As soon as I reached my hunting spot on Wednesday morning at 6:30 am, I had the feeling that perhaps this could be a promising morning. Even as I placed my decoys, I could hear the soft clucking of the birds waking and within ten minutes the clucking had gotten louder and the gobblers were begining to sound off, answering each cluck with a trumpeting gobble.

  There were gobbles everywhere...behind me...to my right... and to my left in the upper field. There were gobbles across the field where Dominic sat, Indian style in the open field hidden only by a small shrub no bigger than himself. The spot wasn't his first choice, but the way the field rolled if he had sat in the tree line where he could blend into the background and avoid being seen, he couldn't see the field where he had watched a half dozen birds strut and parade for the past two days while he sat helplessly out of range two hundred yards across the field in the spot where I was now setting up.

  Dominic was hunting with his bow, so he had to be fairly close to bag one of these cunning birds, fifteen to twenty yards at the most compared to thirty five to forty with a gun. So his plan was to sit as still as possible in plain sight and attempt to ambush one of these birds. It would be a hell of a feat if he could pull it off. The day before he was in a blind, which now sat empty on my side of the field about fifty yards to my right. While setting up I briefly considered getting into the blind but opted instead for a comfortable tree fifteen feet inside the tree line. It was a tree I knew well. It was the same tree where I shot my first turkey in 2001. The same tree that Larry and Dominic each shot birds on the two previous days to my shooting my first bird. That was when we named the spot the "Field Of Dreams". "Call them and they will come", we joked.

  The first bird came off the roost at 6:45, about forty yards to my right and as luck would have it, I happened to be looking that direction and was fortunate enough to see it silhouetted against the morning sky. It crashed through the trees, snapping branches and sounding more like a train wreck than a landing. I quickly hit my call three or four times, just to let him know I was there. Several more birds crashed through the branches landing in the same area and began clucking and gobbling.

  Five minutes later the first three birds came out of the woods into the field fifty yards to my right. Two were definitely gobblers in full strut. The third was unknown and he left the area almost immediately crossing the field to my right. I never saw it again. But the remaining two toms stayed for about ten minutes, feeding, strutting and cautiously approaching Dominic's empty blind eventually getting within ten to fifteen yards of it. They slowly fed and strutted their way across the field and were gone. Five minutes of calling failed to encourage them back. Disgusted, I tossed my call on my fanny pack and glanced to my left.

  "Hello darlin'"!!! As luck would have it, and luck seems to play a big part in turkey hunting, at least for me, two toms were high stepping down the hill from the upper field. They were probably the ones I had heard gobbling earlier. They walked like they were on a mission. They weren't strutting, but there was no doubt they were toms cause I could clearly see their beards bouncing off their chest's from sixty yards away. The lead bird was definitely the larger of the two. There was no time to call, well, maybe I could have but at this point and at fifty yards away I wasn't going to move any more than necessary. In one slow deliberate motion my gun was at my shoulder, safety off. I was in a perfect postion with my elbow resting on my knee. I could sit this way for quite awhile without moving or tiring. Something you seem to do a lot of when turkey hunting but not today!

  Reaching the field, the big tom stood motionless for about twenty seconds staring at my decoys. I spent those twenty seconds starring down the barrel of my Remington 870 Turkey Special at his big ugly blue head. I just got the gun the the following spring and other than when I sighted it in, had never fired it. My friend Frank won it at the Ellsworth Sportsman Club Wild Game Dinner that spring and didn't need a turkey gun. I had a Savage .22/250 Varmint Rifle which I had won the first year I joined the Beaver Creek Sportsman Club and didn't need a varmint gun, so we traded guns.

  Suddenly the big tom went into a strut and began to march toward my decoys. The march that very shortly was gonna screw up his day and little did I know, mine too! Big time!! His wings were dragging the ground and his tail was fanned out behind him. He was all puffed up and just so arrogant as he marched toward my decoys with the second bird fifteen yards behind him.

  Forty yards...thirty yards...twenty....

  My plan was to shoot him as soon as he reached my decoys and he was there! Unfortunately, he immediately spun around showing me his backside. Not a good shot. I held my breath, heart pounding. Then he turned to his right and started away from the decoys, not good!

  Now my shot was obscured by a ten yard patch of small shrubs and saplings. I kept his head in the sight following him through the patchy brush and just as he was about to come out the other side, providing me a shot, he turned back toward the decoys. Again I followed his head through the brush as he strutted back to the decoys.

