We are coming up on the first of December and the last month of 2010. Eleven months gone and the best is yet to come—for the kids anyway. The economy has placed some folks in a position not to their liking, but things will work out anyway. We all hope for the best for all and all for the best. The ham and turkey that we had for Thanksgiving is to come once again at Christmas and hopefully, it will not be leftovers. Even if it is, it will be good.

My baby sister sent to me a picture message from her cell phone that said, “Look what was in my big pine this morning.” It was a flock of turkeys and pretty good-sized ones at that. They just don’t realize what this does to my nephew. There is no way Josh would shoot one of them because there is no open season, but it does put pressure on him.

Many years ago, we did have a fall turkey season in Georgia, but it went the way of the buffalo. That, along with a few other changes did good things for the turkey population. The population is on up there now and unless a disease comes in and wipes them out, we will be in good shape for some time to come.

I think they have a fall turkey season down in Florida, but it will be next March before hunters in Southwest Georgia get a chance to measure a beard and spurs on a bird that will stay still. There is no reason to be distraught, as most every other animal or fowl that is legal to hunt will be legal between now and next March, when the turkey season comes in. Even duck season is in over the holidays and as good as it seems to be, it will only get better as the winter gets colder and brings down some duck from up north. We are not in a major flyway, but we do get a few ducks from Yankee country.

We had a creek that the beavers had dammed up in three places down below our house when we were young. It soon became a duck pond and probably still is. My brother and I learned to shoot ducks at an early age and realized we could miss them if we weren’t dead on at each shot. No duck hunter is dead on at every shot and we were no different. It hasn’t improved as the years have gone by.

I was talking to some duck hunters that were visiting Lake Seminole and they said that there are a few good things about duck hunting. Getting up and having breakfast with their fellow hunters was good, as was having a good lunch after they came in after a morning’s hunt. Spending time with relatives and friends was right on up there, but freezing your behind off sitting and waiting for ducks to swing by at just out of range was not near the top on the list of enjoyable things to do when duck hunting.

While you are choosing what you might want to get for Christmas this year, any fisherman or woman no doubt like to have the 14-foot graphite telescopic pole. There is no better shellcracker pole on the market and once you fish with one you will not own just one, but several of them. If you get the line fouled up on one, there is another one ready to get right back into the water and keep on dragging in the fish.

There are several new rods and reels on the market for this spring and no doubt you would like to have any of them. Panfish bedding season is coming up in the spring and if you get ready now, you can go at the drop of a hat. If you drop the hat, pick it up. The sun will burn your head if you don’t have that hat with you.