Conclusion: The Fecund Dilemma

[Brian Lovett]

In "Decision Time," Editor Brian Lovett shares a scenario from his 20-plus years hunting turkeys. Each hinges on a critical decision. Post what choice you would have made, and then see how things actually turned out.

Conclusion: The Fecund Dilemma

Calming myself, I vowed to be patient and study the birds. I wasn't going to shoot a jake, even if it meant driving home with an empty truck bed.

After a minute, the birds were getting pretty nervous, and one turned to the side, revealing a beard. Trouble was, the beard was 3 inches long. Dang it, they were jakes.

Or were they? As I looked again, I saw a long, matted strand on the turkey's chest. I fired instantly, smoking the turkey.

A post-mortem inspection revealed that the turkey had three beards, including the 3-inch stub I'd seen first, and soaking-wet 6- and 9-inch beards that were stuck to the gobbler's chest. He was a solid 2-year-old.

I breathed a sigh of relief as Egge approached.

"I was wondering if you were ever going to shoot," he said.

Me too. But in that case, I was glad I'd waited a few more minutes in the rain.

What decision did you make?

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[WillowRidgeCalls]

Which bird was he Brian, the white head or the red head?

[Brian Lovett]

White head. Incidentally, the other bird was also a gobbler. We saw his beard swing as he flew away. Oh, to have had two tags!