I was introduced to turkey hunting in the spring of 2016. I’m still trying to decide if the person who talked me into going was a friend or if they secretly hated me. Turkey hunting has been both one of the most thrilling and the most exasperating hunting endeavors I have ever undertaken. While turkey hunting, I have seen breathtaking displays of wildlife and I have sat motionless for hours with not even a squirrel to break the monotony. I know that part is hard to believe, but true (the part about there being no squirrels, not the part about me sitting still for hours for those who know me).
I grew up in South Georgia and North Florida and hunting was a way of life for most of the men in my family. My sister and I are the only women in the family who enjoy hunting. Somehow, despite a fairly wide variety of game that was hunted, turkey was just never one of those that caught on. Because of that, I did not start turkey hunting until later in life. That was probably a good thing, because I know that those frustrating birds have taken at least a few years off of my life. If I had started earlier, I probably would not still be around. Seriously, how can one animal be so difficult?
The 2016 season was my first turkey season. Let me tell you a little bit about how that went – a lot of walking, hearing birds and not seeing them, having birds come so close that whomever was with me could just about grab them by the neck, but there were trees, brush or some other obstruction between me and the bird, running and gunning, sitting for hours, maybe a little bit of swearing, condolences, congratulating friends and family on their birds through clenched teeth…..you name it, I experienced it that season. The worst day was when we were waiting for a gobbler to come out who was firing off every time he heard a call. After waiting what seemed like an eternity, we finally decided to change our position, circle around to another area and trick him into thinking “his hen” was moving. The joke was on us though. When we stood up and turned around, two very large toms had come in behind us without a sound and were standing there looking at us…..with the guide between me and the birds. They made it to the trees before we could adjust our positions. That might be the most frustrating hunting experience I have ever had.
The flip side of that was that I also experienced deer coming so close to me that if I had jumped up fast enough, I probably could have ridden them. Watching a deer react when it can smell you, but can’t see you is one of the most enjoyable things I have experienced in the woods. Having a herd of deer within ten to fifteen yards of you, stomping their feet and blowing before finally deciding everything is alright, then playing for half an hour around you is surreal. Seeing the woods wake up around you from the ground when you are completely exposed other than your camouflage clothing and having a couple of foxes walk right by you or a bird land on a branch next to your face…..well, there is nothing quite like that.
I should mention that my partner in crime, so to speak, on these adventures in turkey hunting has been my husband, David Larson. I have to take a moment to give credit to the person who puts up with me hitting the snooze button until I literally have to jump out of bed to head to the woods, has to have a cup of coffee before I can speak coherently, changes hunting plans on the fly and all sorts of other behaviors that I am sure he would rather not have to deal with at 5:00 AM. Despite all of the insanity, camera gear, hunting gear and everything else, we somehow manage to always get out of the door on time and *gasp* on occasion have successful hunts. Talk about being born under a lucky star!
Fast forward to the 2017 turkey season. I should probably tell you that my Papa always told me when I was growing up that I was hard headed. This is the man who introduced me to the outdoors and fueled my love of the woods and water, but as an adult I have figured out that he did not intend on me taking “hard headed” as a compliment. I know he loved me beyond measure (I was the oldest grandchild and the only one who enjoyed the outdoors like he did for a very long time), but I am pretty sure that there were times that I came close to causing him to have a drinking problem. I have heard that I can be stubborn, although I just do not think that is accurate. I prefer to think of it as “focused”.
Anyway, this spring was going to be different. I had asked a lot of questions of people who are far more knowledgeable about turkeys than I am and I was prepared to sit in the woods every day of every weekend during season until I connected with a bird. The first weekend out, the birds were going crazy. As we waited to decide where to set up, there was gobbling coming from several directions before the sun ever cracked the horizon! I was ecstatic! This was going to be the day! But, no. No, this was not going to be the day. All weekend long, I was plagued by situations where I just could not get a shot. The worst one was when three HUGE toms came in, all lined up right behind a tree about 20 yards from me, then stopped, turned around and came back the way they had come in – with brush between me and them, so I never had a chance at a shot! I could see them all coming, my adrenaline was through the roof, my heart was pounding….and they just were not interested in the decoy, so they left.
The next morning, an even bigger tom came in, drumming and strutting….or so I am told. Because even though our friend, Brian McCranie, and the cameraman, David Larson, could see him, he never came clearly into my line of vision. Naturally, they both could have shot him about twenty times over. My frustration level was way past manageable. But then April 1st happened. Ironically, it happened on April Fool’s Day and I am sure that everyone following me on social media thought that I was kidding when I posted it after the dismal results from my previous turkey hunts.
We had set up in a couple of places before deciding to make one last move before heading in for lunch. When we came up to the location, I recognized it immediately…..it was the same place where the two toms had sneaked in behind us the year before. My heart sank, I felt like it was a jinxed spot for me. We set up anyway and waited a little while. After getting no responses to calls, Brian wanted to move. He walked past me and as I was getting up, he came running back whispering emphatically, “Get down! Get down!” Within a few seconds of him diving to the base of a tree behind me, a really nice gobbler came running down the path. And when I saying running, he was wide open running in as fast as he could get there! As soon as he cleared the edge of the trees, he was full on strutting, within about 25 yards from me! He strutted for a few seconds and the moment he laid those feathers down, I dropped him. For a second, I just sat there in disbelief, but then we all jumped up and started high fiving and hugging. I am not sure who was happier – Brian, David or me. My turkey hunting experience has been hard on all of us. The story only got crazier from there with two other, bigger toms coming in to beat up on my bird, scrambling for cover, missed shots, and me grinning from ear to ear. Oh, and let’s not forget about having the snake nearly crawl across me later that afternoon before I finally got up and moved, essentially ruining that hunt location for a little while, meaning we had to move again.
This season has been good to me, with turkeys down in Georgia and Arkansas so far. Every hunt has its amazing moments and I would not trade any of them for the world, but there is no moment in turkey hunting like having that first turkey slung over your shoulder, walking out of the woods like you are ten feet tall, measuring the beard and spurs, texting your dad to tell him that you got one, reliving the hunt with everyone coming to camp, reflecting on the hunt later that night and giving thanks for the animal you’ve taken…..these are the moments we live for.
I hope you have all had a successful season, by whatever means you measure success. Good luck out there and be safe!