Pure Persistence

This is strictly for the birds.

Yes, if you’re a diehard turkey hunter, this is your time of the year. The spring turkey season provides a ready excuse for hunters to get out in the great outdoors. It’s a great time just to get out and observe the spring bloom. The wild turkeys are lagniappe.

Hunting compadres Gus Stacy and Charles Gaspard packed their gear and headed to West Texas for a close encounter with a Rio Grande gobbler. Their scouting efforts and the lack of trail cam turkey activity were somewhat disappointing. The wild turkeys seemed to have vacated the area, and prospects began to dim. But these were veteran hunters, with not an ounce of give-up between them. They were in for the long haul.

Gus showing the rewards of perseverance!

Charles was out of the gate early, scoring two back-to-back mature Texas Toms, and making Gus nervous. The birds began to respond. Sometimes the difference between success and a scratch hunt is perseverance. Gus was down, but not out. You’ve got to believe.

On the seventh and last day of the hunt, Gus was one turkey away from limiting out. It was time to pull out all the tricks. Stacy pulled on his boots and hit the ground walking. He was determined and on the move.

In the turkey-rich environment, it wasn’t long before he bumped a Tom. True to plan, a giant Rio Grande became airborne in Gus’s shooting zone. To an experienced bird hunter, this was a give-me, and Gus folded the big bird with a stone-cold shot. The magnificent Tom weighed in at over 20 pounds and rounded out the hunters’ limits.

It put the finishing touch to a most memorable turkey adventure these two Cajun hunters won’t soon forget. Often, the difference between a great hunt and a zero is pure persistence. These Louisiana boys never have fully comprehended the word “quit.” They were rewarded for their efforts. Both look forward to next spring and a return trip to the land of the Rio Grande.

It was Mom’s idea. Teenagers who make their grades and the right choices should be rewarded. Thirteen-year-old Cameron Kyle was rewarded for his efforts with an awesome goose hunt in Texas. His mother, Brandy, made arrangements for Kyle and his hunting buddies to experience the goose hunt of a lifetime.

Cameron and his hunting entourage proved to have the natural touch. Growing up in Hackberry, these guys came out of the crib knowing how to swing a shotgun. They combined for a great hunt, with limits on blues and snow geese.

If they keep up the grades, a return trip next season is not out of the realm of possibility. Good things are in store for those youngsters who choose the right path and stick with it.

Parents who recognize their children for deeds well done and reward them also deserve a gold star.

Spring fishing is alive and kicking as temperatures begin to creep up. Get out and soak up some fun and sun and enjoy all nature has to offer. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.