|
Field Notes
Tennessee Turkey Hunt
By
Brenda Valentine
First Lady of Hunting®
April, 2012
It was last July when I invited Justin Griffith to come from his native Louisiana to our farm in Tennessee for a turkey hunt. Justin is a disabled hunter who works diligently with the NWTF Wheelin' Sportsman program helping raise funds so other disabled persons can experience the outdoors. This is the first morning as we waited in a groundblind for daylight to arrive and that first gobble to rattle the treetops.
Soon after dawn, this flock of hens and two big strutters were coming toward our blind. They put on quite a show but we were unable to get Justin's wheelchair in position for a shot and they eased away without ever knowing we were there.
That evening, we gathered in our son-in-law's "Man Room" for a fish fry of fresh caught crappie fillets. L-R Chad Bowen, Barney Valentine, and Jamie Orr.
NWTF Regional Director for West Tennessee, Mark Jackson, joined us for a good mess of fresh crappie.
The cool spring weather this week was perfect for enjoying the outdoors. Justin and our dog, Rudy, enjoyed the sunshine and each other.
Louisiana NWTF Regional Director, Chad Bowen, made the 9-hour drive to bring Justin here. He and Barney hunted together a couple of days and both got nice mature toms. This was Chad's first Tennessee bird and it weighed 24 lbs. He was pretty pumped.
We hunted a variety of set-ups including this ditch along the side of a field. This particular afternoon Chad, Barney and I teamed up to help Justin achieve his quest to kill a wild turkey. We had hens walk within 10 yards but no longbeards came close enough.
Justin had numerous close calls and saw turkeys every time we went out but I suppose it just wasn't meant for him to take a turkey on this trip, however, he did carry some choice turkey meat back home. It was our pleasure to have Justin and Chad share our home and hunting lands. The NWTF's outreach programs, such as "Wheelin' Sportsmen", not only provide outdoor opportunities for those with disabilities but also allow everyone the opportunity to share, give, and make new friends along the way.
Read all of Brenda's Field Notes |
