1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:09,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to This Country Life. I'm your host, Brent Rieves 2 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: from coon hunting to trot lining and just general country living. 3 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: I want you to stay a while as I share 4 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:18,479 Speaker 1: my stories and the country skills that will help you 5 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: beat the system. This Country Life is proudly presented as 6 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 1: part of Meat Eaters Podcast Network, bringing you the best 7 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: outdoor podcast the airways have to offer. All right, friends, 8 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: pull you up a chair or drop that tailgate. I 9 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: think I got a thing or two to teach you. 10 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: If she can hit a cow, she can hit a turkey. 11 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 1: The good fortune continues as we navigate through Turkey season 12 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:49,559 Speaker 1: with friends and family and the show me State. I 13 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,159 Speaker 1: had two amazing hunts back to back that I promised 14 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 1: to tell you about last week. There were two firsts 15 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: and they were fifteen hours apart. I'm going to tell 16 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: you all about both of them, but first I'm going 17 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 1: to tell you a story. We've got another listener submitted 18 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 1: story that I'm going to tell you this week and 19 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:20,679 Speaker 1: imperfectly fits the message of our second helping hunts coming together. 20 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: It was sent in by This Country Life listener Jordan 21 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 1: Crawford from Winnsboro, South Carolina. This is one prime example 22 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:33,400 Speaker 1: of a plan coming together, staying focused when you think 23 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:39,000 Speaker 1: maybe it didn't without further ado and Jordan Crawford's words 24 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 1: and my voice here it is a few springs back. 25 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 1: The season started off pretty strong. I doubled up with 26 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: my brother for the first time. You're in the first week, 27 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 1: But after that nothing. The woods were quiet except for 28 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 1: a case gobble followed by complete silence and no interest 29 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:06,920 Speaker 1: in checking out my best imitation of a hen cutting 30 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 1: and yepping. A few weeks of bouncing around on different properties, 31 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:16,519 Speaker 1: walking and calling had produced zero Just exercise. Now, don't 32 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 1: get me wrong, anytime you get to spend time hunting 33 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 1: America's greatest game bird, you should be appreciating it. The 34 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: weeks of silence and turkeys have absolutely no interest in 35 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:32,640 Speaker 1: playing the game can wear on a man's mind. It 36 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:34,519 Speaker 1: was the last day of our season in the part 37 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 1: of our state, and as I said at work, waiting 38 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 1: for quitting time, all I could think about was squeezing 39 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:44,240 Speaker 1: in one last hunt. I waited my options, and I 40 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:47,360 Speaker 1: decided to hunt my ant's property. I figured there might 41 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 1: be a long beard hanging around her cow pasture that 42 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 1: would give me one last opportunity. I left working. I 43 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 1: pulled into my ant's driveway when just a few precious 44 00:02:56,919 --> 00:03:00,799 Speaker 1: hours of the season left, I got ready. I grabbed 45 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 1: a shotgun and headed for the logging road that looped 46 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:06,920 Speaker 1: all the way around the property. It ended at the 47 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:10,520 Speaker 1: bob wire fence in the far corner of the cow pasture. 48 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 1: I walked the road, stopping to call occasion and listening 49 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:18,919 Speaker 1: for any gobbler that was willing to reveal his location. 50 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 1: The silence was broken only by songbirds and a few 51 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: crows that were having an altercation with a red tailed hawk. Now, 52 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 1: with a little over an hour left of season, I 53 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 1: finally made it to the fence where I could peek 54 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: into that pasture and see if there were any turkeys 55 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 1: that were spending their afternoon out there before heading to roost. 