  I hadn't seen the other, smaller turkey since this one first reached the decoy. I was too focused on this tom to worry about his friend. Now my patience and focus were about to pay off. He was only a few steps from the decoys, about to come out from behind the brush. I exhaled slowly, leaned into my gun and took up the slack in the trigger. There he was, his big blue head, that large eye, that ugly wattle hanging over his beak. Bang!! That picture is burned into my memory like a photo. I can see it now as I am writing this. Yea, that big blue head. That large eye and ...... hey, what's that in the upper left corner of the scope? Looks like another head.

  As I sprang to my feet, ("sprang" is an Indian word that means: "to somehow rolled to your side, get to your kness and use your gun and a tree branch to pull yourself up") I began running toward the big tom, my eyes scanning the area looking for the second bird. He was nowhere to be found. That's curious, "where'd he go?" I still had no idea of my impending dilemma.

  Halfway to the tom, now flopping in the field like a monk on fire, my situation suddenly became horrifyingly crystal clear. The large bird suddenly started flopping away leaving the smaller bird behind (remember the second head in the sight just as I shot?) "Oh my god! I got them both with one shot!" This is not good! First of all it's illegal. You can only tag one bird a day. Second of all, as I was about to find out, having one bird flopping and flailing on the ground is bad enough, two is ridiculous!

  For those of you who have never hunted turkey, the drill is as follows. Get to the bird and stand on his neck/head, trying to avoid getting beaten to death by the wings. Did I mention the spurs on his legs? They will tear you up. Leave a mark for sure and probably draw blood. Anyway, you stand there until it dies or until you figure out a way to kill it. As far as I know, there is no drill for two birds. I was in uncharted waters.

  The next ten minutes is some what a blur. I remember running back and forth stomping heads, standing on necks and applying gun butts liberally. I think turkeys are a lot like terrorists. They are hard to kill, you never know what they are gonna do and they want to inflict as much harm on you as they can. At one point I slipped and fell next to the big one. Now I'm on the ground but I've got him by the neck, which is good, I think.

  There were so many feathers in the air it looked like a snow storm. In fact, when it was over, there were enough feathers on the ground to make another turkey. But I already had one more than I wanted and definitely more than I could handle.

  Now firmly grasping his neck, I bent it in half fully expecting it to snap any second. "Yea, right"! Okay, time for plan 'B', "HELP!!"

  Somehow I got to my feet and tried ending this fiasco by snapping his neck and body like a whip. That got him mad!! He dug his beak into my palm. I'm pretty sure he meant to bite me, but I guess he couldn't bite me too hard from the way I was holding him. No time to argue technique with him cause the smaller bird was starting to flop farther away, again!

  I threw him to the ground and ran to the small one. A couple of good stomps and he was finally down for good. One down, one to go!

  At this point I was exhausted. Bent over, hands on my knees, I was sucking air like an old pump. I was trying to get my wind back since my peripheral vision was slowly fading from lack of oxygen.

  I went back to the monster and firmly placed my heel on his head and put all my body weight on it. A minute later it was over. I collapsed in the field.

  I had been laying there about five minutes when Dominic appeared. Having heard all the commotion and figuring his chances of surprising a bird were pretty well gone, he decided to see if I had done any good. He found me laying there next to the large tom. There were feathers everywhere. The grass was flattened in a twenty foot circle. Some distance away lay the other bird. My gun was lying next to the smaller bird. My mask, hat and gloves were scattered here and there. I don't know if I took them off or if the turkeys were trying to undress me and have their way with me. They are vicious predators which is probably why most people get them from their local grocer. They are just too dangerous to hunt. The Pilgrims and the early pioneers have my respect.

  I going to call Frank when I get home and see if we can trade guns back. Hunting varmints, coyotes and wolves can't be as dangerous as hunting turkeys.

  Editors Note: After Ron sent us this story we were curious to find out what he did with the birds. He sent us this follow-up:
"Well my friend Dominic tagged the other bird and checked it in. I had to buy him another tag so he could get his turkey the next day. Total cost of my hunt?

  Hunting license ----$24.00
  My turkey tag -----$20.00
  Replacement tag ---$20.00
  Grand Total --------$64.00
  Getting my story printed in the Backwoods Bound Bullet -----PRICELESS!

  Thanks guys, you've made my day. The Division Of Wildlife will be at my door now!!"

  Record Alligator Gar Caught

  Sean Chatham, of Ardmore, pulled in a 184-pound, 3-ounce alligator gar February 25, 2006 from the Red River in Love County, establishing a new state record.

