CHASING GOBBLERS WITH CAN-AM

CHASING GOBBLERS WITH CAN-AM

A turkey-hunting adventure in the hills of Wisconsin  – By Jeff Henson  – Photos by Dylan Hazen

CHASING GOBBLERS WITH CAN-AM
Looking down at the Duren farm and farmhouse, which was our base of operations for three days. This Can-Am Defender MAX and Defender PRO would see plenty of use between setting up blinds, escorting the crew over thousands of acres and retrieving harvested birds, should we be so lucky!

Still basking in the memories of a successful deer hunt with Can-Am last November, I was thrilled to receive an invitation for a return trip. Once again, the destination would be Doug Duren’s farm in Cazenovia, Wisconsin, but the game was turkey this time. I arrived at the airport in Madison, where I met up with Steve Cowing, Media Relations Manager for BRP Can-Am. At least 15 years had passed since I last saw Steve, but we had plenty of time to catch up during our 60-minute drive to the Duren Farm.

Doug Duren, a prominent figure in the hunting industry, devotes much of his time to discussing conservation and championing his Sharing the Land project (www.sharingtheland.com). With 60 percent of all land in the U.S. being privately owned, finding a place to hunt can be daunting. Sharing the Land bridges this gap—connecting landowners with access seekers, primarily hunters—in a mutually beneficial exchange. Landowners receive assistance with land improvements, and hunters gain access to hunting grounds. Doug started out using his land as part of the project, which was passed down to him by several generations of his family. As of today, Sharing the Land has made its way into several states, linking hunters with property owners as it continues to grow.

Upon arrival, Steve and I were greeted by Duren, Grady Coleman of Can-Am, journalists, and Duren family members and friends who were ready for a turkey hunt. We quickly loaded the Can-Am Defenders and headed to the range for some practice.

CHASING GOBBLERS WITH CAN-AM

That afternoon we dialed in the shotguns with the correct choke, checked patterns at an average distance for a surefire kill, and calibrated a red-dot or fiber-optic sight system. Red dots aren’t typical for bird hunting, but turkeys aren’t your typical birds. They are tough-skinned and armored with layers of feathers. It’s more like big-game hunting where you have an actual kill zone; aim for the head.

CHASING GOBBLERS WITH CAN-AM

On the cheap, Doug Duren showed off his creative Picasso talent (he does play a mean guitar, though) by creating targets on paper. We then walked off about 20 yards or so. That sheet of 8.5×11-inch multi-use white paper on the left is as dead as dead gets. Unfortunately, this was as close to killing a turkey as some of us would get.

CHASING GOBBLERS WITH CAN-AM

The day before my flight I had my Mossberg and Benelli 12-gauge shotguns ready to travel when Doug Duren called. “Jeff, leave your guns at home. Savage Arms just sent me four shotguns for testing, and I’d like you to try one out,” said Duren. Bonus! I prefer traveling light anyway. I had the pick of these four shotguns.

CHASING GOBBLERS WITH CAN-AM

Each day was divided into two hunting sessions, separated by lunch. Inside the Duren farmhouse, we split into pairs, chose blinds scattered strategically across the large property, and went over logistics to get there. It’s important to know boundaries, especially when hunting on private land. Apps like onX Hunt are perfect for maintaining your position within those boundaries.

CHASING GOBBLERS WITH CAN-AM

The Can-Am Defender is the perfect tool for planning your hunt days ahead of time. It can be used for scouting, and boasts more than enough carrying capacity to transport your gear. The towing capacity is also optimal for dragging heavy, hard-sided and elevated blinds to various locations, or you can drop your portable blinds, gear and tools in the rear dump box.

CHASING GOBBLERS WITH CAN-AM

I tried all the different Savage Arms shotguns Duren had waiting for us, which included single-shot 20 gauges and a couple of pistol-grip, pump-action shotguns. But, I liked the feel of the Model 220 bolt-action turkey shotgun. It’s a 20-gauge, but also available in a 12-gauge (Model 212). I didn’t know a bolt-action shotgun was a thing, but it was light, easy to aim, built like a rifle, and the user-adjustable AccuTrigger couldn’t feel more perfect.

When being transported to a blind or hunting spot via the Can-Am Defender, we would park and then hike a quarter mile or so to avoid scaring away birds. The Defender Pro XT ($23,699) was perfect for this terrain, with plenty of storage, 4WD with Visco-Lok, electronic hill-descent control, Turf mode when we didn’t want to disturb the grass, a 4500-pound winch, and 13 inches of ground clearance.

Sun’s up, guns up! The first morning I set up shop in a blind with digital creator and seasoned hunter Dylan Hazen near where I got my first deer several months before. The waiting for toms (older males) and jakes (young’uns) began as hens were not in season. We saw plenty of hens, but they couldn’t draw the males out of the woods. Of course, the deer were plentiful in this area, too. We had a few young bucks get so close to our blind that we thought they might stick their head through the window and say howdy.

Dylan Hazen tried to draw the toms and jakes out of the woods using a variety of turkey calls. He also took the opportunity to video some of the wildlife feeding off the plowed cornfields in the area, including deer and a few hens. We didn’t see anything that warranted a shot that first morning, but it still beat a day at the office.

While the turkeys remained elusive for everyone on day one of our hunt, we didn’t all come back to camp empty-handed. Lyndsey Braun-Palmer and Matt Geiger stumbled across a vast patch of golden oyster and morel mushrooms, which they packed up and brought home to share with the rest of us over dinner.

Day one’s morning session was over, and I headed back down the hill for lunch. I wish I could say a turkey was in that sling bag around my shoulder, but that’s just a decoy. Despite being empty-handed, the hunting gear from First Lite is ultra comfortable. I’ve worn First Lite layers for both winter and spring hunts, and found the gear very relaxed, easy to move around in and all-weather-ready.

On day two, Doug Duren and I walked along a treeline that looked over this field. The trees hung low enough to complement this low-profile camo cover perfectly. This is where Duren informed me that “nothing brings the birds in like falling asleep.” I’m not saying that I nodded off, but once again, no turkey.

On the last day, outdoors writer and creator Hayden Sammak (left) and Can-Am’s Grady Coleman (center) harvested this pair of turkeys after the birds woke them both up from a nap in their blind. (Duren was right!) Grady got the first shot off, then Hayden had to exit the blind and run-and-gun to get his. Doug Duren (right) always joins the celebration when a guest has a productive hunt on his property.

Who knew we’d be in for a treat as the Northern Lights made a grand appearance on the last day of the hunt? It was a spectacular sight, experienced as far south as my home in Arizona, at least that’s what I’m told. I was already passed out in my cabin, dreaming about the next Wisconsin hunt.

HEADING HOME

Steve Cowing and I packed up, and headed for the airport the following day. I kid you not, during the drive, we saw no less than six toms feeding in farm fields and four more crossing the highway. Steve saw several more after dropping me off in Madison. A friend claims, “Turkeys are the most elusive dumb birds on the planet.” I’m unsure how to feel about that, but I’ll be looking to redeem myself next turkey season.

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