56 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 1: A long hen caught my eye working her way down 57 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 1: the fence line about two hundred yards on the other 58 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:48,560 Speaker 1: side of the pasture. While I washed her feet down 59 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 1: that fence row, a half dozen more hens popped out 60 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 1: from behind a knole, following right behind the lead hen. 61 00:03:56,880 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: A few seconds later, three red heads popped up over 62 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:03,840 Speaker 1: the knoll, and three gobblers fell in line right behind 63 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: the hens. Out of nowhere. The three long beards started 64 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:10,120 Speaker 1: fighting and it was hard to tell who was getting 65 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 1: the better of who. It was an all out brawl. 66 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 1: As I watched the fight unfold, I noticed the lead 67 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 1: hen was headed towards a group of cedar trees that 68 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 1: was three hundred yards down the fence line, a spot 69 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:25,559 Speaker 1: that I thought would be perfect set up to fill 70 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:27,880 Speaker 1: one of the two tags I had left in my pocket. 71 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 1: So I did my best impression of Forest Gump and 72 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:33,560 Speaker 1: I made a big loop through the woods to get 73 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 1: around to the cedars. And running through the woods was 74 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 1: about as graceful as you can imagine a man running 75 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 1: through the woods toting a shotgun it was unloaded, and 76 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:46,000 Speaker 1: wearing a turkey vest full of calls, extra gloves, face 77 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 1: mask and shells. I made it to the cluster of 78 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:53,080 Speaker 1: ceedars undetected and tucked into one of them, just looking 79 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:55,160 Speaker 1: down that fence line in the direction that I had 80 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: seen that flock of turkeys. After taking a few minutes 81 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: to catch my breath, I let out a few soft 82 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 1: yelps silence. After twenty minutes of quiet time and no 83 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 1: sightings of anything, time was my enemy now, with precious 84 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:17,239 Speaker 1: minutes ticking off the clock, I grabbed my slate column 85 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:20,320 Speaker 1: let out a series of fighting perrs, hoping those gobblers 86 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 1: were still in the mood to duke it out. Five 87 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 1: minutes later, I think I hear the base from someone's 88 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:30,159 Speaker 1: car speakers. Now was only one hundred yards from the 89 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:32,560 Speaker 1: main road, and that wouldn't have been uncommon to hear. 90 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:36,920 Speaker 1: Then I thought, wait a minute, I don't hear a 91 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 1: car coming down the road. Hold on, that's a gobbler drumming, 92 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:53,839 Speaker 1: and it's directly behind me. I slowly turned my head 93 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:55,800 Speaker 1: and I picked through the limbs of that cedar tree 94 00:05:56,200 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 1: to see a gobbling full strut at twenty yards. Time 95 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 1: was slipping away in the season, and I only had 96 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 1: one option. If I was planning on walking back to 97 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 1: the truck with a bird, throw it over my shoulder. 98 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 1: I'm gonna have to turn around, pop out from behind 99 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:15,919 Speaker 1: this tree, and hope he doesn't take off before giving 100 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 1: me a good shot. Now, when I did it, he 101 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:22,360 Speaker 1: must have been just as surprised as I was. When 102 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 1: I first laid my eyes on him. Right behind me, 103 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 1: he broke strut and stuck his head straight up in 104 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:33,039 Speaker 1: the air. You couldn't ask for a better shot boom. 105 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:35,680 Speaker 1: To my complete and utter dismay, he took off like 106 00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:38,760 Speaker 1: a fighter jet, up and over the big white oaks 107 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 1: in the direction of the creek. He cleared those big 108 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:46,040 Speaker 1: trees without any hesitation and disappeared. How did I miss 109 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:51,360 Speaker 1: that turkey? There's no way. Everything felt right. The beat 110 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:53,120 Speaker 1: of my shotgun was right at the base of his 111 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 1: neck when I pulled the trigger. I took a few 112 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 1: moments to collect my thoughts, and I walked over to 113 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: where he was standing when I shot. Well, there's the 114 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:05,000 Speaker 1: waden of a few small black feathers laying on the ground. 