Because of the father-in-law's excellent pre-scouting, they spent three days working several pockets of good birds. Although the bird wasn't taken until the last day, every sunrise brought new surprises.

Highlights of the trip included: running into an old friend from college working the same bird, watching a large mountain lion get out of its bed at less than 20 yards, finding a herd of 69 elk (with better than a dozen mule deer), watching those large white tails fanning back-and-forth through the woods as the wind identified the hunters, and listening to a pack of coyotes yowl and bark as they pursued their prey down through a canyon.

Yes, they were after turkeys, but the hunt was made so much more enjoyable because of everything else that occurred.

Photo and story contributed by Ernie Rice.