Ben Franklin sought to name the wild turkey the national bird. While the bald eagle eventually was proclaimed the national wild bird, the wild turkey still has its place in our national heritage.

The wild turkey was a prime source of food for both Native Americans and Pilgrims. Today the wild turkey is not only still here, but also thriving. Tennessee for example, has huntable populations of wild turkeys in all 95 counties.

The National Wild Turkey Federation's website list some interesting facts about the North American wild turkey.

There are only two species of wild turkey in the world. One is the Ocellated, living in the Southern tip of Mexico and Guatemala. The other is the North American specie of which there are five sub-species.

The Eastern sub-specie is the most abundant and is located in more than half of the U.S. States.

The Rio Grande sub-specie is located primarily in Texas but also is found in Oklahoma, Kansas and the Pacific coastline states.

The Merriam sub-specie generally are called the plain states turkey and are located in states such as the Dakotas, Utah, Montana, etc.

The Osceola is named after the famous Seminole Chief Osceola. This sub-specie is located in the state of Florida, and with his habitat being the more swampy areas of Florida. The eastern wild turkey occupies the most northern counties of Florida. Generally the Suwannee River is the dividing line separating the Eastern and the Osceola' s habitat. He is probably the most wiry of all turkeys and the most difficult to bag.

The Gould is the fifth sub-species and is located only in the most Southern parts of Arizona and New Mexico. The population is so small that hunting is not permitted in the U.S. Mexico has a huntable population.

The ultimate turkey hunt is to take all four sub-species allowed to be hunted in the U.S. This is referred to as the U.S. Grand Slam. The world grand slam would include the four U.S. species, plus the Ocellated and the Gould located in Mexico. Also a true grand slam would require all to be legally taken in the same year.

Turkey fever seems to appear each year in the spring as the leaves begin to emerge. For me after 57 years of hunting the wild turkey, a non hunter might ask "When are you going to quit?" A good turkey hunter must have excellent eye sight and good hearing. It seems that both these senses seem to fade as you pass your 70' birthday. Being able to climb the highest ridges and walk long distances are necessary to successful turkey hunting. These are becoming quite difficult as well. I feel very fortunate to have taken the Osceola turkey shown elsewhere in this newspaper. It certainly was a challenge for the Old Timer, but I succeeded. It was a dream come true.

Til' next time: Good Turkey Hunting!