Now that warm weather is here to stay, there are just too many things to do and not enough time to do them. Even with the extended daylight hours, it’s tough getting after everything but I am trying and my recent outing is a good example of that.  

While I was sitting in my truck, I was thinking about what I needed for my day. Of course, I needed my trout rod and tackle. I don’t go anywhere this time of year without my morel mushroom hunting bag and I also had a turkey tag in my pocket. After considering the chances that I might need it, I brought my 20-gauge shot gun along as well. Confident that I had everything I headed towards the first trout hole but got distracted by a dying elm tree, a likely spot for morel mushrooms. 

The morel mushroom hunting season is unpredictable and it doesn’t last as long as the trout season or the turkey hunting season. In other words, when it’s time to ‘shroom you can’t afford to get distracted. When I got to the tree, I was rewarded with the first “gold rush” of the year. There’s something special about finding that first morel of the year. Then again, I say the same thing about the first musky, the first shed antler and really, every other first of the year.   

One morel led to another and another and another. After 10 minutes of searching I had filled my bag with enough morels that the quantity could be better described as an entree rather than just an appetizer.    

On my way back to the trout stream I noticed a set-aside field that was just a short detour away and if a shed antler could be found today, that was a likely spot. Since I didn’t have anywhere that I needed to be, I made a couple of passes in the field hoping to find a shed antler that had survived the squirrels and mice. It wasn’t meant to be but the detour was worth it because you just never know.  

It was finally time to get to the trout stream, so I made my way to my original planned destination. It only took a couple minutes and I was battling my first trout of the day. A few minutes later I was doing the same thing with a second trout. It was shaping up to be a terrific morning and it was hopefully going to get even better because a tom turkey hammered out a gobble on the ridge above me.  

I packed up my fishing gear, pulled out my turkey hunting essentials and headed uphill. The morning outing was about to become an epic spring-time hat trick of morels, trout and a big gobbler. In the end, the expectation of my unplanned turkey hunt did not live up to reality. The turkey gobbled only two more times and I could tell that he was heading away from me. I think he was near the city limits of Menomonie which was unfortunate because I was just outside of Ellsworth. 

My multi-tasking outing was over so I headed towards my truck. Even though I had only completed half of the four things that I attempted, it was still a pretty darn good morning and my lunch was amazing!! 

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