Turkey season is coming.... sooner than the calendar might indicate. The way my days and weeks fly by I better start thinking about checking all of my hunting stuff and maybe shooting that gun. I'm excited about this season, maybe a bit more than many seasons, since I have two new-to-me properties to hunt. Both places have turkeys and offer some beautiful spots to sit and wait on an old gobbler to walk in. It hasn't always been this way..... years ago I hunted woods that had pretty much no turkeys at all. That makes for some tough hunting and I lost my drive to even make the effort and several years passed without me even going to the woods in the spring. My brother kept inviting me to come up to Ashe County where he lives and go with him. By this time (2007) I didn't think I even wanted to shoot a turkey even if I got the chance. I went that year and the first morning out just after fly down I got a dandy gobbler. It was VERY exciting. 3 hours later my brother took his gobbler and we walked down the mountain carrying two fine mature birds. Since that time I've hunted every year except one and it just gets better and better. I owe a lot to a brother that kept asking me to join him on some hunts and I owe a lot to a few people that have been generous to me in letting me hunt their lands. I'm 68 years old now and call myself a turkey hunter. The only regret I have as far as turkey hunting goes is that I did not get into it 40 years ago. If you are new to turkey hunting and trying to figure it all out, don't give up. It can be the most exciting hunt you'll ever do. ***my photo is a gobbler that I saw in The Smokey Mountain National Park. Oh for a one day permit in that place!