“For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.
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“No one is born a great cook, one learns by doing” ~ julia child
Almost ten years ago, I went out for my first turkey hunt. My husband and I drove down the winding river road just outside of our town in search of Rio Grande turkeys. After about an hour, we finally spotted one sitting in an opening just off a dirt road. Well, I say we, but I should say my husband spotted one, because I never actually saw the tom. We crawled on our bellies towards the bird. After ten minutes of army crawling, we crouched behind a fallen cottonwood and prepared. My husband kept explaining how the tom was out about twenty yard from us. He kept saying, “See the red? That is him.”
I kept saying, “No, I don’t see anything.”
He would then say “Okay, see the dead tree about twenty yards from us?” “Yes,” I would answer. “He is right past that!”
I would try to lean up to look past the tree only to be scolded: “No! Don’t move! Turkeys have excellent eyesight. He can see you!”
“How am I supposed to see where he is if I don’t look?” Finally, after a few minutes of the same conversation, I agreed, “Oh yes, I see him.” I didn’t see anything.
I pointed my shot gun in the general area of the tom and fired away. My husband said my barrel was actually pointed towards the sky when I pulled the trigger and that the tom ducked after the shot. I had missed. I wasn’t even sure what I had missed, since I had not actually seen anything the entire time. My husband was frustrated. I may or may not have cried a little. I whined that the shotgun had kicked me too hard and swore I would never shoot it again.
Lucky for me, on the way out of the area, the turkey was running down the middle of the road. I definitely saw him this time. I jumped out of our truck and landed myself a nice tom. I was elated.
The moment made me realize I had a lot to learn. So, even now ten years later, I am ready to learn.
Have a question or something you would like me learn more about? Leave a post on my blog, or you can email me at a12gaugegirl@huntingandcooking.com
I can also be found on Facebook and Instagram @a12gaugegirl
“It flies it dies”
What is a pack without its members? This is Lark. She is a German Shorthaired Pointer. She enjoys long, fast walks on the beach and pointing. Some of her favorite points include butterflies, dragonflies, moths, tweeter birds, and laser pointers.
“No Birds no arby’s!”
Sienna is a chocolate lab and strongly believes that happiness can best be found out in a cornfield, because after all, if you get the birds you get Arby’s afterwards.
Sienna is also an excellent sous chef, especially when it comes to preparing wild game, and in particular pheasant. You can find her most weekend afternoons next to the fridge, stove, or garbage can.
She is also fond of dressing up like a grizzly bear.