Last week, this column related the events of the first morning's turkey hunt and the initial minutes of the second morning's during the New York State Outdoor Writers Association's (www.nysowa.org) Annual Safari, held in St. Lawrence County and based at Basswood Lodge and Hunting Preserve (www.basswoodhunting.com) near Rensselaer Falls. That column ended just after I'd experienced a misfire of a new shotgun shell while a gobbler was a mere 10 yards away. But that was just the beginning of what would be a memorable morning in the turkey woods and fields.

I'll not relate what I said immediately after retrieving the shell that misfired, but it wasn't kind to the shell manufacturer, who will remain anonymous, at least for now. Accompanying hunters Bryan Noble, Jim Rheome and Leo Maloney were understandably sympathetic, but I also noted each was suppressing the urge to laugh. I had to smile myself when I thought of the ringside seat they had of the whole scenario. Oh well, strange things happen when hunting or fishing, and this was just another page that would fall under the Murphy's Law section.