Turkey Season Opens, “Grand Slam” Winners, and Rick Labbe on Moose Hunting!
Turkey hunts are exciting and interactive. Opening Day is Monday, May 4, preceded by a two-day Youth Hunt on May 1st and 2nd. The May, 2026 issue of The Sportsman celebrates this season in grand style, starting with our cover photo, showing the handsomest strutting tom you ever saw.
Inside, read tips and tactics from some of the best, including Bob Humphrey’s piece on conflicts that can arise when hunters covet the same field or stretch of woods (“Turkey Hunting Ethics,” p. 30); Staci Warren’s column on scouting, firearm selection, clothing, calls and gear (“Pursuing Turkeys,” p. 57); and Jake Guay’s product review (p. 66), in which he introduces readers to the funniest-looking turkey decoy of all time – but you’ll stop laughing when the toms and jakes come rushing in to beat up on the poor rubber bird.
In other news, we are gearing up for the moose lottery, which will be held Saturday June 20 at the Acton fairground. To help readers prepare, we present “A Moose Hunt to Remember,” by renowned outdoorsman Rick Labbe. Rick recounts two memorable hunts – the first with his father, back in 1986, and the second, more recent hunt with his oldest daughter. His advice? “Prepare well, and take the time to enjoy every moment.”
Our “centerfold” pictorial feature this issue lists the more than 80 (a new record) hunters who earned their “Grand Slam” patches in 2025. It’s an accomplishment of which they can all be very proud.
The remaining pages encompass every activity folks are busy with in Maine and New England this month, from ice-out trolling to boating, and from ATVing to fly fishing. Along the way, we hope you’ll also enjoy our tributes to traditional (as in “vintage”) outdoor gear, including old two-cycle outboards that only an owner could love, and trusty Zebco reels, which marked the start of the fishing careers of many of our writers and readers.
All this, and the best cartoons above Lower Cupsuptic, and below Upper Enchanted.
Once again this month, we hope we’ve met our goal of exceeding your expectations. Enjoy!
