“Isn’t this something,” I thought to myself last week as I cleared small branches and forest duff from the base of a large ash tree while preparing for an evening wild turkey hunt. It was an auspicious moment, something I’d only hoped to see in my lifetime.

There was a time, not long ago, when wild turkeys were void in our state. Uncontrolled hunting and the loss of habitat decimated their numbers.

Then between 1930-1950 conservation efforts which included reforestation projects and the passage of legislation aimed at protecting natural areas began to again provide suitable habitat where the eastern wild turkey could thrive.

In 1956 Indiana’s Department of Natural Resources started re-introducing wild turkeys to the Hoosier state. Their first release took place in Martin County when four hens and one single tom, trapped in Arkansas, took flight over the Indiana sky. These earlier efforts were aimed at southern tier counties where habitat was the strongest. In 1970 Indiana opened legalized hunting, although limited to only a few select areas. Reintroduction efforts have continued every year to the point where springtime “gobbles” can now be heard in all of Indiana’s 92 counties.

In February 1996 I received a call I will never forget. “Hey John, we are going to release wild turkeys in Howard County and want you to join us,” said Tom Hewitt, our District’s DNR Wildlife Biologist.

The release took place in the area which was then known as Stellite Park.

“Most of our latest release sites have focused on areas in the northern part of the state,” Hewitt explained on that cool morning. “Although Howard County is marginal in terms of habitat, we have been looking pretty hard at the western Wildcat Creek drainage for quite a while and we are going to give it a try,” he added. With that said we began opening cardboard boxes containing the birds.

“Isn’t this something,” I said out loud as the first bird bolted from its enclosure. It was history in the making as we watched nine hens and three gobblers sprint on slender legs before taking flight on raucous wings. They sailed over the trees lining the banks of our most prominent creek.

“Isn’t that beautiful,” said Hewitt as we watched the birds soar across the gray winter sky. “Maybe someday you’ll be able to hunt closer to home.”

“Yeah right,” I thought to myself. I could only hope.

I have always had a strong passion for hunting our nation’s largest game bird and have been fortunate to collect several nice gobblers. However my efforts involved traveling to Michigan, Illinois and Indiana’s southern reaches. The thought of harvesting birds near my home town was only a pipedream.

Normally the DNR allows for the legal hunting of turkeys six years after they are re-introduced but in the case of Howard County they opted to give it an additional year. When Howard County was added to the list of Indiana counties open to hunting, I personally felt it was still too early and opted to pass, still traveling to remote reaches of the state.

Then last year for the first time I decided to hunt my home county. On the last day of the season, in a pouring rain, I had a young gobbler within range but found myself unable to pull back on the trigger. It was something personal. It was a feeling the time still wasn’t right.

The demands of my job with the Kokomo Parks Department has made any spare time a rare commodity this spring. Jaunts south or to neighboring states have been out of the question. Any trips hunting our premier game bird would have to take place close to home.

One day last week, dressed in camouflage I made my way across the soggy field. I could feel the rain drops tickle the back of my bare neck on my way to the adjoining woodlot. I cautiously placed the decoys before taking my seat against the trunk of that large ash tree. It wasn’t long before a gobbler paraded from the woods. Each call brought him closer and closer until he was strutting in normal turkey splendor trying to win the hearts of the fake hens which moved ever so slightly in the soft breeze.

It was at that moment a huge smile crossed my face. I had witnessed the introduction of these magnificent birds in Howard County and now was provided an opportunity to collect one. And it all took place in a little over a decade — not a lifetime.

Needless to say I dropped the hammer and was soon standing over a beautiful gobbler, its iridescent feathers almost glowing in the waning light. It was at that moment all I could think was ... “Isn’t this something!”

Morels contest

From all accounts, this has been a banner year for those seeking the delicious morel mushrooms. If you have found what you think is a monster mushroom, you have until Monday at 5 p.m. to enter it in the sixth annual WWKI Mother of All Morels Contest. All you have to do is take your magnificent find to the radio station office located at 519 N. Main St. in downtown Kokomo.

This year’s winner will receive prize packages from Bass and Bucks Outdoor Store, A&J; Farm Supply, Premier Printing, Foxes Den, Kokomo Speedway and swag from morelmania.com. The top-place finisher will also be featured on WWKI’s Web site and this outdoor column.

Benefit tourney

Adams Auto Group will host its sixth annual Kids Fishing Clinic benefit bass tourney. The event is open to all interested anglers and will take place May 23 on our Kokomo Reservoir. The tourney will begin promptly at 7 a.m., concluding with the weigh-in at 3 p.m.

In addition to a cash payback, Adams Auto Group will provide trophies to the top three finishers. A portion of the proceeds will go toward the purchase of safety related items and equipment for the 135 children who will take part in this summer’s Jim “Moose” Carden Kids Fishing Clinic.

Special thanks are owed to Adams Auto for their support and dedication in promoting outdoor education among area youth.

Tournament results

Lake Tippy was the site of a recent Bullseye Outdoors team bass fishing event. Lloyd Perry and Larry Leazier came out on top with eight largemouth sporting a combined weight of 19.68 pounds. A fish barely missing the five pound mark also gave them the contest’s “big bass” award. Second place went to Robert Judd and Ron Crawford with six fish weighing 18.74 pounds. Roby Ahnert and Jerry Pickett took third place with six fishing dropping the electronic scales at 13.24 pounds.

Turkey hunting results

Here is the list of area hunters who collected birds during this spring’s wild turkey hunting season. This information includes standard measurements and was obtained from Bryant’s Outdoor Store, Burlington Meats and Jack’s Tackle Center.

Mason Piel — 24mm spurs; double beard, longest 11 inches; 25 pounds.

Robin Armstrong — 4mm spurs; 4-inch beard; 14 pounds.

Nathan Edmonds — 20mm spurs; 9-inch beard; 24 pounds.

Wyatt Conyers — 4mm spurs; double beard, longest five inches; 15 pounds.

Mark Cade — 27mm spurs; 101/2 inch beard; 27 pounds.

Joe Conyers — 17mm spurs; 91/2 inch beard; 21 pounds.

Don Hinkle — 19mm spurs; 11-inch beard; 22 pounds.

Jeff Cox — 25mm spurs; 10-inch beard; 23 pounds.

Steve Griffey — 4-inch beard; 16 pounds.

Briar Shoffner — 6mm spurs; 5-inch beard; 16 pounds.

John Martino — 14 mm spurs; 6-inch beard; 22 pounds.

John Martino is the Tribune’s outdoors columnist. He may be reached by e-mail at jmartinooutdoors@att.net.