Just like that, turkey season is finished.

(OK, you guys in Maine are still hunting. Don’t rub it in.)

Actually, my season wrapped up May 22, the final day of Wisconsin’s Spring 2011 hunt. I spent the next week catching up at work, storing calls and other gear, and generally moping around while wishing I could have one more hunt.

No regrets, of course. It was a weird spring but a great season. I got to hunt some tremendous places with friends old and new, taking several dandy longbeards along the way. Got to see some pretty crazy weather, too, like 8 inches of fresh snow April 20 in Wisconsin and multiple tornado-spawning fronts in Kansas and Missouri.

But when that death knell rang May 22, I stood atop a hardwood ridge, running an aluminum call and knowing that my year was done. No more early-morning — actually late-night — wake-up calls. No more careful plotting and sneaky maneuvering. No more excited yelping or toned-down soft calling. Nope, it was just the off-season.

If there’s a positive to that, it’s the chance to reflect on a great spring in the woods and look forward to fall and Spring 2012. Here’s to turkey season.