Would ya give $10 for a chance to turkey hunt on prime Missouri property guided by me, Brenda Valentine, to be outfitted, hat-to-boots, by REDHEAD, in brand new RealTree Timber camo, to get a new Mossberg shotgun, an assortment of turkey calls by Knight & Hale and Redhead , to stay in a rustic yet modern Ozark Mountain cabin and have the entire event filmed for televison?
Gary Wagoner did ! Yes, Gary Wagoner from Effingham, IL bought a single raffle ticket from Sara Gaston-Parker, NWTF regional coordinator for the Women in The Outdoors program for IA, IL, & MO and his wife won the entire "Ultimate Women's Hunt" package last March.
This event was sponsored by Missouri's Sho-Me Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation's, "Women in The Outdoors" program and Bass Pro Shops as a means to raise money for the WITO program. Raffle tickets were sold at the NWTF National convention, at most Midwest chapter meetings and conventions as well as on several web sites. Ticket sales far exceeded all expectations and according to Dedra, the hunt far exceeded all of her expectations. The winning ticket was drawn at the MO state convention banquet and although the hour was late, Dedra was immediately called at her home in Il. I thought she seemed at a loss for words when I spoke to her from the banquet hall and later she admitted that actually she was speechless.
As it turned out, Dedra was a perfect winner. Her job kept her behind a desk during the day but her heart and weekends were filled with the outdoors. She had fished for many years and recently became interested in turkey and deer hunting. Dedra had limited experience in the turkey woods but due to her grit and determination she filled her tag with a fine Missouri gobbler. It was a pleasure to guide such an eager new hunter.
It was unseasonably hot, the ticks were unusually plentiful, and the gobblers were exceptionally henned-up during the first week of May in southern Missouri. Birds gobbled incessantly while on the roost which always revs up a hunters blood pressure but talking one away from the clutches of a half dozen domineering biddies is another story. Dedra and I wiped sweat, picked ticks and flirted with several long beards with every call I had in my bulging vest until noon. We tried every turkey hunting tactic as we moved up and down those rocky ridges with our cameraman, Craig Camp, who was always three steps behind us and carrying 70 lbs. of gear.
Missouri game laws allows turkey hunting only until 1:00 p.m. Time allowed for just one more set-up before we would have to quit for the day. The wind had howled most of the morning that sound was dissipated quickly. It would be hard for a gobbler to hear the urgent yelping coming from the cedar box call. I chose a deep hollow protected from the wind, surrounded by steep timbered ridges. I told the crew that just maybe my calling would coax a tom up from his midday nap atop one of the ridges. The weary pair may have been a bit doubtful as I tried to hammer the decoy stakes into the rock hard ground but they didn't voice it. During my third sequence of loud yelps the distant rattle of a gobbler made all of our spirits lift. Each of us immediately went "on point." Dedra got her knee up and the gun to her shoulder, the low whirr of camera indicated that it was running and ready while I scooted down a bit lower in my Turkey Lounger vest and scanned the thick brush for movement. I suppose the old gobbler figured it was simply too hot to hurry or to waste energy talking a lot. After the first gobble he silently sauntered along, bringing an equally nice buddy with him to the welcoming party in the hollow. I could hear them walking long before their bright heads became visible. I suggested to Dedra to keep the white bead of her 20 gauge stuck on the red head of the first bird as it tortured us with its sluggish approach. The hunter's arms were trembling and her racing heartbeat was hammering into the camera microphone when both birds threw on the brakes to their already slow crawl. Perhaps they picked up a sun glint off the camera lense, perhaps they heard Dedra's pounding heart, who ever knows exactly why turkeys do what they do. I just know that these two had come as far they intended to and were seriously considering taking off for parts unknown. I putted and whispered, "SHOOT HIM ......... SHOOT HIM ...... SHOOT HIM.. NOW,"! Before I got the word "now" out of my mouth the gun roared in my ear and the full-fanned gobbler flopped immediately.
My excitement for her success was overwhelming, I grabbed my guest in a congratulatory hug and we raced over to claim her trophy. Although still a bit shaken and stunned by the entire ordeal Dedra was beaming as she tried to fling an-almost-as-big-as-she, turkey over her shoulder. The cameraman was doing his job well by capturing the whole thing and giving us an enthusiastic thumbs-up from beneath his camo netting.
Dedra readily admits that this was one of the most memorable events of her life and gives full credit to her husband for it was he who gambled the $10 on her being the winner of the "Ultimate Ladies Hunt." Watch for this exciting turkey hunting adventure next spring on Bass Pro Shops, "Outdoor World" program on TNN . And just maybe you'll be the next lucky winner of this incredible hunting package.
