Turkey huntin' pal needs some cheerin' up

[redbeard]

Anybody ever watch Lonesome Dove? At the end of the movie, did a tear come to the eye for the fact if ya had only one friend like Capt. Augustus McCrae had in Capt. Woodrow F. Call you'd have all you need in life. Well boys, if you haven't then go get a copy, you won't regret it.

I believe I have such a friend in our fellow forum member Ol' Whitehead and the boys down on hisself cuz he went birdless this year. Had a fine opportunity at two big uns' but his conscious wouldn't let him chase 'em as they was church birds.

Me and ol' Whitehead's been knowing each other I guess 21 years. We struck it up one day at the hardware store when he saw my turkey belt buckle. Been friends ever since. We went on a couple of hunts back in the early ninety's and the result of one is shown below and I can't hep but to tell the story.

We'd walked every inch of 600 acres that morning and had no luck, as we were heading down the center road of the property headin' for the truck, ol' Whitehead's just a cluckin' on a quaker boy easy yelper and he says and I quote " Well, Redbeard, I guess your luck's done run out" ( He was a mite meaner back then ). Well, I gave him an evil eye and pulled out my quaker boy easy yelper and done a yelpin series. Obble, obble, obble shot back from the bottoms to our right. Midday bird, heck yeah, dead bird in my book. Well, I sent Ol Whitehead straight for 'em, tell him to set up about 75 yards in. I cut to the left and run about 50 yards and yelped some more tryin' to make the bird think the hen was leavin' instead of comin'. Then I mad dashed back to where Jimmy went in and sat up about 50 yards in against a comfortable pine. Let out another yelp series and took a nap. Well 'bout an hour later, I awake and hear this cluckin'. Good cluckin' I think to myself. Ol Whitehead's messin with me I think. I just listen and it's real close and real good cluckin'. I think again, Ol Jimbo ain't that good and I ease my head around and there stands a real tall gobbler, beard arched and all. Twenty five yard no less, no more. Well, I ain't in shootin position to say the least, my gun is layin' on the ground to my right, sos I just roll over real slow and I'm flat to the ground now. I grab up the gun real slow and boomyall, bird down and I'm stumblin' and foot asleep tryin' to get to him quick. I get him and do the dead bird rodeo and walk a short piece to the road and who's standing there but Ol Whitehead. He said and I quote, "Wipe the S&^# eatin' grin off your face. You'd never seen such a grin. Tellin' me my luck done run out, I never.

I asked him why'd he leave and he said, he figured the bird whata comin'. Well the bird musta walked right past him to get to me. Ol Jimbo said the shot rained on him in the road.

You can see us in our younger days in the following picture.

Now advance 11 years in time. Ol Jimmy has shown his friendship to me many times thru those years but once he stopped by just to see if I was still alive, you see he'd picked up a wrecked Harley that looked like mine and the driver was killed. He just wanted to make sure it wasn't me. Now by God, that's a bud. I took it to heart and made him a lucky turkey call with an invite to hunt in '04 and the results of that hunt can be seen below. A fine tom taken by a fine fellow. Reckon what you'd call that grin he's wearin'. Pure happiness is what I see and want to see agin.

I would show you this years pics but neither one of us got one on our second annual hunt together. Ol' Whitehead left the lucky piece of the call at home

Just goes to show some years go for one, some years go for another and some years we both strike out.

So fellas, throw some cheer and encouragement out for ol' Whitehead. His day will return. I'll see to it!

Later gators, Redbeard

P.S. Hey Whitehead, is it still my turn

[Guest gfourhunter]

Re: Turkey huntin\' pal needs some cheerin\' up

nice story. boy did your beard chang over the years. i know they say its like fine whine. gets better with age. keep up the good hunting and good stories. live to hunt, hunt to live.

[Rhino]

Re: Turkey huntin\' pal needs some cheerin\' up

Hey as long as you get to go and play the game you're a winner in my book. As I've said before about turkey hunting, it's the hunt that's the trophy, not killing the bird. Killing gobblers is just a bonus. Some of my most memorable turkey hunts ended with an empty game bag.

A friend of mine did all his homework prior to last deer season and right when our bow season started he went in for a stress test. They found he had a 90% blockage and sent him to the hospital. He had a triple bypass and completly missed the entire deer season. I can't imagine sitting at home from October through January and not being able to get into the woods. Fortunately he recovered in time to hunt during this spring's turkey season. Something like that makes you appreciate just being able to enjoy the hunt regarless of whether or not you bag game. Ol Whitehead's day will come again and in the mean time just savor the enjoyment of the hunt for what it is.

[Guest WhiteHead]

Re: Turkey huntin\' pal needs some cheerin\' up

Thanks there Redbeard, I will be ok, just a little stressed out. I'll just be gettin ready for next year. Maybe I can get me one of them Bill Jordan Hybrid turks next year. hahaha

[HuntnMa]

Re: Turkey huntin\' pal needs some cheerin\' up

that is what it's all about...thanks for sharing.....good friends and just being out there......hope y'all have many more hunts together.