Photo by Ralph Hensley

Most folks -- especially those who don”t hunt turkeys or know even less about our Founding Fathers -- often think it”s a joke when someone tells the story about old Ben Franklin”s favoring the gobbler over the bald eagle as an emblem to represent the new nation on our coinage and flags.

But it”s no a joke -- it”s true!

Franklin was adamant about the turkey”s image being emblazoned upon our currency. His reasoning was forthright, inasmuch as the eagle is sometimes a scavenger and an opportunist.

While we now know that”s not necessarily true in most instances, Ben considered the eagle a crass party-crasher at banquet tables set by the labors of others.

Conversely, Franklin contended that the turkey is a self-sufficient bird of high intelligence, resourcefulness and has much of the inherent common sense needed for survival.

But as most of us are aware, image is everything -- especially in America. The bald eagle won out, primarily because of its noble looks.

Wild turkeys in the Mid-Atlantic region were yanked back from the brink of extinction, primarily by sportsmen, their affiliated game and fish agency officials, and especially through the efforts of the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Ben Franklin would have been proud.

Undeniably, the dramatic loss of habitat and virtually unrestricted seasons for wild turkeys at the turn of the century and the early 1900s brought this big-game bird to near-extinction.

These days, however, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland gobbler-gunners have a viable, healthy and huntable population of wild turkeys, with more birds per woodland acre than ever before.

Consequently, our Mid-Atlantic States also have a rather successful spring turkey season.

During the spring season, hunters cherish the challenge of trying to coax a bearded bird to their setup.

But that”s no easy task! Franklin was right on the money when he noted the resourcefulness and intelligence of this magnificent bird.

What”s in store for the brothers of the longbeard this spring?

How did they fare last spring? Let”s look at Delaware first.