LAST-CHANCE TOMS

Jody Smith, one of the West’s top turkey guides, could sense my growing impatience. “They’ll be here,” he whispered. “These two birds have been following the same routes every day for the past two weeks. Just wait.”

Sure enough, a few minutes after 10 a.m., two toms slowly picked grass seed as they headed down a cattle trail toward our blind. It seemingly took forever for them to get within range, but when they did, I let the biggest of the two have it.

That hunt took place years ago, and to this day it was the biggest turkey I’ve ever shot, sporting an 11 1/2-inch beard and sharp, 1 3/4-inch spurs. What made that hunt all the more satisfying is that the temperature was in the upper 70s, no toms