We got Lucky

 

The turkey dog in Wisconsin that got to chase more turkeys than any other dog ever has died. The Virginia Turkey Dog

Rest in peace, George Meyer

 

Hunting turkeys with dogs in Wisconsin owes everything to George Meyer, for shepherding it thought the maze of rules and regulations. And navigating through State politics (like hundreds of others he did). 

On 8/31/09 George called to say thanks for this wingbone call, and tell me about the near catastrophe on the Turkey Dog rule. After 5 years of working on it, when it got to the Assembly Legislation committee, there was some controversy on the new bobcat rule and the open water hunting definition that nearly put Turkey Dogs back to Square One. George diplomatically avoided the Chairman's spat with the head committee woman (it was nothing but total politics).

Now all that has to be done is for the DNR to publish it. Because they're rules, the governor doesn't have to sign it. I said you know I never made a donation like I said I would, for the letters he sent on our behalf and was thinking I should buy him some gun raffle tickets? He said buy the WWF calendars, that’s even better, give them for presents. Typical George, always thinking of others. Wisconsin Loses Conservation Legend George E. Meyer

Cats vs Dogs

 Bobcat misses out on turkey dinner

This was probably a young, inexperienced Bobcat.

Wild Turkey Feathers

 

Taxidermists tell me they can't replicate the curved wing and tail feathers to look like a bird in flight, without breaking the feathers. I know a woodcarver who can do it. You wouldn't know if it was taxidermied or not. Matter of fact, a WI-DNR Warden came to his house one time, asking why he taxidermied a hawk, a protected species? So real, it fooled everybody. He had carved it.

Wild turkey in flight

 

Takes a good dog to make them fly.

Wing feathers

 

Wild turkeys have eight to 10 primaries on each wing (I count 8) and 18 to 19 secondary feathers per wing (count 18).

Snow Buntings

 

Think turkeys have a tough time in this cold weather, but there's Snow Buntings everywhere. They spend Summer in the Arctic, fly 2500 miles to Winter in WI. Tough birds.

Trade Black Vultures for Wild Turkeys

 

If you have turkey dogs in Kentucky, Ohio, or West Virginia (or anywhere Black Vultures are, that allows Fall turkey hunting with a dog), you can help farmers deter vultures during calving season, in return for having more land to hunt turkeys on in the Fall. It's legal, guidelines here https://www.turkeydog.org/spring.html
Story here.