"Now we're hunting"

Within the first ten minutes of my rookie turkey hunt I bagged my first bird.

Bird: Turkey

Sex: Male (aka Gobbler)

Height: appx. 30"

Weight: 18 lbs

Beard: 9"

After spending the weekend of March 17th turkey hunting with my father-in-law, the expert outdoorsman and fanatic collector of turkey calls, I believe Im hooked on hunting this elusive creature.

The rush of hearing a yelp and gobble echoing through the dimly lit pre-dawn woods is an exhilarating event hard to match elsewhere. Personally it was more leg-shaking than spotting a massive buck strolling across your path (not that Ive seen many of those in my short hunting career).

I believe I prefer it for the same reasons I prefer fly-fishing to cast-fishing. Catching a turkey is much more interactive, challenging, and up-close than other types of hunting.

Much thanks to Mr. Mark, the Turkey Whisperer, for calling the bird for me. I was very impressed with the connection he seemed to have with the animals. He was inately attuned to their behaviors and language. It seemed as if he was having a conversation with them.

Two Weddings and a Baby

My family has had quite an eventful year to say the least!I don't know if my poor parents can handle any more major events this year!

As of May, they finally had us all off the payroll with my brother graduating from Ole Miss law and I graduating from grad school at State. On December 16, Matt and I were married which was a year long process. Only a short six days later, my brother popped the question to his now future wife. They will be tying the knot on March 30 in Oxford. While in the midst of preparing for that event, we have been blessed with the wonderful news of the first baby in the family. Haley and Patrick(my sister and brother-in-law) are expecting a baby at the end of October. We couldn't be more excited! The McPhail family will be welcoming three new members this year. With the addition of Matt, Jenny, and now baby Davis. God has truly blessed our family!