In May, I experienced my first time with turkey hunting. It was also my first time using a shotgun. Because of my schedule in May, I had one weekend of turkey hunting. Earlier in the same week, I had my first successful day of fishing EVER thanks to an expert fisherman, a friend. Turkey hunting was bound to be successful, right?
Turkey hunting was a two-part event as we hunted in the early morning and again in the afternoon. In the morning, we climbed and climbed, and we saw and heard nothing at all. In the afternoon, my wife, father-in-law, and I settled into a cluster of trees. My father-in-law began to make calls to lure in the gobblers (male turkeys). Because it was spring turkey season, we could only hunt the male turkeys. For a while, we heard nothing but squirrels, birds, and every other animal in the forest–except for gobblers. And then, it happened. A male gobbler called back to us. A few more calls, and he called back again. We could see him through the thick blanket of scrubs and trees.
It took some effort; however, we kept his focus for some time. And then, his ADHD kicked in —or his love for the ladies. Some female turkeys (hens) were in the area, and they started making noise. Eventually, our gobbler left with the hens to never be seen by us again. We headed back to my in-laws’ home with our hunt unfulfilled. And here is what I have learned from one day of spring gobbler season under my belt…………
- Turkeys are elusive. I felt like turkey hunting involved much more walking and planning than deer season. This could be because I am new at hunting or because it is accurate, but turkeys don’t play games!
- It is much, much warmer in spring hunting than in winter. Layers and layers of clothing are needed.
- Always expect the unexpected. Weather can change, the timing of the season matters (we were out the last weekend), and other wildlife can distract or spook your prey.
As I continue to hunt and fish, I believe hunting and fishing are more difficult sports and hobbies than basketball. Hunting and fishing involve so many intricacies that you can’t learn them until you are fathered in nature by God himself. I encourage you to take up hunting or fishing in some capacity as a way to connect with God’s Creation and a way to find your heart and soul again in this maddening and fast-paced world.
Next blog post: Fishing Challenge: Penn’s Creek
