Third Season
Our third Illinois season was the one I'd been waiting for. I had drawn a tag for this season and my good friend Chris Counley from Park Forest, IL came down to guide. We were also joined by my best friend, guide extraordinaire, hunting partner and some times cameraman, and bass fishing addict Donald "Duck" Beckwith from Yantis, Texas. Chris was going to do the calling and Don was pulling camera duty for my hunt. 

But before I could hunt I had guide duty for Mike Conlon and his son Sean. They live in Libertyville, IL. Our first morning proved productive. I took Mike and Sean to a very secluded 230 acres we call the "cemetery" farm.  We worked a couple birds off their roost but didn't connect. The morning turned silent.  I headed to the far north side of the farm. Here the land drops through some thick hardwoods to a flat tangle of creek bottom. Mike and Sean separated and took up post while I set out two decoys. 

I got above and behind my two hunters and called. I was met by silence. A few calls and several minuets later I heard rustling in the leaves. I looked past Mike I saw three jakes approaching. Mike was ready and the first jake went down with Mike's 20 yard shot. 

Sean hunted hard and patiently for three days but didn't have a bird in range. 

My time came to hunt and Donald "Duck" and I headed for the woods. I took another hunter, Glen Waters, from Chicago, to the Cramsey farm and got him set up by the north field. 

Don and I headed to the cemetery farm. That morning was unproductive for Glen and me. The next morning Chris, Don and myself hunted the Johnson farm, Glen went back to Cramsey's. 

Chris blasted a loud call on his coyote yelper and a lone gobbler answered. I looked at Don and Chris and said, "Let's go."  Don filmed, Chris called and in less than an hour I pulled the trigger on a very respectable 22#, 10-1/4 inch gobbler. 

I love guiding but being the hunter is a step above in the personal thrill department. 

Bill Brock from Oak Forest also connected the same day. He hunted the "main" farm. Bill's bird had a 10-inch beard and 3/4 inch spurs. Glen had a silent morning on the north field. I decided to take him to the middle fields at the Cramsey farm the next morning. 

I called a bird off the roost but the thick vegetation hid the bird and he wouldn't offer a shot. The gobbler worked away from us. He was heading for a lower field the birds use as a strut area. 

Glen and I hustled around the woods to the lower field, set up a makeshift blind and started calling. The gobbler responded and was heading our way. I called again. Glen and I almost jumped from our skins as a loud gobble sounded back not 75 yards from our left.

I set the box call down and picked up my camera as three long beards ran to our decoy. I got the camera rolling just as Glen touched off on the biggest bird he has ever taken. 

This 10-inch bearded tom sported 1-1/2 inch spurs! It also had a very rare hooked beak. I have heard of this phonemeon before but have never seen a hooked beak bird till I saw this one. What a trophy! 

Ron Smith returned with his 2nd tag and filled it with his 2nd tom of the season, a 10-1/8 inch 22 pounder. 

Way to go Ron! What a great season.

TOMORROW: Fourth Season - The Last Week

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!