Click here to read the full interview.

I bought my first pieces of camo this spring in preparation of turkey season.  Nothing crazy, just a head/neck cover and a long-sleeve shirt.  I had to try and figure out what men’s size I would need that would do the trick and be usable next year (while covering the baby bump this season).  I think I did it, but if there were women’s sizes, I could have easily picked out a size and been done with it.  Instead, I find myself always negotiating men’s outdoor clothing to make it work for my hunting wardrobe.

It is important went picking out hunting clothes that they fit.  Too small and you are dealing with being uncomfortable and cold.  Too big and there is too much bulk that can get in the way when you are trying to get a good shot off and you could get cold.  I actually wear ski clothes for all layers but the top when I go deer hunting.  My top layer consists of my Dad’s old wool pants (that fit me) and a men’s red/black plaid wool jacket that is a classic hunting jacket but it would not fit me if I did not have about 6 layers below it and wanted something big enough to cover me and keep me warm as I sit for 5-6 hours at a time.

I ended up buying a men’s large camo long-sleeve shirt.  I had to skower the rack looking for a large because the other sizes were XL, XXL, XXXL.  Nothing for a medium or small – clearly only large+ men hunt.   Yes, I know that I could have ordered something from a handful of online retail places but then you don’t know the real size of what you are getting, if it is wrong and you need to return it… it is just as much of a hassle as converting men’s sizes.   Plus, being brand new to turkey hunting, I might not like it as much as deer hunting and am not willing to drop $150 or $200 on one piece of clothing right from the start.

So, I had to settle on, once again, buying men’s hunting clothes for my hunting needs.  Someday we will have our own hunting clothing store and I can not wait until that day arrives and I can worry about other things each hunting season besides my clothes.

White-tail fawn

Does will typically give birth in fields and along the tree line where they are comfortable and not overly stressed.   As we get out and about more and enjoy the changing seasons, it is vital that we stay away from does that may seem like they are in trouble (they could be pacing or have their tail up) because they are getting ready to fawn and do not need the added stress.  The bulk of the fawning will take place from the end of May until the middle of June.

Once a doe has her fawn(s), she will leave them in hiding for the majority of the day so she can feed.  The doe will normally return to feed her new fawn 2-3 times a day.  Like all new moms, these does need about 30-40% more energy than other does, in order to keep themselves and fawns healthy.

Here is the biggest issue we face as outdoor lovers:

Doe and Fawn

The long absences can cause people who come across the fawns to think that the doe has abandoned them. During their first week of life, fawns will remain in hiding when the doe is not around, or if they are being threatened, as opposed to running. After the first week, fawns are capable of avoiding a predator on foot, but they still might want to hide instead.  Like any newborn, the first few weeks of a fawn’s life are the most critical and it’s really important that people do not handle them!  A doe knows exactly where her fawn is and assumes they are safe there until she can come back to them.

Too many people are uneducated about this and assume that when they come across a fawn that is alone, it must be abandoned.  They pick up the fawn and remove it from its home and take it away from its mother, thinking that they are helping the fawn survive. I beg of you PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not touch a fawn if you come across one in the woods or in a field.  Chances are the doe is nearby and knows exactly where her baby is.

As someone who respects this animal and enjoys hunting them in the fall, I want to ensure that the fawns have every opportunity they can to grow up healthy and strong.  This is an easy way to ensure that we can help the deer herd rebuild across Maine.  Tell your friends, co-workers, family members… anyone you can! that if they come across a fawn in the woods, leave it alone.  You are helping that fawn more if you walk away then if you touch it.

We got into the woods by the Sky Condo a little earlier than we did on the first day.  The weather predicted rain so we wanted to get in as much time as possible.  We got to our ground blind, set up the decoys and settled in to start calling.  This morning though, we didn’t have to start anything.  We heard a gobble within five minutes of sitting down.  I got my box call out and called back.  He answered almost immediately.  We had a great conversation for a steady 30 minutes with him often double or triple gobbling.  Then the gobbles became more spaced apart but did not stop.  Dad decided that be would circle down to the power line where we were pretty sure the turkey was hanging out.  We hadn’t been able to get him any closer in the past hour and knowing the area as well as we do, if I could keep him gobbling, Dad could find him and get him.

I kept using the box call and tried to do something to get him to call back.  I tried a relaxed couple of calls and I tried some with a little more intensity.  Nothing, but I knew he had to be right there.  He hadn’t left in over an hour.  Dad came back before there were any shots fired.

The turkey was hiding in some of the thick brush right where we thought he was.  But, he was closer than Dad thought and when he started onto the power line, the turkey made a quick chirp and flew.  Dad compared it to flushing a partridge; he was gone before Dad knew it and flew down into the woods near my tree seat.

We tried the other spots that we had tried the day before but no turkeys.  We did go into a field and saw four deer.  Being first and foremost deer hunters, we stopped for maybe ten minutes and watched the deer eat and play, oblivious to the fact that we we there.  Then we snapped out of it and realized we needed to find some turkeys.