115 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:09,280 Speaker 1: That those should have come from his neck. I started 116 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 1: walking in the direction he flew, still believing I hadn't 117 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 1: missed ISAI exacted the side of the hardwood ridge. Nothing. 118 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 1: I dropped down into the bottom and I started walking 119 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 1: the creek. As I made my way around a big 120 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 1: pine tree on the bank near a bend in the creek. 121 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:31,640 Speaker 1: There he was laying in the middle graveyard dead man. 122 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 1: I was over joyed to find that bird and to 123 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:37,240 Speaker 1: be able to wrap my tag around his leg on 124 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:39,240 Speaker 1: the right back of the house. I couldn't help but 125 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:42,280 Speaker 1: think what if I hadn't taken the time to study 126 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 1: the ground where he was standing. What if I hadn't 127 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 1: looked for him after he flew like he did that 128 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:52,680 Speaker 1: when I thought he hadn't been touched, he would layd 129 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 1: in that creek and been cold food. And that's no 130 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:58,559 Speaker 1: way for the King of Spring to make his trip 131 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:03,120 Speaker 1: to the Turkey woods in the sky anyway. More of 132 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 1: the story. You think you've mortally wounded turkey, put in 133 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 1: the effort to make sure he got away cleanly. I 134 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 1: know we expect him to just flop when we pull 135 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:14,680 Speaker 1: the trigger, at least show some kind of sign of 136 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:19,600 Speaker 1: being hit. That wasn't the case this time. Nothing really 137 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:22,800 Speaker 1: surprises me when it comes to these birds, but that 138 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:25,240 Speaker 1: one flying off like he did after being shot in 139 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 1: the head, only to make his final approach and land 140 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:33,680 Speaker 1: in a creek. Honestly, it blew my mind. And according 141 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:37,439 Speaker 1: to Jordan Crawford of Winnsboro, South Carolina, that's just how 142 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 1: that happened. My first week in Missouri turkey hunting this 143 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:53,760 Speaker 1: year was like no other I'd had in that area. 144 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 1: I hunt a lot of field turkeys there, and everyone 145 00:08:56,840 --> 00:08:59,440 Speaker 1: that's turkey hunted knows that they can be some of 146 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:02,679 Speaker 1: the toughest nuts to crack. They can set out in 147 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:05,720 Speaker 1: the middle of the bald open strutton and gobblet in 148 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 1: relatives safely from hunter's arms with anything less than a 149 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 1: sniper rifle or cannon. Now Missouri has yet to allow 150 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:19,080 Speaker 1: those two platforms for the legal take of Meliagres Galipavo silvestris, 151 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 1: the scientific name assigned to the object of my obsession 152 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:27,960 Speaker 1: by old Carolus Lenius of Sweden way back in seventeen 153 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 1: fifty eight, some two hundred and twenty seven years before 154 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 1: I would send my first one to the promised land. 155 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:40,680 Speaker 1: Nice job, Caroless, but Turkey is way easier to spell anyway. 156 00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 1: I left off last week, when Isaac Neil and I 157 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:45,320 Speaker 1: were walking back to the side by side, I told 158 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:48,800 Speaker 1: twenty three pounds of feathered goodness after giving him the 159 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:51,080 Speaker 1: old one too, before the sun had a chance to 160 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 1: get much higher than the fence posts that surrounded the 161 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:59,320 Speaker 1: pasture where I just throw punched him. I had no 162 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:01,240 Speaker 1: idea what that was in store for me over the 163 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:04,840 Speaker 1: next twenty four hours, and had I known, I wouldn't 164 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:08,560 Speaker 1: have been able to sleep that night. I'd actually planned 165 00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:11,319 Speaker 1: on takeing a nap that afternoon at Toby and Mary's house. 