It amazes me how often I still do stupid things. Now it probably doesn't surprise some of the people who know me, but I honestly shake my head in wonder at my consistent ignorance to learn from the past.

No matter how long you've been doing something, there is always a first. This truth goes for turkey hunting and it goes for me

I don't remember being so aggravated as I was the other day. There I was sitting with a friend, sulking about a lost opportunity to pull the trigger on a tom turkey.

Last year I broke down and bought me two Avian X decoys. If you're a turkey hunter you know these are not cheap. They are the most realistic decoys that I know of on the market.

Every now and then I try to get my wife into the hunting and fishing scene by sharing a little knowledge about various things. While some wives are as avid hunters as their husbands; mine prefers to let me do the killin' and cleanin' and she'll do the cookin'.

I was unable to scout before opening day but I knew where the turkeys loved to roost. So, I proceeded to set up my decoys with a little bit of faith and a little bit of reason.

I'm getting pretty excited about turkey season. It's only a week away here but the toms are already gobbling and strutting. It's their time of year and they know it.

The turkeys are gobbling the woods down. Their call is one of the most recognizable in all of nature. Whether one is a turkey hunter or not, everyone knows this familiar sound.

Mike is a striper chaser. He's one of those guys who know where the stripers are at any given time of the year. As a result of his persistence he is also a reliable guide for those who want to have a great day on the water.

It such a shame that time seems to be in lesser quantities as one gets older. It's not just age but the responsibilities that come with having a family, career, and expenses.

It seems no matter which outdoor sport you choose, it involves stillness. Whether you are sitting in a tree stand, luring in a gobbler, or wetting a line, the antsy outdoorsman is the one who goes home hungry.

Many of my fellow fishermen are heading to Alabama to get in on the great crappie fishing. They offer some of the best during the winter months. The stories I've heard lately have made me start planning my own trip.

For some reason my mind is lingering on one series of hunts. I was hunting in the Midwest and had done my homework as to where I needed to place my stand.

Several years ago it was not unusual to make one or two trips per week to wade the Cherokee Lake. Late winter always proved to hold enough of the bass variety to keep me fishing even in the most extreme conditions.

As many of you know, sometimes it is more fun to take someone hunting than it is to go yourself. This is especially true when it comes to your own children.

I spent my last few days of this deer season in Alabama with Jonathon and Hubert (affectionately called Hube). Jonathon brought Hube not only because they are friends but because it was Hube's 80^th birthday and because Hube loves to hunt.

My fishing experiences as a youth were either alone or with the gang that made up Ford's Woods.

The cold weather was late getting here this year. Unseasonable warm weather was an understatement for December and early January has provided a long runway for the winter that is now in flight.

A friend of mine shared with me about his recent hunting trip. He spent twelve days in the northwest hunting mountain lions. Out of those twelve days he was only able to hunt two of them.

I think I am finally willing to admit it. When it comes to deer hunting I have turned into a trophy hunter.

All hunters should admit there are certain fears that come along with our sport. In my part of the country the list of creepy creatures is growing.

There is no other time of year that emphasizes giving more than Christmas. The whole Christmas story is one of giving. It is God giving the world His Son

Many hunters right now have moved from the tree stand to the duck blind. The mornings of solitude and scent elimination have been replaced with the companionship of friends and the smell of sausage on a propane stove.

As I have written many times before, when one is in a tree stand, he notices the most intricate things. For hours on end a deer hunter is looking at the same view.

I've often noticed how deer live mostly in a quiet environment. Even this morning I watched one particular city dwelling doe begin to get a bit nervous when the noise of traffic began to surround her.