More Interesting Cuz Stories in "The Truth About Turkey Hunting"

EDITOR'S NOTE: Longtime, avid turkey hunter, Ronnie "Cuz" Strickland of West Point, Mississippi, vice president of Mossy Oak's TV and video production, talks this week about his new turkey-hunting book, "The Truth About Turkey Hunting."

Question: Tell us about another memorable hunt, Ronnie.
Answer: I've got a chapter in the book called "The If Onlys," which is about snakes. That's the only regret I've ever had about turkey season: if only I didn't have to deal with snakes. I'm afraid of them, but that's just something you encounter from time to time when you're hunting. The bad thing about being scared of snakes is that once someone learns about your fear, then every Joe Blow in the woods wants to throw a snake, a fan belt or a garden hose on you to scare you.

I can remember the first time I went turkey hunting out West. Some of my buddies and I had planned to hunt public land and try to see a Merriam's turkey. I didn't have a lot of money. But one thing I did have was a quality sleeping bag that I'd scrimped and saved to buy. I'd bought the coolest down sleeping bag ever. The first night we were out West, I zipped up my sleeping bag. Then during the night, somehow those guys with me unzipped parts of that sleeping bag and put hot dog weenies all over the place. When I woke up the next morning, I rolled over and touched one, and the first thing that came to my mind was that it was a snake. By the time I got upright, I had completely torn up that expensive sleeping bag. There's always a snake joke when you're out in the woods with turkeys.

To order Ronnie Strickland's book, "The Truth About Turkey Hunting," which Mossy Oak has published, call (888) MOSSY OAK. To learn more about turkey hunting, go to Night Hawk Publications' home page, and click on books. You'll find information about three of John E. Phillips' turkey books -- "The Masters' Secrets of Turkey Hunting," "Outdoor Life's Complete Turkey Book" and "Turkey Tactics." These books explore the minds of some of the nation's top turkey hunters.

Tomorrow: A Memorable Story from "The Truth About Turkey Hunting"