166 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:14,760 Speaker 1: I've told you about them before, but if you're new 167 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:17,439 Speaker 1: to this country life, I've been going to their house 168 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:20,480 Speaker 1: for many moons now, chasing turkeys and visiting with them 169 00:10:20,520 --> 00:10:24,360 Speaker 1: and their family and friends, who've all become just like mine. 170 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:26,840 Speaker 1: A turkey hunting is really just an excuse to go 171 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:30,360 Speaker 1: see them, and I was taking their youngest daughter, Emily 172 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:36,600 Speaker 1: the next morning on her first turkey hunt. Emily has 173 00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:38,880 Speaker 1: grown now, but a few episodes ago I told you 174 00:10:38,920 --> 00:10:41,240 Speaker 1: about when she was about six or seven, along with 175 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:45,040 Speaker 1: her older sister Peyton, they were quite a dynamic duo 176 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:48,960 Speaker 1: of innocence and beauty. Emily was the one that gave 177 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:51,720 Speaker 1: her pet cow tea bone a rock to the head 178 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 1: after she sweetly called it over to the fence. I 179 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:58,200 Speaker 1: was hoping to give her the same opportunity bright and 180 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 1: early the next day with one of the other turkeys 181 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:06,000 Speaker 1: i'd heard that morning. Then my friend Quentin called me 182 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:09,040 Speaker 1: and he said, I'm going hunting this afternoon if you 183 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 1: want to go with me with the only thing better 184 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 1: than a nap in the afternoon after you filled your 185 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:16,960 Speaker 1: allotted turkey tag during the first week of the season, 186 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 1: It's helping someone else feel theirs. I'm in the truck 187 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:24,240 Speaker 1: and on the way. This year was the first time 188 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:27,120 Speaker 1: in my experience where you could hunt in the afternoon 189 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:30,560 Speaker 1: in Missouri. Now, I'm not sure whose idea that was, 190 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:33,960 Speaker 1: but here's to you, mister. Let's hunt Missouri turkeys in 191 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:38,160 Speaker 1: the afternoon. Man Quentin had heard several that morning and 192 00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:40,760 Speaker 1: even called one in for his wife Chelsea to shoot. 193 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:44,760 Speaker 1: We were paddling into new waters being able to hunt 194 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:47,520 Speaker 1: in the afternoon. I was betting on it not being 195 00:11:47,559 --> 00:11:51,840 Speaker 1: a disappointment. I should have doubled down. We were hunting 196 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:54,320 Speaker 1: his family farm, and he knew it well and knew 197 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:57,400 Speaker 1: where the turkey's like to move throughout the day, so 198 00:11:57,480 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 1: when we walked into the area, he suggested we start. 199 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:02,960 Speaker 1: I was a little surprised when we called and got 200 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:06,960 Speaker 1: no response. We thought better of moving any further and 201 00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:10,200 Speaker 1: decided to stay put. It was the first day and 202 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: there was no reason to bump the turkeys out of 203 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:15,400 Speaker 1: that area of us spooking them. Besides, even if they 204 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:17,960 Speaker 1: didn't come into where we'd set up, we should be 205 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:20,840 Speaker 1: able to roost one for him to hunt the next morning. Well, 206 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 1: I goid it. Emily now we'd been cracking out calls 207 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:27,400 Speaker 1: every fifteen or twenty minutes since we sat down, and 208 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:30,360 Speaker 1: after an hour and a half we heard a faint 209 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:37,880 Speaker 1: gobble to the northwest, bingo, we're in business now. Patients 210 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:42,040 Speaker 1: and time were on our side once again. We each 211 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 1: fought the urge to call very often, and when we did, 212 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:48,120 Speaker 1: we didn't do a whole lot of excited calling or caculing, 213 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:51,440 Speaker 1: mostly just yep's loud enough to let him know that 214 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:54,400 Speaker 1: where we were and we were inviting him to come 215 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:58,000 Speaker 1: join the party. About twenty minutes into the game, and 216 00:12:58,040 --> 00:13:02,040 Speaker 1: with him ever so slowly said and then closer, another 217 00:13:02,080 --> 00:13:09,200 Speaker 1: one fired off to the southwards. How fortunate we were 218 