Youth Hunt 2013

Youth hunt 2013 success. Took Zach and his uncle Matt, from Frederick, out on this beautiful Spring morning. The birds weren't real vocal but enough for this young man to lower the boom on a fine 2 year old longbeard. Stats: 9 1/2" beard, 7/8" spurs and 20 1/2 lbs. We had to reposition three times but it proved successful. The gobbler followed 2 hens out to the calling and Zach made a 41 yard shot and the bird never took another step. Congratulations to Zach and to an uncle that cares. Thanks Zach for getting my 50th Spring of turkey hunting off to a great start. Congrats, young man.

Check back for more adventures as the Maryland season starts Thursday.

Eve - Spring Gobbler Season #50 for Me

Wow ... who would have thought I would reach this milestone - my 50th Spring Gobbler Season. I thank the Creator for nature and all the enjoyment I have enjoyed in it. I also value greatly all the experiences I've had and the people that have imparted a lot of "turkey hunting knowledge" to me and the people I've met along the way critter. I also value the opportunity to be so involved with the restoration of the wild turkey in Maryland as a wildlife biologist. I also appreciate my wife who has "understood" this passion that I have for the wild turkey.

I'm going to start my season off tomorrow by taking an acquaintance from Frederick County and his son on youth day. The gobblers are there; they just need to cooperate and I need to make the right decisions. More tomorrow.......

A Favorite from last year's guided turkey hunts.

Originally Posted by OneShot
As one of Doug's clients who did not take a bird last year, I can attest to Doug's ability and effort to make it a great hunt. Doug also made it a fun time for my son Ryan, at the time 6 years old. We even baited some turkeys with left over candy bars. To this day, we still talk about it. "Baiting was done after the hunt was over and the place was not hunted for the next couple of days.  "

This was one of my all time favorite hunts. Dad brought his son and his objective that day was not to kill a turkey but get Ryan out to experience the turkey woods. That objective was proved as we actually walked away from a gobbling bird as Ryan had had enough of "sitting still". As I made the hunt more of a wildlife/nature walk Ryan was getting "antsy" but still wanted to hunt. We set up on the corner of a food plot where I had been seeing a lot of birds. Ryan, sitting right next to me, leaned over and asked me if gobblers liked Kit Kats. I told him that I really didn't know so I suggested he run over to the edge of the foodplot and put a few out ... which he quickly did. He came back with a big smile on his face and the expectation that a gobbler could come right over and "chow down" , right in front of us,on those Kit Kats. I gave him my box call and suggested he call to see if any would come over to the Kit Kats. None did yet he saw a gobbler in the next food plot we went to. I told him I would check the next couple of days to see if any turkeys ate the Kit Kats. ----- This was truly one of the hilights of my 49 years of chasing gobblers. Thanks Ryan.

Afterthought: I wonder if longbeards do like Kit Kats LOL

Spring - A New Start

Since Easter is a time of newness, I thought I would get back to my blog which I have badly neglected. Many have asked where I've been. No excuse and I had a really fun and productive deer season. So here we go...

After an extremely successful season last year, I've decided to guide for longbeards again this year. I've increased my fees so that I can pay for an archery elk hunt in Colorado this September. The following is the one and only announcement I posted on MWC in January.

Those who know me well and were clients last year realize I have a long standing love affair with wild turkeys ... as a former wildlife biologist pioneering the turkey restoration on Maryland's eastern shore and as a long time hunter. This spring will be season #50 for me... how could that have happened ... from the first one on a ridge at Sleepy Creek, W.Va.

I have decided to guide again this spring. Last years guided hunts were very productive ... with twelve bookings, 5 longbeards were taken home with 2 more that had shot opportunities at jakes but didn't take them. That was a pretty good percentage, but more importantly, we had a load of fun. It was truly a pleasure sharing the "turkey woods" and my style of longbeard hunting with each and every person; spending quality time immersed in the sights and sounds of God's wonderful creation. I know that during that time together, lasting memories were made and some of my favorite techniques were learned that, if used, are sure to improve your gobbler hunting for years to come. I've managed to take gobblers with just about all weapons in different habitats across the country and have called many in for friends and kids alike. I have tremendous turkey hunting properties; some of which have been my favorite honey holes producing many big hard-gobbling birds through the years. I have scouted these properties on the lower shore already this year and can truly say that I have never seen as large a number of birds resulting from a truly great hatch last year.

If you are just starting and want to learn, don't have time for scouting and locating birds or just plain-ole want a change of scenery this year, this hunt is for you. The guiding fee for this one-on-one spring hunt is $200 per half day. You can use your favorite weapon. I have taken quite a few birds with archery equipment so I understand the techniques and methods needed. If you want to run and gun or experience the thrill of burying a broad-head in a long-spurred tom up close and personal from a blind I can accommodate. I can't guarantee you a kill but I can guarantee a 150% effort from a veteran turkey hunter to put you on a gobbler in great turkey hunting territory. If you or someone you know would like to book a hunt, give me a call at 443-880-7847 to discuss the particulars (dates available, deposit, area lodging, meeting place, etc). I am happy to give you contact info for all of the clients from last year; ones who took birds home and ones that didn't, as a refernce. You can read the accounts of some of those hunts by going to my blog for April and May of 2011 at http://www.dougwigfield.com Please call to book your hunt - 443-880-7847. Thanks, Doug

Calling Them In?????

As most of you know myself and my partner in sika crime love pursuing stags on the ground and then trying to call them. This week we hit some of our regular spots in Dorchester and had a blast. It was at one of these spots that we got a stag to respond to a bugle at about 11:30. My partner worked around me bugling, splashing water and trying to get the stag to pass by me for a shot. He was behind me about 100 yards and let go with a great bugle. He immediately heard some commotion behind him and turned to see two "mighty stag hunters" trotting, bows in hand, right towards him. As they closed the distance they finally got close enough to see him. He gave them a big ole, toothy "Joe Biden" grin and they turned and disappeared pronto. He couldn't wait to tell me and the whole incident is still bringing us a barrel of laughs. They say laughter brings joy to the soul.

First Blood of the Season

Wow ... just realized I hadn't posted my first archery kill  last week on here. Conditions were good except for the high temp ... 80s. Hunted an evening spot where I could see whitetails and/or sikas. First deer seen was a doe fawn eating acorns then came to a small pond about 18 yards from the stand. She watered then fed away. 15 mins later I saw some deer on the ridge feeding on acorns as well. One big doe broke away from the rest and came to the waterhole. She was sleek and health looking. I took the shot and she fell about 50 yards away within 20 yards of the food plot for easy pick up. Upon field dressing, both lungs were scrambled. She dressed out at 92 lbs at the processor. Yum ... good eating. No hero pics ... you know what they look like.

Stick Bologna

Aftet shooting a few doves, the temps were kind of warm but headed for a sika stand anyways. The wind was right and darkness was setting in when I caught some motion. The binocs said sika hind and my mind said good eating. Ranged the animal, set the sight and waited for the right angle. Getting darker but figured a good shot and let fly. To my surprise, my arrow hit something which kicked it to the side to stick in the soil and the deer took off. Strange ??? .... got down and went to the arrow that showed no blood; no hair. Looked around and even walked where the deer exited ... no blood, hair etc. Went back and found the culprit ... the unseen limb. Moral to this story is don't think  sika tenderloin before its on the ground. Guess I'll order some "stick bologna".