On The Trail of a Blessing

Opening Day of the Kentucky Turkey Season has come and gone. I spent opening day weighing other peoples birds, measuring beards and spurs and recording their stories for our radio program. I knew I wasn’t going to hunt until the third day and I knew where I was going to hunt. Monday morning came and I was up early in spite of the cool wet and windy conditions.

As I made my way to the farm I just felt like I was going to have a great hunt. I packed my bible into my backpack and started the long hard walk back to where I felt like God said go. As I walked up the hill I encountered all the downed tree limbs and debris from our winter ice storm. It made for hard walking stumbling and zig zagging in around trees. It was dark and I was using a dim light put continuing forward slow and easy and finally made it through the tangled up mess.

A few more steps and I was in the field only to find it muddy, slick and sticky at times. A few steps forward and then stop, catch my breath and continue on toward the place God had told me to go. At times I felt like I would just stop here or there but God kept reminding me to continue on because the prize waited where He was sending me.

Finally, I arrive underneath the dogwood blooms, set my decoys and blind up and get ready to hunt. As I looked at my cell phone clock I discovered it had took me an hour to make this walk that when I was in good physical health and no storm debris to work around would have took 10 to 15 minutes. Now as I watched day break there were no turkeys talking at all. Finally off in the distance I heard one gobble and that was it. I continued to set patiently.

Calling occasionally, reading my bible and then looking around I was starting to get sleepy and bored. I kept telling myself, 30 more minutes and finally I looked out and spotted a hen feeding in the field. I looked for company with her, but no long beards were around. It was just her and then I noticed the beard that she had hanging down.

As I took a second look just to make sure I wasn’t seeing things, I spotted the 8 inches of beard just dangling below. I then took my Maxcey Strut Custom Glass Turkey Call and made a few purrs and yelps and then she started my way. As she was easing through the golden rod and wild onions she finally noticed the Montana Decoys. As she stretched her neck to take a better look I got the camera focused and then I drew a bead with my 870. I began to think about wither to shoot this bearded hen or let her walk. The thought’s of spring time and nesting ran through my mind. Then God reminded me of my prayer that morning and that was to just send me a legal bird and bearded hens are legal birds in Kentucky.

As I prayed that morning I ask God to bless me with a legal bird and he did just that. I have always wanted to harvest a bearded hen and this morning God Blessed me with this by placing one in front of my blind. I started not to take this bird because it was a hen but God reminded me of what I ask him for and who I am to turn down a gift from God. He only gives good gifts to his children.

I carefully took aim and squeezed the trigger on my 870 and delivered a load of 3 inch number 6 shot to the ole noggin and dropped this bird just 35 yards from the blind. I had always wanted to harvest a bearded hen and now it had finally happen. She only weighed 11.2 pounds and sported a nice 8 inch Beard. It took me almost an hour to get to the place I was hunting that morning. No four-wheeler or easy walking. It was all up hill thru the mangled tree limbs and tops and then across a muddy field but yes, it was worth it! After the harvest, it was all down hill and the walk was a lot shorter. Montana Decoys, God's Country Camo and Maxcey Strut Custom Turkey Calls all worked together to harvest this blessing. I am not gloating but just Praising my daddy for His goodness.