  Chatham snagged the monstrous fish about 2 p.m. using a stainless steel leader and 25 pound test line.

  "We try to go after the big ones, but when I saw how big this one was I was really surprised. I fought the fish for about 35 minutes before it got into some shallow water near the bank. When it did, I jumped on it and tried to keep it from making another run into deep water," Chatham said.

  The record-breaking alligator gar measured seven feet, eight inches long and was an impressive three feet, two inches in girth. Chatham's fish broke the previous alligator gar record by four pounds. Deryl Landers set the previous record a 180-pound fish also caught from the Red River in 2002.

  Chatham, an avid gar angler, is helping the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation in a research project to learn more about these unusual fish. Each time he catches an alligator gar he places a tag near the dorsal fin before releasing the fish. This allows researchers to learn more about the gar population, seasonal movements and general life history.

  "Alligator gar are truly unique fish and the Red River is one of the few places left where they can be found," said Kim Erickson, chief of fisheries for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. "We really appreciate the help that anglers like Chatham have provided on this ongoing study."

  Those interested in seeing a big alligator gar for themselves will soon have the opportunity at the Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks. Aquarium personnel and Wildlife Department fisheries biologists recently collected two gar (one weighing nearly 100 pounds and the other tipping the scales at 70 pounds) from the Red River. The pair will go on public display after a quarantine period.

  Smallmouth Bass Record Broken For Third Time In Four Years

  For the third time in four years, an Oklahoma angler has broken the state record for smallmouth bass. Steve McLarty now holds the record with an 8-pound, 3-ounce smallmouth bass he caught on March 4, 2006 on Lake Eufaula in east central Oklahoma. McLarty, who lives in Broken Arrow, was competing in a Fishers of Men bass tournament when he hooked the big fish in a quiet, rocky cove.

  "We actually pulled into the area on the way to another spot first thing in the morning. I was using a jerk bait and was hoping to catch a good smallmouth, but I certainly did not expect to catch one this big," McLarty said.

  The record fish measured 23.5 inches long and was 19 inches in girth. McLarty was using a Shimano rod and a G-Loomis reel spooled with 10-pound test line.

  The previous record smallmouth holder was Karl Council, also of Broken Arrow, who caught an 8-pound, 1-ounce smallmouth bass in March of 2005 on W.R Holway Lake in northeastern Oklahoma.

  While he may hold the bragging rights to the state record smallmouth, McLarty did not place in the top three of the tournament and the big fish award went to a 9-pound largemouth bass caught by another tournament angler.

  "I heard the big largemouth was caught just about 100 yards away. That is just my luck to catch a state record smallmouth and not even win the big fish award. But I am certainly not complaining though, it is a real honor to catch a fish like this," McLarty said.

  Eufaula Lake, in east central Oklahoma, was first stocked with smallmouth bass in 1992 according to Garland Wright, central region fisheries supervisor for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. The lake was stocked with a reservoir-strain smallmouth bass that originated in Tennessee and Eufaula is now home to a self-sustaining population. The sprawling reservoir has a growing reputation as a first class smallmouth bass fishing destination.

  State Record Established For Black Bass Hybrid

  What do you get when you cross a smallmouth bass with a spotted bass? You get a black bass hybrid - and Sean McAllister got a new state record, and pending world record, fish. McAllister, who lives in Stilwell, pulled a 6-pound, 14-ounce oddity from Lake Texoma, February 5, 2006.

  "At first I just thought it was just a weird looking smallmouth, until someone mentioned it looked like a spotted bass," McAllister said.

  McAllister caught the record fish while fishing a Carolina-rigged Zoom lizard. The fish measured 20.8-inches long and was 16.5 inches in girth.

  Fisheries biologists with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation suspected it was a black bass hybrid and DNA analysis confirmed it was a cross between smallmouth and spotted bass. The Wildlife Department established a new category, black bass hybrid, for the unique fish.

  "It is certainly rare, but it is not totally unheard of. I have seen two others in my 35 years of experience, but both were much smaller than this one," said Paul Mauck, south central fisheries supervisor for the Wildlife Department.

  According to Mauck, the black bass hybrids occur naturally when the spawning areas of the two species overlap. While hybridization occurs occasionally throughout the two fishes range, only Missouri currently recognizes a black bass hybrid record. Since that record stands at 5-pounds, 10-ounces, McAllister's fish will set a new world record, pending approval from the International Game Fish Association.

