ShaunM

First of the year. Been passing up a lot of birds that were o.k, been waiting on a really good one. Well since I have been out hunting fairly hard I decided I had enough, so I told myself if he had an o.k beard and up I'm going to shoot him, no passing up. He is only a year and half bird with 8 1/2 inch beard and almost 1/2 inch spurs, weighed somewhere around 17 to 19 pounds. He's no monster but I'll take him since I have 4 tags (well 3 left now) and only a few more weeks to hunt. He is a really nice bird considering he is still young.

What hunting show was it? Maybe you can look on their website for product info.

I've never heard of them.

I know really dont understand Their logic behind the madness.

Maybe one of these days they will wise up.

You can get a one time apprenticeship license but you must be accompanied by an adult over 21 who is legally able to hunt.

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency- Hunter Education

If you haven't taken your hunters safety course then I believe you must take it before you can hunt. I may be wrong but I think you have to take it if you haven't already.

Nice bird!!!!

Got me another place to hunt. It's a small field and my buddy said they come out in all the time. He doesn't hunt them and told me I could. Come thursday and Friday I will be out with decoys up and I'm just gonna wait on them. He said he's seen them at all times of the day so I may be sitting awhile but it might pay off.

That's great and very nice bird.

I've called a bunch of jakes up and one ok Tom. Did call a real good one up but he held up at around 60 yards. Seen him twice since then and both times he has had a hen with him. If anyone wants to kill a few jakes I've got a bunch to pick from.

I don't have a problem..... Ok maybe a little one. I caught myself today calling for coyotes. I brought my hand calls. Had a really nice Tom come into 40 yards but stood behind a bush then went back up the hill with the hens. I tried circling around but never seen him again and he never gobbled again. So I busted out the hand call and tried to call in a coyote. It was to windy so no luck.

Congrats!!! Hoping to see a shooter in the morning.

Nice bird!

Didn't go this morning probably should have but I was to tired and my shoulder was killing me. I had a couch fall on my right shoulder 4 days ago. I was trying to get it into one of those big metal dump bins at the dump by myself and the stupid thing came back down on my shoulder. Yeah I was stupid trying to put it in there by myself. I may go after church for a little bit but going tomorrow morning before the storms hit. Hope every one else got one this morning.

The Daily News Journal | Murfreesboro news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Murfreesboro, TN | dnj.com Ticks raise new concerns in Tennessee Posted 4/2/2011 12:14 PM ET NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Ticks are raising new concerns in Tennessee as new types and infections emerge. Tick-related illnesses have more than doubled in Tennessee since 2005. There were almost 400 cases last year, most of them Rocky Mountain spotted fever. There have been six deaths from Rocky Mountain fever in the state since 2001. Certain species of ticks that were uncommon in the state are being found in new areas. Ticks that were previously rare in Tennessee, such as Gulf Coast and deer ticks, have now been found to be much more widespread, possibly because of climate change. Both are associated with tick-borne infections. "It is a big concern because it can result in a fatality," Abelardo Moncayo of the Tennessee Department of Health told The Tennessean. Angela Doss said she lost three months to a tick bite. After camping at Old Hickory Lake, she woke up with a stiff neck and a blinding headache. Her brain was swelling from a bacterial infection from a tick. Doss was hospitalized for six days and saw a neurologist weekly for three months. She missed months of work. "I don't go camping anymore," she said with a laugh. "Or if I do, I am adamant about checking (myself) for ticks. Not everybody who gets bit by a tick gets ill. I was just the one who got it." Graham Hickling, a University of Tennessee research professor who is studying Lyme disease and other tick illnesses, said some tick-borne illnesses, if untreated, "could go very bad, very fast." Nationally, Lyme disease gets the most attention. It has been concentrated in the Northeast, where deer ticks, also called black-legged ticks, transmit it. Hickling helps lead a five-state research group on Lyme. His students have found black-legged ticks throughout Tennessee, but in low numbers. And tests have not found the ticks carrying the pathogen that causes Lyme in humans. Tick-borne issues in the Southeast are other things, he said. "If you are getting infected, the first candidate is the Lone Star tick, which is common and aggressive." Lone Star ticks have been linked to ehrlichiosis, the illness that felled Doss. They also may carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which is being renamed as spotted fever rickettsiosis. Tennessee is among four Southeast states that have accounted for almost half of all nationwide cases of spotted fever since 1995. In 2009, the state recorded its first case of babesiosis. The patient was a deer hunter, and the state tracked where he had been and found the Babesia parasites in deer ticks there, Moncayo said. Babesia requires different drugs than other tick infections. It can be spread through blood transfusions, and there is no screening for donors, Moncayo said. All those factors have prompted the state and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to begin tracking Babesia cases for the first time this year. People are probably encountering ticks more often as suburban growth pushes into tick habitat, Moncayo said. Ticks typically get active when weather becomes warm in the spring. Infection reports peak in June and July. Treatment is most successful within five days of symptoms. That's why anyone who feels ill and has been around ticks needs to go to a physician and start treatment, even before blood tests show an infection. Most people recover fully, but some infections can cause lasting damage. And the longer an infection goes untreated, the more harm can be done. Moncayo said ticks are part of life in Tennessee. "You should still be able to enjoy the outdoors, but be aware they're out there," he said. "If you have a tick bite, don't shrug off symptoms if they develop. But if you get a tick, don't worry if you don't feel sick."

Nice turkey glad you got one. I past on one this morning with a 6 or 7 inch beard. I'm holding out for a good one. Going back in the morning before church. Maybe I will see a nice one. I know their there just been stubborn today. Again nice bird.

Well I just woke up guess I will be back in the morning before church. Dang 2 hours of sleep last night.

Well my other spot didn't pay off either. They were gobbling good but as soon as the sun came up they quit. Don't know but guess I will try again later.

Called in a few jakes and some hens. One of them had about a 6 or 7 inch beard, maybe a year and half old bird didnt shoot him looking for something a little better.Im off to another spot.

Well I'm up and getting ready. I'm headed out to Westmoreland. Seen a big beautiful turkey last year and my guts telling me I should go there. May not get him or heck even see him but im giving it a shot. Good luck everyone!

Wanted to wish everyone good luck and be safe. Hope I get one.

Rain or shine I'm going.

That's awesome! Can't wait till my little girl is old enough to get her first turkey.