“I do not hunt turkeys because I want to. I hunt them because I have to. I would really rather not do it, but I am helpless in the grip of my compulsion.”
These are the immortal words of “The Colonel” Tom Kelly, who died Oct. 2 at the age of 99. His daughter, Laura Kelly Bates, announced his passing on social media Tuesday.
Kelly is widely regarded as the godfather of modern turkey hunting literature, leaving behind a powerful legacy of storytelling and conservation. His book “Tenth Legion,” in which he compares turkey hunters to Caesar’s elite, fanatical fighting unit, is a classic and considered the contemporary Bible for turkey hunters…