Kyle Hicks Talks about the Toughest Turkey He's Ever Taken

EDITOR'S NOTE: We're interviewing Kyle Hicks of Baker, Louisiana, an expert turkey hunter, to help you get revved-up for turkey-hunting season -- due to begin: in Florida the first part of March; around the South in mid-March; and in other states the first of April; and lasting through May and sometimes June in certain parts of the U.S.

Question: Tell me about the toughest turkey you ever had to take and how you took him.
Answer: I haven't actually bagged him yet, John. I think you and I chased him this morning here in Florida. Florida birds sure are tough turkeys to bag. Really, the toughest turkey I killed was about four years ago. This fine bird would pitch out into the middle of about a 200-acre hayfield with about 15 hens. Of course he wouldn't cooperate with me, and I didn't blame him. There was a drainage area close-by grown-up with briars. I belly-crawled through the briars and got about 150-yards out into the middle of the field with that turkey. I gave just a couple of really soft yelps -- just enough to make him walk over the hill and look at what was down by that briar thicket. When he came over that hill, I nailed him.

Question: How big was he?
Answer: That gobbler wasn't that big. He had about 1-1/4-inch spurs, weighed around 19 pounds and sported an 11-inch beard. But he was a good Mississippi turkey.

Tomorrow: Kyle Hicks' Favorite Equipment