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!