I know the north field of the Cramsey farm has birds.  I also know it's a great field to hunt early in our spring turkey season. I was in a deer stand, just off this field during last years' late archery deer season. Eight long beards walked off the hilltop in front of me headed for the north field. An hour later they returned and headed up the same hill to the thick timber to roost. The deer season gives me a great opportunity to watch and scout turkeys. I guide spring turkey hunts here in Illinois. The 1900 acre Cramsey farm is just one of the dozen private farms I have exclusive hunting rights to for spring turkey season. 

Our Illinois Spring turkey season started April 16 this year. We have four consecutive seasons in the spring. During this springs' pre-season scouting I saw and heard several turkeys using the north field. 

First Season
I had five hunters for the first season. After placing another hunter in a blind, I joined Wendell Mattson of Birch Run, Michigan.  We met at a spot on the end of the field, near a big blow down. Wendell shot a huge 25# tom at this spot in the 2000 season.

It started to break light and the nights' silence was broken by hen calls directly above us. As it got lighter I made out the silhouette of a turkey. I silently scooted around my tree leaning post and pointed my camera at the bird. I filmed the roosting hen and her three other tree-mates. They were starting their morning wake up calls. I also heard the chorus of several gobblers greeting the glowing red sky to the east.

I didn't hear any birds fly down but Wendell was quick to point out six jakes across the field. They were coming directly to our two decoys and our calling hens. Two other gobblers sounded off on our right. They were in the woods but heading to our position. Their calls were closer. 

To our left I heard three other birds joining in this chorus of gobbles.  As the jakes got closer, Wendell whispered he would take one when they separated. He aimed at the far bird on the right and my 2001 turkey hunt kicked off the season with our first bird. 

Steve Pallock of Royal Oak, Michigan bagged a nice long beard the third day of his hunt.

Ron Smith of Tinley Park, IL, one of my employees at Freddie Bear Sports, shot an incredible 25 1/2 #, 12 in beard, 1 7/8 in spurred {1/8 in off the world record] gobbler that is the biggest bird ever taken at our camp. 

Ron is getting a full strut mount of this bird for our lodge.

TOMORROW: Second Season

If you would like to hunt for an Eastern wild turkey join us in the spring of 2002. Email me at fred@freddiebearsports.com or call 708-532-4133. For permit information check the IL Department of Natural Resources web site at http://dnr.state.il.us. Also check out our new on line store at www.freddiebearsports.com.

Good hunting, Fred

PS: I forgot to tell you about the fishing. In Illinois you can only hunt untill noon so we spend the afternoon fishing on our two private lakes. We also have several farm ponds full of bass and bluegill. We caught several bass over 20 inches this year. Don caught the biggest we weighed, an 8 pound 7 oz bucket mouth. One day Ron, our friend Roger Caveness from Wolf Lake, IL and myself caught 200 bluegill that averaged 1/2 pound each. Bring your fishing pole!