Nebraskaland Magazine
I know it has been W-I-N-D-Y lately. Typical for spring in Nebraska. But, on occasion the wind quits blowing and I can stand on my front step, feel it in the air, smell it, and if I listen hard enough I am sure I can hear it. . . .There, there it is. . . . I know I just heard a turkey gobble.
Now, I am stationed at our headquarters here in Lincoln, and I live not far from the office. I am not on the edge of town, not in the country, but I can feel it anyway. This time of year I feel it everywhere I go. It is spring turkey season, time to start living with the birds, watching them, patterning them, learning them. Eventually, in due time, it will be time to carry a shotgun with the intent of taking a big ole Tom home with me. That is just a small part of the experience, the culmination, the “cherry on top” of the entire spring turkey experience. I can never get enough of it.
For now, even when I am stuck in the stinkin’ city. I know they are out there. I can hear them calling. . . .
All of that literally came a little bit closer to home this week. A hen turkey wandered through our neighborhood. As I was finishing up a thing or two in the office, after 5:00 (amazing what I can get done when the phone quits ringing), an urgent message from my wife informed me we had a real, live turkey next door.
When I got home both my kids were calling to her, they sounded pretty good, the kids that is, and a couple of decoys decorated my backyard. They were hoping to coax her across the street and get her to stay.
She sat in an oak tree and listened.
After awhile she decided the coast was clear of barking dogs and shouting kids. She flew down and started pecking.
We got all excited because the calling had her headed in our direction, but then one of the 1,224 kids running around our neighborhood actually noticed the big bird, started shouting at his playmates and then Henny Penny and kids disappeared around the corner.
We have not seen her again.
But I believe that was an omen of great days to come!
