I got my hunting license & turkey stamp this week. I have never turkey hunted before, but I have a friend that has got me interested in giving it a try. We went out to Grandma's woods last Sunday and looked around, then went back again this morning. We tried calling some off their roost this morning, but no luck. Maybe too early in the season. But we are sure there are some out there.
It is amazing how much it has all grown up out there...not the same as it used to be, but it is getting there. I can still remember hunting with Dad when I was John Tyson & Zachary's age and trying to remain quiet. Trying to walk the exact steps Dad took to minimize the amount of noise we made was a challenge. I think I ended up jumping from one place to another, making more noise than necessary, trying to match his stride. It is a wonder I didn't fall and fire my rifle in the process!
I can also remember quite an emotional day some 12 years ago. I took John Tyson, who was about 6 months old, by the cemetery to visit Dad's gravesite. We then went out to the farm. It was just after they had cleared the woods, getting ready to plant pine trees. I can remember standing at the back of the field with tears in my eyes and thinking how it looked as if it had been raped. I never imagined being able to share the woods and hunting with my kids like I had shared with Dad. I am glad to see the woods coming back! It's not exactly the same, but it is getting there. Pine Trees will never be the same as big oaks, hickory and cherry trees. But there are some areas that were left as it were when I was a kid, that still gives it some of that familiar feel.
I think what is so amazing to me is that in all the years Dad and I went to the woods we never once saw any deer, but they are there now! When we went last Sunday, we saw tracks everywhere and saw a few antler rubs (which means...BUCKS!)!! Then today, while we did not see any turkey, we did scare up three deer on our way back to the road! I guess I may have to become a deer hunter.
I can't wait to get back out there again. Hearing the forest come alive first thing in the morning is good for the soul. I am looking forward to sharing that experience with John Tyson and Zachary, as well as the experience of hunting.
