Here Comes Turkey Season!

What better way to start off turkey season than by attending the 43rd Annual NWTF Sport Show in Nashville, Tenn. this past weekend.

Let me start off with the road to get there was not as easy as planned. My weekend started off with me waking up a 4 a.m. to go to the Truck-Buck Tifton deer scoring event on Saturday.

Some of the racks that were scored in Tifton were pretty impressive, and truthfully, I can’t wait to see the racks that will be scored this Saturday in Madison.

I didn’t get on the road for Nashville, after getting back from Tifton, until around 6:15 p.m. I am not the type who can drive comfortably in Atlanta, but I had to pick up our Outdoor Blast show director Mindy Burns somewhere in Atlanta off I-285. I have never seen so many lanes going one way with so many cars in my life, but I guess that is what happens when you take a small-town girl out of the country. I must add that I personally don’t think people in Atlanta know how to drive.

After the navigation of getting through Atlanta and going through Chattanooga, we were finally on the home stretch to our hotel for the night. That had to be the longest drive down one interstate I have ever driven. I honestly began to wonder if we were ever going to get to the hotel. At that point, I had been up for 17-plus hours, which for me, I have not been able to do in quite some time. The running joke around the office is that I have hit my peak, and I am already going downhill.

Reaching the hotel and finally able to go to sleep after 19 or 20 hours of being awake has never been so wonderful, and I knew what was waiting for me when I woke up the next morning: The NWTF Sport Show. This would be my second year going, and I could not wait to get up and go.

Cuz Strickland and I

This spring will be my first year turkey hunting, and none other than GON freelance writer Donald Jarrett and his girlfriend Donna Price have offered to help teach me the ropes and take me hunting some this season.

I met Donald, Donna and Donna’s son, Case, who is featured in the February issue of GON with his first bird, at the show Sunday morning. In the few hours I was there, I was introduced to many different people. Every person I met was willing to help me learn more about hunting turkeys and what goes into turkey hunting. Unfortunately, I did not get photos with everyone I met and talked to, but I will share the ones that I did get.

Donald and Donna first introduced me to Cuz Strickland of Mossy Oak. I have never met a more genuine person who was willing to talk and give advice to a total stranger. His words of encouragement in our short conversation is definitely something I will never forget.

Bobby Sears, Myself, Donna Price, Jimmy Washam

Donna introduced me to the folks at Jebs Choke Tubes, as Donald was lost in the crowd in the process of going to the booth. Jebs is local to Georgia, so we had that in common. I spoke with Trey and his dad, Bobby, for a while. Trey mentioned growing up reading GON as a kid. I also talked with Jimmy Washam with Jebs Chokes, who was also very willing to help my journey of learning to turkey hunt. Jebs is an advertiser with GON, so be sure to look for their ad in the upcoming issues of GON, as well as visiting their website.

Olin Humphries and I

Never did I think driving nearly five hours away from home and into a different state that I would meet more people from Georgia than I would other states. I met Olin Humphries with Olin’s Custom Calls in Eatonton. Little did I know when I was first introduced to Olin where our conversation would lead. Olin took the time to show, as well as teach, me how to use one of his scratch boxes. I could tell how genuine Olin is as a person and outdoorsman with the first few minutes talking to him. As our conversation continued, I soon learned he knew the pastor of the church I attend, and his wife taught my pastor’s oldest son, who is in my Sunday School class, when he was younger. It blew my mind that this connection was made that day.

I thought bowhunting was a challenge, but I learned quickly that there is a lot more put into hunting a turkey. So now it’s time for me to watch some videos, learn how to call up a turkey and get ready for a wonderful turkey season with Donald and Donna.

Case Price, Donna Price, Toxey Haas and myself

Bubba Stevens, myself and Billy Yargus