Apr 23, 2010

Blame it on Curt Gowdy!

What was I doing? What was I doing waiting in the predawn dark…a linens and things door buster sale…waiting for an Apple “whatever” to go on sale…nope I was a 49 year old lady on her first turkey hunt!
I guess I could blame it on Curt Gowdy. As a navy brat, moving all over the country, one of my favorite shows growing up was Curt Gowdy’s “American Sportsmen.” I loved seeing him hunt and fish with different celebrities. I usually watched by myself. Other than my Granddad who lived in another state, no one in my family hunted. Granddad would have never dreamed of taking a girl hunting anyway. So I just enjoyed the show. I never really thought about going hunting. It wasn’t even a dream. God so graciously gives us more than we can even dream of.
My dad finally retired to Central Florida. I went to high school there, married and had two children. I loved to walk in the woods but that was about as far as my nature experience went. Until my son Michael grew up and became friends with one of the new ministers at our church. Rusty began to teach Michael about many things one of which was hunting. Together they harvested hogs, Osceola turkeys and deer. I loved hearing about Michael's adventures and there always was an adventure involved when the two of them went hunting. Michael and I talked about hunting but we never had an opportunity to go.
Three years ago God called my husband and I to work as church camp caretakers in southeast TN working with…Rusty. Shortly after moving here Michael was diagnosed with cancer. While he was sick we watched a lot of hunting shows and as we talked many nights he shared with me what he had learned. After a 16-month battle God chose to heal Michael by calling him home.
I began to think about going hunting and Rusty found another member of the Schwartz family to encourage and teach. I was able to harvest a nice doe this fall with Michael's 30-06. When Rusty invited me to go turkey hunting though I had to ask what you wear..I think I missed that episode with Curt Gowdy!
So that was how I found myself in a blind with my friends David and Rusty on a cool spring morning in Tennessee. As the sun came up enough to see the decoys they had set out I could see we were sitting on the edge of a pasture with small rolling hills surrounded by a tree line. There was a deep, quiet creek running just behind us. The trees were the hundred different shades of green that spring brings. The dogwoods and redbuds were blooming.
Just as it was getting light we heard the first gobble in front of us-then one on each side and behind us. Oh my! What a sound. Rusty sat behind me calling…sounding like a very attractive hen. Shortly we saw a tom on a hill in front of us about a third of a mile away. The tom was only interested in the hen he could see nearby though. Suddenly Rusty said “turkey on our right.” Coming up over a little knoll out of the tree line was a nice tom. He paced back and forth just out of range for a while. It seemed like a long while. Rusty kept calling and eventually he headed our way. He got closer…and closer. As the tom turned to strut Rusty told me to get my gun up. As Rusty counted down I could hear Michael telling me “take a deep breath and hold it”..3-2-1. I shot Michael's 12 gauge and… missed. The tom just ran towards the decoys and stopped. I had another chance! “Reload, reload” I pumped to put another shell in the chamber and waited for him to put his head up. BOOM. Turkey down!! I had done it on my very first turkey hunt I was able to harvest a nice 19 pound eastern turkey with a 10 inch beard and 7/8” spurs. Thanks to some great friends and patient teaching God fulfilled the dream. The seed of which was planted so many years ago. Pursue the dreams God gives you..its never too late.