By Mac Arnold
MAHFS editor

I love this time of year.

Especially when it's actually turning into spring.

The anticipation leading up to the opening day of spring gobbler season courses through my veins and gives the spirit a much-needed boost after a long winter.

Also, it's the best time of year to be in the backyard, or anywhere in our yard, before the insects come out and make any activity a brief one unless you're constantly moving around.

Our yard is basically swamp for six months out of the year. Mosquitoes thrive around us no matter what I put out.

Other than slogging through some soggy parts, the back makes for a great outdoor archery range.

So I took advantage of the nearly 60-degree temperatures on Saturday, April 9, and began practicing in earnest for trying to take a gobbler with the recurve and homemade wooden arrows during Michigan's spring turkey season, which opens May 2 for my hunt.

I brought out the blind and flung upward of 30 arrows downrange from it in various mock hunting positions.

In talking with some fellow turkey hunters, I had mulled over whether a head or neck shot was a viable one. It was met by a dismal reception -- "too little target, too much movement."

For the most part I agree but I still think it's doable.

I had some success shooting for that area today.

Just wish my son, Zac, who is out of town with the rest of the family on spring break, was around to shoot with me.

He gets rather excited when we get out the turkey target and one of us gets a direct hit to its noggin.

Guess there will be another time.