It's not just about the hunt
| General Hunting - Miscellaneous |
Every day is a new day. Another opportunity to try something new; to go out and be spontaneous or adventurous. For me, each day is another day closer to hunting season. There are many seasons, but one season in particular I look forward to the most, and that is spring turkey season. When new acquaintances or friends ask what I like to do outside of school and work, I say hunting and fishing. Most people look at me and say “I never would have guessed!” I laugh and tons of hunting stories flood my mind and I begin to tell them how great it is to be out in nature, and how the adrenaline rush is like no other. I always get excited to talk to others about hunting, and try to give people the inside scoop on the great experiences I have had turkey hunting. When people that are not familiar with the hunting world, most people think you just walk out and go hunt an animal. But, as all of you fellow outdoorsmen and women know, that’s not how it goes. There is so much preparation and scouting needed before heading out for a hunt. Not only do you have to find the right pattern camo outfit, make sure your gun is clean and/or your bow is sited in, but also finding a place to hunt may be a whole challenge on its own. There is so much that goes into hunting most people don’t know about. Although scouting for hours may be tedious, it’s always fun to just be outside, getting fresh air and hoping to spot droppings of antlers or you know, the other kind of droppings.
The fun usually begins before the hunt even starts. Getting everything ready, setting a date to go out and waiting for opening day is part of the fun. I think over half the fun is not even about the hunt itself. When I was living in New York, I lived an hour and a half from our hunting lease. My dad and I were the hunters in our family, and May is the month I always look forward to the most. May 1st is when turkey season opens in New York, and I have been lucky enough each year to be able to come up from Florida to hunt opening day. Back at Florida State, the week before season opens is the most stressful time of the year for me. It’s the end of spring semester and all my finals are piled on during the last week in April. I usually spend most of my days in the library that week, loading up on coffee and praying I do well on my finals. I know that after finals are over, I will be on a plane to New York, and that always brings positive vibes and a smile to my face. As finals come to a close, I pack my pink suitcase full of my Alpha Burley boots, leafy wear, She Safari and Mossy Oak gear and head north. Oh, and I can’t forget my Primo Wet Box Call, that I have been practicing with all semester! One of the funniest memories with a box call is the spring turkey trip I went on in April 2008 to Texas. As my dad and I were in the Dallas/Fort Worth airport each waiting to catch our connecting flights and talking about our successful Rio Grande Hunt, it came time for my flight back to Tallahassee to board. We had to say our goodbyes, as he was catching a flight back to New York. As I was out of sight and moving up the escalator I heard a cluck, then another and a few more yelps after that. I knew it was my dad and his box call. I started cracking up, laughing out loud. He only did it once, and I will never forget the time he used his call in the busy airport. He called me later on to tell me a young man behind him was looking all around going “Is there a monkey somewhere . . . what is that [The man was laughing]!” That was definitely a priceless moment.
The two a.m. wakeup call is something most may not look forward to, but I see it as one hour closer till sunrise. My dad and I depart my house around two-thirty a.m. and head north. We would always head north on the Taconic State Parkway. This parkway is a narrow, two-laned road, but has beautiful scenery to look at. My dad calls this “Freedom Highway.” This road is the outlet from work, pollution, cell phones and other daily tasks. We both enjoy this road, although quite windy with towering rock cliffs nearby, it is the highway to Claverack. Driving to the hunting camp or to the Joselin motel the night before is a time to get ready for the excitement and relaxing up ahead. Lynyrd Skynyrd which is a family favorite is always played on the ride up. Some other tunes such as Hank Williams Jr., Rodney Atkins and other country and classic rock artists blast through the speakers of my dad’s truck. We always have a great time singing to our favorite songs and it gets us pumped up. The camaraderie within the hunting community whether it be sharing stories with total strangers or other hunting buddies is always a good time. Hunters have such an appreciation for nature, and most are very thankful when they are lucky enough to harvest an animal. My mom is our biggest supporter. She also has a great love for the outdoors, and always packs our meals and wishes us luck before we head out. She is the first person we call if we harvest one of God’s creatures. She loves hearing all our stories, and is always there to give positive vibes and welcome us when we arrive back home.The night before the hunt is always a time when most of us don’t get much sleep. We try to get to sleep at a decent hour, but for me it never happens. I always get around four hours of sleep, but the night before I’m always so excited to go I just wish it was morning! My family moved back down to the sunshine state of Florida this past spring. It was a very exciting time for my family, because most of our family is down here. There will no longer be those two a.m. wake up calls or heading north on “Freedom Highway,” but we still will make our yearly trip up to Claverack and stay in our camper located just five minutes away from the blind! My dad and I will now be traveling together up to beautiful upstate New York for our annual turkey trip. Claverack is much like an escape from reality and after all like Hank Williams Jr. would say “It’s A Family Tradition.”
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