  Mauck offered a few tips on identifying spotted and smallmouth bass. Spotted bass typically have a sandpaper-like tooth patch on the tongue that can be felt with a finger, according to Mauck. The most recognizable characteristics of a smallmouth is its brown color, additionally smallmouth often have vertical bars on their sides rather than the dark spots of the spotted bass.

  For a complete list of record fish and the procedures regarding certifying state record fish, consult the "2006 Oklahoma Fishing Guide." If you think you may have hooked a record fish it is important that you weigh the fish on an Oklahoma State Department of Agriculture certified scale and the weight is verified by a Wildlife Department employee.

  Hunting or hiking, particularly in remote areas, is a great experience if approached with due regard for fitness, safety and skill. One of the major skill categories, is the ability to navigate with or without compass and map. Ideally, no one should head off the beaten track without map or compass, but what if you find yourself in that situation, or you lose or damage your compass? Here are a few basic 'skills' that could one day be of use to you.

  Finding direction by using your watch.

  If you have a watch that is working correctly, you can always quickly determine the points of the compass as long as the position of the sun is visible.

  The method used varies depending upon which hemisphere (northern or southern) that you happen to be living in. The following methods are described using an analog watch, (that's a watch with an hour and a minute hand) but they can be applied just as well if you own a digital watch - just use your imagination to superimpose the 12 hourly numerals and the relevant position of the 'hour hand' on the face of your digital watch.

  Northern Hemisphere

  1) Holding your watch horizontally, point the 'hour hand' of your watch at the sun.
  2) Note the direction that lies exactly midway between the 'hour hand' and the numeral twelve on your watch. This will be South.
  3) Once you have established this, it will be easy to determine the other points of the compass.

  Southern Hemisphere

  1) Holding your watch horizontally, point the numeral twelve on your watch at the sun.
  2) Note the direction that lies exactly midway between the twelve and the 'hour hand'. This will be North.
  3) Once you have established this, it will be easy to determine the other points of the compass.

  These methods will give you a good approximation of compass direction. If your watch happens to be adjusted for daylight saving at the time, then 'remove' the daylight saving for greater accuracy.

  Another method of determining compass points can be used if you do not have a watch. This method takes longer and also requires enough sunlight to cast a shadow.

  To find North without a watch.

  1) Before noon, on level terrain, position a stick of about 3 feet upright into the ground.
  2) Mark the tip of its shadow with a peg or stone.
  3) Using the tip of the shadow as a radius, draw an arc around the stick.
  4) The shadow will shorten as it approaches noon, pulling back from the arc. It will then lengthen again - where the afternoon shadow once again touches the arc, place another peg or stone.
  5) Now draw a straight line between the two pegs/stones - this will be an East/West line, with the first peg being in the westerly direction.
  6) You can now draw a North/South line at right angles to the East/West line.

  The following (less accurate) method can also be used at any time of the day without drawing an arc.

  1) Peg the tip of the first shadow, then about 20 minutes later peg the tip of the moved shadow.

  2) Draw a straight line between the two pegs, and this will be an approximately East/West line, with the first peg again being the westerly one.

  A typical error when lost, is a tendency to wander off what you may think is a straight line bearing, sometimes even slowly circling back on yourself. To prevent this, note an object (tree, rock, terrain feature) that lies directly ahead of you in the direction you wish to travel, then aim for it. When you reach it, take another bearing on the direction you wish to head, sight another object directly ahead of you and repeat the process. In areas of restricted distance visibility, you may have to repeat this quite often over short 'legs' to ensure that you are remaining on course.

  Keeping a course by the clouds.

  What if it's a cloudy day with no sun visible to get a bearing on, or the bush canopy prevents you getting a clear "shot" at the sun? Well, if you're lucky, it may be windy with the clouds moving in a constant direction - note the directional flow of the clouds, and adjust your course relevant to their direction. If the clouds are moving from your front from right to left over your shoulders, keep them there, at the same time, sight an object straight ahead of you and head for it. To retrace your steps in the same general direction, just do an about turn, then keep the clouds moving from behind and now left to right over your shoulders, and repeat the process.

  Being aware of your surroundings will often pay off, so try to cultivate that habit.

  George Spearing is author of, "Dances With Marmots - A Pacific Crest Trail Adventure". Visit www.danceswithmarmots.com for more information.

Answer To Bonus Question: A gallon is larger than a gill. We have no idea what a gill equals.