We did the rounds again, checking the spot where the three jakes had been the day before.  We ended back up by the Sky Condo where we sat for a while.  By 9am, the on and off sprinkles started to get a little heavier and the sky started to get a little darker.  I made the decision to call it.  The last thing I needed was to get chilled and risk catching a cold with just four weeks left of my pregnancy.  We made it back to the house, Dad started a fire and the skies opened to a complete downpour.

For our first weekend, the turkeys win.  We may try it again over Memorial weekend depending on how I am feeling.  I think for the first two days of us ever going turkey hunting, we did ok.  Lots of calls back, seeing a hen and 3 jakes… Good start to a new type of hunting.

Dad and I had two decoys set up 15 yards away from us.  I had a slate call, a box call and my camo on.  It was starting to get light out when we reached the blind, that time of morning when you can not tell if you really are seeing something move or if it is just your eyes.  It was a little later than we should have been in the woods, but we are new and learning.

A half hour after we sat down, a bird fly down.  There was still some ground fog so we couldn’ttell if it was a jake or hen (or tom, but it seemed kinda small).  I continued to call a little quieter than I had before.   The bird took its time and meandered through the grass, eventually coming right up to the decoys.  It was a hen.  We watched her walk around, unsure if I should keep calling or stop so I didn’t spook her.  At this point, we’d been turkey hunters for all of one hour.

When she left, we called some more and then decided to check out other areas.  We headed to some fields near the house.  There was a slight breeze and the sun was out now (does wind direction come into play with turkey hunting the way it does with deer hunting??).  I tried my box call and on the second attempt, I had a response!  I kept calling and Dad headed off in the direction of the gobbles.  Not knowing if I should follow him or try to get the turkey to come to me, I slowly walked towards where Dad had headed and kept calling. 

Dad was pushed up against the side of an embankment peering into the fields. He held up three fingers.  I kept calling and started walking away from Dad, not wanting to draw the bird’s attention to where he was.  There was a shot, and I stopped calling and headed back.  I joined him on the side of the bank and looked out into the field.  I saw all three heads looking around.  Then, they started to run into the woods.

“I missed ‘em” Dad said, and started pacing off where he shot to where the birds were.  About 60 yards.  Now, if this was a deer, it would have been dead with one shot, no problem!  But, this is a whole new animal with a shotgun, not a rifle.

When we got home, Dad paced off the distance again and shot twice into a target.  The spread was 5.5 feet, and that was with the choke almost all the way on.  We went out again for another hour or so but we didn’t see any more birds that day but it was a fun experience to have on our very first day of turkey hunting.

Hopefully, we will be covered enough that the turkeys wont see us and we will be successful this season.  I would love to be able to say that I shot a deer and a turkey while pregnant!

The group started talking about turkey calls and that there are 26 different calls or vocal sounds that a turkey can make.  We were given a mouth call and started trying to make noise out of it.  After some trimming, bending and more trimming, I could make noise.  Nothing that would attract a turkey but I made noise.  We all got a good laugh at our attempts to sounds like the birds we want to hunt.  I think only one woman sounded successful.

Next, we moved on to something that we could all make and use – a box call.  With some wood glue, a spring and screw, we were able to make a call that might actually bring in some turkeys.  I think mine sounds better than the one that I got from a pro company.  It would be pretty cool to get a turkey with a call that I made.

We made tube calls, played with slate calls, other types of box calls and electric calls. For me, this was great because I had no idea that there were so many option or that there were different tones/pitches for different calls.  I did find one box call that was a 10-sider and it perfectly demonstrated how a simple call can make so many different sounds; any of which could call in a big Tom.

Gail and Teri talked about how to dress while out hunting and the need for camo as well as some good bug spray.  Something I had not thought of but was happy to be told; don’t wear blue, red or white.  Those colors not only match that of a turkey (like wearing brown and white during deer season) but a turkey will be looking for those colors when they are coming in to a call.  Making sure you blend into the surroundings is critical when getting a turkey to come in close.  We also got into a conversation about ticks – and then went outside for a compass exercise that involved us heading into the woods to follow a turkey call that Bryan has set up for us.  Our group successfully found the two decoys.

When we got back from our trip to the woods and on the heels of our tick conversation, I was pretty sure that I had at least one of tick crawling on me.  All afternoon, I could have sworn that something was crawling up my shin or on my shoulder.  But it was nothing.

The last thing I wanted to know about (and Reggie & Gail talked to me about this while others were patterning their guns) was decoy placement.  Should I get a couple decoys? What kind/brand and how do you set them up?  Reggie showed me the different types of hens, toms, jakes and how he usually sets them up.  He talked about where they should be in relation to where I am and that, because of a turkeys hearing, when I can see the turkey, dont call or make sure the volume of the call echos the realism of what a turkey would hear – the call volume should not maintain the same no matter where the turkey goes or how close they get.  It needs to be realistic.

