30 Years of Chasing Turkeys: The Real Stories-- Good, Bad, and Sideways

By Stephen Smith

The hunts shared in this book are real, nothing made up. True life experiences sometimes shared with family and friends, or sometimes alone. For many years, I have enjoyed reading westerns imagining what it must have been like and visualizing the events happening as if I was there. That’s what I want to portray: what it was like as if you were there with me. In reading, I was never a fan of “filler” material; I always wanted the writer to get to the “action”. That’s what I am hoping to do in writing these accounts: things that actually happened. The good, the bad, and sideways. What worked, what didn’t, and sometimes the little bit unusual. So load your shotgun, or nock an arrow, try to get comfortable, sit still, and let’s hunt! Did you hear the gobble? He’s over there!

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Aug 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781728369013

Book preview

30 YEARS OF CHASING

TURKEYS

THE REAL STORIES— GOOD, BAD, AND SIDEWAYS

Stephen Smith

© 2020 Stephen Smith. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or

transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

AuthorHouse™

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since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not

necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-7283-6900-6 (sc)

978-1-7283-6902-0 (hc)

978-1-7283-6901-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020914215

Published by AuthorHouse 08/27/2020

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Contents

Introduction:

Chapter 1: The Obsession Begins

Chapter 2: The Hen Parade

Chapter 3: Nate’s First Turkey(s)?

Chapter 4: No Tail Feathers Bird

Chapter 5: Tree Collison

Chapter 6: Monsters

Chapter 7: The Ghost of Muskingum County

Chapter 8 The I Got To Poop Bird

Chapter 9 The Hawk Scream Gobbler

Chapter 10 The Roosted

Chapter 11 The Gobbler and the Jakes

Chapter 12 Don’t Call Me, I’ll Call You

Chapter 13 The Gobbling Fool

Chapter 14 The Crow Call Bird

Chapter 15 Jack

Chapter 16 The Wagon Wheel

Miscellaneous Pictures

Introduction:

I would like to begin by sharing some observations about what I have learned over 30 years of turkey hunting. The one thing I know for sure about turkey hunting is… there’s nothing for sure about turkey hunting! Maybe that’s what I find so alluring about it. Just when you think you have it all figured out, like what call to use, when to call, or how much to call, you learn something new or are completely humbled, again, by the wild turkey. The thrill of being out in the spring woods, hearing and seeing it come to life, the whippoorwills, frogs peeping, owls saying, Who cooks for you, who cooks for you all. The songbirds at first light, dogwoods, redbuds, morel mushrooms, and, if you’re lucky, the gobbles thundering across the hills. It is a magical time of year, the time we wait through summer, fall, and winter to be able to get out and enjoy it all over again.

I have wanted to chronicle my time turkey hunting for many years now, and here it goes! Having devoured many books written over the years by some well-known turkey hunters (which I have my boon companion, Travis, to thank for keeping me well supplied with) I kept thinking how many stories and experiences in my own life would be fun to share. It is so enjoyable to relive the many scouting and hunting expeditions, and, hopefully, as I paint word pictures for you of these experiences, you can imagine what it was like as you come along with me on this journey.

As I start to write this at the beginning of June 2020, our nation is still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. I’ve been reflecting on our recent 2020 spring turkey season, the first time in 25 years not filling out a turkey tag. Of course, I am a little disappointed not filling a tag, but actually what makes a successful season? Is it just filling a tag? Or is it the memories made with my son-in-laws Jayson and Josh, my grandsons Trenton and Grant, or my granddaughter Taylor? Is it time spent with good friends, Dave, Aaron, Travis, Dennis, Dylan, Jack, Justin, or others? So if you were able to get out and enjoy God’s creation, the beauty, and wonder of it all, having the health and ability to do that, we have all been successful in what really matters. (I do need to talk to somebody about the weather this year though! At least in Ohio!)

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