Another good thing or two, and others not so good

By Mac Arnold
RTWO Editor

As a I said in a June 13 post, despite scoring a big fat goose egg during Michigan's 2015 spring gobbler season, some good stuff still came out of it.

Of course getting in touch with Tom Sampey of Apache Pyramid Blind Co. being No. 1, so I could continue the legacy of using his masterful blinds in the deer, turkey and coyote woods.

But another one was hooking up with Dairy Farmer Dave for the upcoming fall turkey season in Sanilac County. I rattled off several nice kills there, especially during autumn 2010 with my best ever tom, which sported a 14.5-inch beard.

So I'm far from being down.

It used to be that if I didn't hoist a longbeard over my shoulder in spring then it didn't happen for that year. But that is no longer the case.

Last year the boys at the Sanilac County, Michigan, camp were pumped for deer archery in October and there was a resistance to having me in the southwest oak flat with my shottie in September. So I kind of took a hit on the motivation factor. I still went out twice with the crossbow but never had an opportunity.

But picking up Dairy Farmer Dave's is a great option, and he couldn't care less.

When I stopped by a few weeks ago to reconnect, he said dryly, "Hunting turkeys isn't the highlight of my fall. Give me a holler as the season gets closer."

RTWO photo by Mac Arnold

Dairy Farmer Dave's is always a good option for

hunting turkeys during Michigan's fall season.

***

Another goose egg came up in the Maine moose drawing. Couldn't tell you how many years this makes it. Er, yes I can.

The question of "how many years have I applied?" was brought to my attention from a Facebook friend who was responding to a friend of his that had said he was packing it in after 31 years of trying.

I had responded on the post by asking, "Thirty-one years?"

The Moose Whisperer as he calls himself -- who has great luck applying for the draw -- suggested we had missed a drawing or two.

But I haven't missed a year since for probably more than 10 years.

(Which I just confirmed with a call to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife today [July 2]. I was told I have 11 preference points.)

During the call, the Maine wildlife department staffer admitted she had been applying since 1980 and had yet to be drawn. So I guess it truly is a dream hunt of a lifetime.

And to add more salt on the wound, I also got blanked in Michigan's bear and elk drawings in June.

Looks like it'll be the usually suspects for this fall: geese, woodcock, grouse, turkey, pheasant,  ducks, deer and coyote.