UNSUNG HEROES!

Spring turkey season brings to hunters a natural fixation on those hard-gobbling, long-spurred, thick-bearded male birds.  Gobbler induced wonderlust drives my spring travels across a good part of the Midwest each year, and I know I'm not alone!

But to be perfectly honest, I enjoy watching hens almost as much as toms.  Since you can't shoot them in the spring (unless of course they have beards), there's no anxiety associated with having them in the decoys.  Just like toms, they have a pecking order instinct that often causes them to do mean and nasty things to the decoys.  They can be mouthy, nervous, and in some cases, downright psychotic.  And besides, they're just plain beautiful. 

Here are a few hen shots from my recent trip to Tennessee.  Hen turkeys - the unsung heroes of the spring!

They really are fun to watch!  And almost everything I've learned about calling turkeys I learned from wild hens.  They're great teachers - and entertainers.  So when you head to the turkey woods this spring, rejoice in every hen you see!

IF 1 BEARD IS GOOD, 2 MUST BE GREAT!

Here it is, the first confirmed Thrill Kill of the year!  It was made by Greg Thomas, a 2010 decoy buyer from Tennessee.  He bought a TK hen a few weeks ago, then decided he'd like a TK tom deek to round out his spread. 

Well, turns out Greg is a good sport, because when UPS delivered the red-headed longbeard last Thursday, there were a few, um, issues.  The box had been smashed, the wooden base had been forced through the box, the decoy's head was bent way out of place, and the tail was cracked up.  Greg did a little in-home surgery and got the decoy into fighting shape again, and the pictures below show he did a great job. 

So congrats to Greg on this awesome Tennessee double-beard, with a bow (at 14 yards)! 

PREPARED TO LAUNCH!

Anyone remember the Beggin' Strips commercial where the dog is about to blow a gasket 'cause he smells bacon in the house?  (hint: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CErapf79rqM&feature=related).  I sorta feel like that now that my first turkey hunt vacation of the year is close enough to, well, "sniff".  I've been working overtime in the basement, trying to keep up with decoy orders, plus have enough new stock to use for myself this spring. 

Here are the last 2 mounts I've built.  At the time these pictures were taken they still didn't have legs, but I've since remedied that minor issue and these bad boys are ready to do their thing!  They're very similar, except for slight differences in overall body size and head posture/position.  The one on the bottom will be staying with me!

And I'm currently working with the owner of BagRBuck (http://www.bagrbuck.com/) to incorporate a tail mechanism that goes from down and folded to up and full strut with the pull of a string.  It's going to be slick!  We actually meet near Nashville next Wednesday to finish off a couple of prototype deeks, with hopes of getting some live hunting footage to use in product promotion in the coming year.  I'll definitely blog it, so keep your eyes open.

Best of luck to everyone this spring - those of you that have already started, and those of us that are prepared to launch our 2010 hunts!