I know my blog post here does not do this workshop or these great instructors justice.  I had a great time learning about the basics of turkey hunting and some tips of the trade from veteran turkey hunters.   Bryan and Reggie shared great hunting stories and really helped all of us feel like we were able to ask questions, get clarification and didn’t need to have the perfect mouth call to be successful at turkey hunting.

As the season kicks off today, I wish Bryan & Teri and Reggie & Gail — and all of you out there reading this a very successful turkey season!

I was open to trying anything that would be served – within reason (I won’t eat the heart of anything, even when I am not pregnant) and I am happy to report that there were a few things I was surprised that I liked!  For appetizers, I tried chicken-fried beaver with aoli sauce (yum) and bear (also yum) and venison and elk tempenatas (they were so so) but the one that sealed the deal for me was the cheddar and venison meatballs.

Here is the breakdown of each course that we were served:

Dish 1: Axis Deer Pie -

Can someone please tell me where i can find Axis deer meat?!?! This was so good – like a really good sausage quiche that was rich, moist and all around awesome.  I could have eaten a 2nd piece if there was enough.

Dish 2: Goose and Wild Hog in phyllo dough with mixed greens -

I have never had either of these meats so I hope this dish does not represent how they normally taste.  It was dry.  The salad dressing and glass of water that I drank with this helped.  But, I can now say that I have had goose and wild hog now.  Hopefully, I can have them again and they will taste better.

Dish 3: Venison Ugandan Meatballs –

I don’t like spicy food but I tried a bite and passed it on to Hubby.  It was good and probably in some red sauce with spaghetti, it would be really good.  As a stand alone dish, it was a little too much for me.

Dish 4: Venison Stroganoff with Crimini Mushrooms over crostini -

I love mushrooms. And stroganoff.  I have made stroganoff before but not with venison.  My determination after eating this was that I could probably make it better and a little more flavorful.

Dish 5: Venison Cutlets in a white wine reduction, roasted red potatoes and carrots -

Those cutlets were SO good!  Just slightly breaded and so flavorful.  When the waitstaff came to the table with a plate of more, I gladly had seconds.  My top dish is between this and the deer pie.

The best part was knowing that proceeds from the dinner went to three great non-profits:
Maine Operation Game Thief
Maine Warden Service Association – in memory of Mjr. Gregg Sanborn
Get Back Outdoors

The size of a deer tick

Last fall, I think I counted 12 deer ticks on me.  I beat out Dad, Hubby and my dog!  Dad and I would walk through the same piece of grass and I would come out with one or two and he would be tick free (he didn’t believe me when I said they seek me out, until we did that little experiment).  I became so good at spotting those little red backs against my wool gray pants!

When I talked to my doctor, she said I could wear deet from my knees down… in addition to my normal tick-prevention clothing.

But, my fellow hunters, as a brand new turkey hunter, how concerned should I be about ticks?

The three shot guns we were using.

I was up at Mom and Dad’s for Easter weekend and we decided to break out the guns on Saturday afternoon. We were using #6 and #8 shells (I apologize right now for any and all incorrect terminology that I am about to use! I will get it after a while) but will be hunting with #4. Dad has a pump 12 gauge and a break action 12 gauge. The neighbor stopped by to talk to Dad, found out I wanted to turkey hunt and brought over his 12 gauge for me try out.

It was a Remington 1100 and probably the lightest gun I have ever held. But it is a semi-automatic and this girl is use to a ‘shoot-once-and-have-to-manually-jack-out-a-casing’ before you shoot again. My 30-06 becomes useless after one shot until I jack the shell out – and I like that. I don’t want to be in a position where I get excited and more ammo comes out of the gun than I am ready for. Solution: put one shell in the gun and be done with it. Until I am MUCH more comfortable with it, that is my course of action and Dad can be my backup, second shot.

The first time I have ever shot a shot gun!

I had Hubby snap a photo of me shooting so I could see how bad I looked.  When I deer hunt, I do so sitting down and can rest the gun on something.  There are so many new things to do now; open sites, holding the gun while standing up and as you can see, I am leaning back more than I should be. And for a little bit of an ego boost, please remember, I am also 7.5 months pregnant =)

Both Hubby and Dad did say that I brought my head down more when I actually shot (this photo was taken a minute or so before I pulled the trigger).  It was the 12-gauge Remington and was so light and easy to handle.  The trigger pulled like my 30-06; you barely think about squeezing it, and it goes off.  I want one!

We patterned the gun, I got use to lining up the sites and took a couple of shots to make sure I was comfortable with the gun.  Dad decided that I would be on the ground when we go turkey hunting and he will be in the Sky Condo above me.  I am still going to try to advocate my way into the SC but if it doesn’t work, we will still work together to get me my first turkey!