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:11,480 Speaker 1: set up in some cedar trees at the top of 219 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:14,320 Speaker 1: a ridge line that had a pasture to the east 220 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:16,760 Speaker 1: behind us and woods to the west in front of 221 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 1: us where the turkeys were now. Had there been more 222 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:22,720 Speaker 1: leaves on the trees and bushes, we'd probably gotten up 223 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:25,840 Speaker 1: and moved a little closer, cutting the distance and splitting 224 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:29,839 Speaker 1: the difference between them. If they didn't have hens with them, 225 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 1: they should come on in. If they ran into some 226 00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:35,800 Speaker 1: between where they were now and where we sat now, 227 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:38,200 Speaker 1: that might shut them up and we might not even 228 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:42,240 Speaker 1: hear another peep. That would be the only motivation to 229 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:45,360 Speaker 1: get closer. But the leaves were still a week away 230 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:47,959 Speaker 1: from putting out to any consequence, and you could see 231 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 1: forever down through the woods. Moving closer was a gamble 232 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 1: we couldn't afford to take. So we waited and we listened, 233 00:13:56,040 --> 00:13:59,040 Speaker 1: and for the next forty five minutes we were treated 234 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:02,320 Speaker 1: to a lot of afternoon goblin while they moved ever 235 00:14:02,559 --> 00:14:07,040 Speaker 1: so slowly closer to where we sat up. Then, when 236 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:12,000 Speaker 1: I thought they'd never get here, they were. They got 237 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:14,400 Speaker 1: together at about sixty yards, one of them strutting and 238 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:17,120 Speaker 1: the other one walking right behind him. As they approached 239 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 1: the two decoys that we'd set out in front of us, 240 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:22,240 Speaker 1: a hen and a three quarter strutting jake, we're at 241 00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:26,840 Speaker 1: twenty yards. Inn't exactly the wrong spot. I set them up, 242 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:29,040 Speaker 1: thinking the turkey's approaching would be at a at a 243 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:31,760 Speaker 1: bigger angle. But they came out riding the open and 244 00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:36,960 Speaker 1: were walking straight toward us, with the decoys directly in between. Now, 245 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:40,160 Speaker 1: why is this not ideal, you asked, Well, you turkey 246 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:42,760 Speaker 1: hunters know it gives them more of an opportunity to 247 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:46,960 Speaker 1: look past the decoys and see us than if they'd 248 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:49,360 Speaker 1: had their attention been focused off to one side or 249 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 1: the other. The strutter was on his way to start 250 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:54,480 Speaker 1: slinging hands at that jake when the dude that was 251 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 1: following him smelled a rat and started to make tracks 252 00:14:57,160 --> 00:15:00,480 Speaker 1: out of that quicker than he'd made them in. The 253 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:02,680 Speaker 1: strutter forgot. I all about wanted to beat up my 254 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 1: decoy and was doing his dead level best to get 255 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:08,200 Speaker 1: back from whence he came When Quentin sent him a 256 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:11,720 Speaker 1: load of lead shot at twenty yards. It was a 257 00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 1: swing and a miss. Both turkeys flew at the sound 258 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:20,240 Speaker 1: of the shot and lit at about fifty This time 259 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:23,480 Speaker 1: he was right on the nogging And I just watched 260 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:27,960 Speaker 1: my friend shoot a gobbler on Missouri's inaugural afternoon season opener. 261 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:34,200 Speaker 1: Nice job, Boom boom, What a perfect day. Now counted 262 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:36,640 Speaker 1: my turkey that I told you about last week. That 263 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:40,120 Speaker 1: was two setups on two hunts on the same day, 264 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:44,840 Speaker 1: with two turkeys getting smashed. We walked out and I 265 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:47,760 Speaker 1: headed back to Toby's. I hadn't been there long. One 266 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 1: old Quentin boom Boom sent me a text of his 267 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:54,880 Speaker 1: dad sitting behind a big turkey. Apparently he'd got home 268 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:58,120 Speaker 1: and heard one gobble behind his house not long after 269 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:01,080 Speaker 1: he got there, and he called his dad. Dad dad 270 00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 1: came over and they called it in My gosh, would 