DAN SIMMONS Sportsman's Quest MORE COLUMNS Advertisement

Recently, we learned what not to do on a turkey hunt and that the custom of camouflage, turkey calls and decoys are more than just tradition.

I've since become more educated in the art, and science, of the quest.

My teacher, mentor, and fellow sportsman, is retired four-star Marine General (Buck) Bedard. Among his nonmilitary accomplishments are his extensive hunting experiences, and among these is his passion for turkey hunting.

One of his recent hunts was in El Dorado, Kan., at the annual Governors One-Shot Turkey Hunt.

It was a traditional style hunt, except for the fact you only get one cartridge, but in his case I've no doubt that all of his hunts are one-shot hunts. I've been on several dove hunts with him and have seen his skill and accuracy.

Also typical were the vagaries of weather during the Kansas early fall season. It rained all day on the first of the two-day hunt, which made things miserable for both hunter and bird.

The second day started with two to three inches of snow, but as also often happens, when the sun came out in the afternoon, so did the birds.

Buck and his guide, Leonard, in full camo with their backs to a tree, began calling in earnest and I guess they said the right turkey words (I think my turkey calls usually say, "go away" or "good bye").

The turkeys came to his well-placed decoy and the rest is, as they say, "dinner."

It was a 25-pound tom with a large beard, but short spurs, and won him fifth place honors.

As he addressed his friends that night at the awards banquet, it was clear he felt he was at home, safe and with family. Which is no small accomplishment for any soldier.

As we ended our discussion about his recent hunt, he mentions another hunt on which he was equally successful.

This one was with Rob Keck, president of the National Wild Turkey Federation. This hunt was in New York State and they hunted with a Bowkin spaniel.

They had a two turkey limit and the dog worked well.

Another turkey aficionado I recently met is Jon Freis, the founder of the American Wild Turkey Hunting Dog Association.

He describes a classic dog hunt in this way.

The hunter and dog hike the ridges and brush lines until turkey are located. Then as they stealthily get close, the dog rushes and scatters the birds.

They tend to go in all directions, possibly even toward the hunter, and then it is all over.

If the hunter is not that fortunate, he and his dog, both in full camo (really) wait near where the birds started flight and call them to regroup.

This is, of course, a great feat for the dog; like all bird dogs it must sit motionless and wait to be released. Following the shot, it retrieves the bird.

Many states, including Nevada, offer this type of hunting, but it's certainly new to me, but won't be for long.

Like Buck, I find hunting over a well trained dog is one of the world's great outdoor experiences.

I wonder if a good Jack Russell Terrier can be trained to hunt turkeys.

This takes us back to the beginning. Man, dog, hunting and tradition.

For more information on turkey hunting with dogs, see below.

For more information on the National Wild Turkey Federation go to www.wildturkeyfoundation.org.

What's new

If you're interested in hunting dogs, and turkey dogs in particular, Jon Freis has written a definitive book on the subject, "Wild Turkey Dogs: Choosing, Training and Hunting."

In a recent conversation he described his passion for this sport and his dog.

In his own words: "Hunting turkey with a dog provides extra excitement and depth to the sport. Many breeds can be trained to become a turkey dog. My dog Keena is a mix of Black Lab, Mountain Cur, Treeing Walker and Rough Collie. She is one of those extraordinary dogs that uses all of her senses to find the quarry, combining the traits of the pointers, flushers, and retrievers, with the sight and scent of hounds, and the tenacity of terriers. A good hunting dog is one that will remain silently obedient for long periods of time, serve as a watchdog and is a trusted companion for our family, a turkey dog."

This is one interesting book for both the novice and experienced hunting dog enthusiast. It belongs in any sportsman's library.

For more information, give Jon a call at 1-715-758-6557 or go to www.turkeydog.org

Events

The Las Vegas, Desert Chapter of the Safari Club International is holding its banquet at the Rio in Las Vegas Jan. 19. For more information, contact Dave Small at 1-702-334-3860, Rance Spurlock at 1-702-564-5668, Chris Petersen at 1-702-873-1094 or Marian Hinebauch at 1-702-419-6516.

Recipe of week

Here's one of those after Thanksgiving favorites. It's easy and quick to make, as well as being delicious. This comes from Grama.

She never made it the same way twice, so be creative with this one. Try adding cream of asparagus or other soup or vary the vegetables and cheese. This is even good with ham or ground meat. Have fun and dig in.

Grama Violet's

Turkey Divan

Ingredients: 6 cups cooked turkey, cubed; 1 medium onion, sliced; 1 1/2 lbs fresh broccoli florets; 2 cans cream of mushroom soup; 1 cup mayonnaise; 1/2 cup dry white wine; 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated; 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice; 1/2 tsp. paprika.

Directions: Layer turkey in bottom of glass baking dish. Add layer of onion followed by a layer of broccoli florets. Pour mixture of cream of mushroom soup with mayonnaise and wine evenly over broccoli.

Cover with cheddar cheese and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with lemon and paprika.

----

If you have an adventure, a story or a comment give me a call at 727-9777 or e-mail me at dansimmons@usa.net.