Average Joe

The long-anticipated spring turkey season just ended with a beautiful hike through some iconic Berkshire hills. That deep desire to get outside after a long, cold winter is what elevates turkey hunting here in the Northeast to a premier pursuit. Harvesting a bird is always the goal, but witnessing the arrival of spring and the birth of another year is the true pull that gets you into the woods an hour before sunrise. Having participated in every Massachusetts turkey season since the opener in the 1980s, I know the unique excitement of a new activity—we all start as rookies until practice and commitment bring about mastery. But for me, the season is found in the quiet, family rituals: cleaning out the camp, replenishing the woodpile, and bringing out the outdoor furniture. Winning a turkey calling contest just doesn't fit the style of this Average Joe.

Since our season ends by noon, this leaves plenty of time for post-turkey fishing. The afternoon ritual has changed over the years, as have the camps. I am just average with a fly rod, but my hunting partners wanted to explore the local rivers and streams. Hunting for pools that held stocked trout was the afternoon goal, while finding undercut banks and wild brook trout was a bonus. The bass ponds required kayaks and canoes, but the warming water and above-average-sized largemouths made for great topwater action. In our younger years, stretching the clock to get in non-stop turkey and trout activities was the norm; now, it has given way to afternoon naps, partially submerged lawn chairs, spincast rods with PowerBait, and a charcoal-grilled platter of freshly caught trout for dinner.

The spring rains always come—sometimes as a continuous, rhythmic sprinkle, and other times as a total deluge. It’s pretty epic out there today as I sit down to write. I can easily use the steady downpour as a needed excuse to neglect the camp chores, rest my tightened muscles, and throw another oak quarter into the woodstove. But as I look out the window, I can’t help but fear for the young game birds caught in this weather; a mama bird can only protect her brood from so much adversity. As the years pass and I grow more into a dedicated bird hunter than just a participant in general outdoor activities, I’ve taken to closely studying these New England weather patterns to plan my fall woodcock and grouse hunting. Extreme wet and cold in late May and early June can easily spell doom for the season's young broods. However, there is always a compromise with our weather cycles, and based on the long-range forecast, I believe this year's climate patterns will give us a better-than-average upland season. Good news for the dogs!

I thought I would have a new puppy by now—another English Pointer that needs to be handled along the thick stream edges to curtail those long-ranging genetics. Dog training is yet another activity I thoroughly enjoy, even if I am just average at it. I spend the hours out in the field, I buy the pigeons, and I use enough check-cord rope to keep control, but I am still conflicted about the exact degree of "finishing" I want to achieve. Sure, there is steady-to-wing and steady-to-shot, but whoa and come—and I mean come—are the core commands I focus on mastering with my next pup. Nothing is more frustrating than a dog that only comes when it wants to, mostly because I know damn well they know what I am asking!

The whoa command is the true battleground when training a pointing dog. I’ll gladly ease up on the handling if they start to stretch out and range—after all, they are far more likely to find the birds than me—but when that point is finally initiated, I want, rather need, that dog to stay put. It used to be all about the harvest, about being close enough to get off a clean, close-range shot. Now, it’s about safety and pure enjoyment. Safety to ensure my hunting party, whether veteran partners or newly minted uplanders, is in line and ready. And the enjoyment that comes from everyone witnessing the dog’s true purpose: methodically sorting out the wind, finding the quarry, and having the patience to hold tight on the scent. That moment is what the artists who photograph and paint mostly capture—the point. I'll add that the explosive flush of the bird is just as rewarding as the release of a caught fish. Maybe looking at it that way is just a convenient excuse for my average shooting, or a good reason not to bother teaching the command to fetch.

Clay target shooting can be done year-round, but the pace of organized shoots definitely picks up in the spring and summer. Fewer layers of bulky clothes, brighter skies, and shooting without gloves bring the illusion that you’re going to smash clays consistently. I’ve found that pre-mounting the gun, rather than practicing a realistic hunting-scenario mount, helps my scores considerably. Utilizing the same shotgun but switching between completely different mounting techniques and timing seems counterintuitive, but the scorecard never tells a lie. In the end, snap-shooting or pure overconfidence always results in a missed bird—a definitive "loss" on the card or, depending on the humor of the guys you're shooting with, a clean "catch-and-release" of that lucky target of clay.

As I wrap up this article, the approach I take toward all the things I love to do during the spring may keep me average, but I love checking off the boxes for everything outdoors. I don't care about a trophy on the mantel.

The Hidden Threat in the New England Woods: Why Tick Prevention is Our Absolute Highest Priority

We are taught safety regarding nearly everything we do and use in our outdoor pursuits. We practice firearms safety, water safety, and wilderness navigation. But for some reason, tick prevention is never stressed enough—and yet it represents the single biggest threat to our health, well-being, and long-term ability to enjoy the outdoors.

Ticks are just awful here in New England. I am super serious about my preparation because tick-borne complications are, by far, the most dangerous health and safety hazard we face when stepping into the field, especially in the springtime when they are incredibly plentiful and highly active. All of us who work and play in the outdoors need to add a strict defense regimen to our pre-trip rituals.

The consequences of ignoring this threat are life-altering. Beyond the well-known, debilitating complications of Lyme disease, there is the rising threat of Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS)—a severe, permanent red-meat allergy developed from the bite of a single Lone Star tick. If you want to protect your lifestyle, your health, and your family, you cannot afford to cut corners.

My System: Why I Fully Endorse and Trust Sawyer Products

When the stakes are this high, you have to use the best bug repellent products available. I exclusively use Sawyer brand products because they work.

To ensure complete coverage when I am hunting or doing yard work, I rely on a multi-tiered defense system built around Sawyer’s specialized lineup:

• Pants and Shirts: I apply a healthy soaking of Sawyer Permethrin fabric treatment. This isn't just a basic spray; it actually bonds to the fabric fibers, prevents 99.9% of tick bites, and stays effective for up to 6 weeks or 6 washes.
• Skin (Hands, Face, and Neck): I use Sawyer Picaridin Insect Repellent Lotion. It provides long-lasting, heavy-duty protection without the greasy feel or harsh chemical scent of traditional sprays.
• Boots and Hats: I finish the perimeter defense with an application of Sawyer Maxi DEET to create an absolute barrier where ticks try to crawl aboard.

Built for the Modern Outdoors

Sawyer has been protecting families, outdoor professionals, and humanitarian organizations worldwide since 1984. As New England winters grow milder, tick season is starting significantly earlier, and heavy spring rainfalls are causing mosquito populations to surge just as we are all eager to spend more time outdoors.

Their gear is engineered for the worst environments on earth. Beyond industry-leading bug protection, they set the global standard for backcountry safety.

Please be aware of the very real dangers in the brush this spring. Do not head out unprotected. Use Sawyer products—because when it comes to defending your health in the outdoors, they truly are the best.