271 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:08,880 Speaker 1: this carnage ever end? The next morning, I was back 272 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 1: at my old stomping grounds with Emily in toe, and 273 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:14,440 Speaker 1: we were standing where I stood the morning before I 274 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:18,520 Speaker 1: described in last week's episode. I owled and rite at 275 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:20,720 Speaker 1: gobling time. I got an answer on the ridge to 276 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:23,440 Speaker 1: the west of where we stood, about three hundred yards away. 277 00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 1: I picked out a tree for Emily. We listened to 278 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:31,280 Speaker 1: that turket gobble for quite a while. Fly down time came. 279 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:34,800 Speaker 1: I gave him a few tree yips and he answered immediately. 280 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:38,840 Speaker 1: I beat on my chest imitating wings flying down on 281 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:45,520 Speaker 1: the ground, and he answered that too. Then for the 282 00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 1: next twenty minutes after he hit the ground, he answered 283 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 1: me every time I called to him. I didn't call much, 284 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:53,640 Speaker 1: just enough to keep up with him and to make 285 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:57,520 Speaker 1: sure he was interested. I had the decoys straight out 286 00:16:57,680 --> 00:16:59,760 Speaker 1: west in front of Emily at the edge of the 287 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:03,080 Speaker 1: foo food plot. The gobbler would enter from the north 288 00:17:03,400 --> 00:17:07,000 Speaker 1: and walk south to where we'd set up. My plan 289 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:09,919 Speaker 1: was to have him at stabbing distance, solely focused on 290 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:12,800 Speaker 1: the Jake decoy when Emily got the green light to shoot, 291 00:17:13,760 --> 00:17:15,959 Speaker 1: And he must have read the script, because that's just 292 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:19,920 Speaker 1: what happened. It was turkey planning and execution to perfection. 293 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:24,400 Speaker 1: Emily drilled her first turkey on her first turkey hunt, 294 00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:27,120 Speaker 1: and I had the honor of calling it in for 295 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:31,879 Speaker 1: and witnessing it all. That's a special moment for folks 296 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:34,880 Speaker 1: like us, the people who value the creatures that lure 297 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:39,080 Speaker 1: us each spring into nature. We all share that, regardless 298 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:42,919 Speaker 1: of how you pronounce the word acre. When she was little, 299 00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:45,720 Speaker 1: she made me watch her do cartwheels across the living 300 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:49,639 Speaker 1: room floor until I got dizzy. She sat beside me 301 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:52,200 Speaker 1: on the couch, forcing me to watch the worst kids 302 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:56,359 Speaker 1: movie ever made. Don't believe it's the worst, check out 303 00:17:56,520 --> 00:18:00,679 Speaker 1: Little Heroes three. It's so bad. Made me want to 304 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:03,600 Speaker 1: go to the dentist just to be somewhere away from 305 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:07,480 Speaker 1: the TV it was playing on. But Emily liked it, 306 00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:10,399 Speaker 1: and to her it was special and she wanted to 307 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:13,960 Speaker 1: share it with me, And that's all the matter. Now 308 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:16,800 Speaker 1: she's all grown up and she picked me again to 309 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:22,879 Speaker 1: share something special. Her first turny don't tell her that 310 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:26,120 Speaker 1: if she wanted me to, I watched that dumb old 311 00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:33,720 Speaker 1: movie with her all over again. That's gonna buy do 312 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:36,200 Speaker 1: it for me this week. I'm so thankful for all 313 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:39,040 Speaker 1: of you that have shared your stories with us, and man, 314 00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:40,640 Speaker 1: do we have a lot of them to go through. 315 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:44,120 Speaker 1: Just know that we read them, and when and if 316 00:18:44,119 --> 00:18:47,320 Speaker 1: we find the spot they fit, I'll share them on here. 317 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:50,239 Speaker 1: If you don't hear me read yours, just know that 318 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:53,560 Speaker 1: we appreciate your efforts in sending them in and hopefully 319 00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 1: it will eventually have a place to put. Y'all keep 320 00:18:56,640 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 1: them coming. I haven't read a dud yet. Stories are 321 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:03,520 Speaker 1: just like biscuits. They're all good, some are just better. 322 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:08,480 Speaker 1: Now until next week, This is Brent Reeves signing off. 323 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:09,360 Speaker 1: Y'all be careful.