my mothers garden started. Potatoes, peas, carrots and Swiss chard are all in the ground thanks to my daughter her husband and my grand daughter.

This morning I finished my turkey/grouse sunrise survey which takes me through Candia and Chester. Nary a grouse or turkey was heard but the calm morning was filled with bird songs. Life is so sweet these weeks.