Quarantine Relief Found Hunting by Karen Butler

There is something so special about spending time in the field, and it is 100 times better when with the love of my life, Todd.  The past several weeks has been crazy for everyone practicing social distancing as our Nation fights the Coronavirus.  I’ve been cooped up inside; while Todd has had to go to work.  Like so many, this schedule has disrupted our normal routine, and our normal communications.  It has been an adjustment as we adapt.  Luckily for us, turkey season opened in Tennessee, and we headed to our “peace” of land.

I say “peace” of land, because as soon as we cross the creak to our property a sense of calm and a connection to nature sets in.

When we arrive, we start surveying the property for new blooms, signs of wildlife and check a few game cameras by the cabin.   Todd and I started the walk to the blind right away.  We crest the first ridge, and we see movement.  Then we hear the blow of a deer sounding the danger warning throughout the woods.  We both stop in our tracks, we stand motionless and silent for several minutes, until we hear the deer move off.  We continue to the blind.  We are early for an evening hunt, so we climb in the blind and sit quietly side by side.  I realized we forgot the Thermacell almost instantly as the mosquitos start buzzing around us. I also forgot to grab the decoys.  I decide to trek back to the cabin and grab both.  I check the time; I need to hurry.  I made it to the cabin and back in record time without disturbing too much.  I set out our Primos decoys, turned on the Thermacell and then wait.

I’m lucky, because Todd knows that I love to call turkey, and I took the role of caller.  I waited, impatiently, to make the first call.  Finally, around 4pm, I hit the box call.  Almost immediately, we hear a gobble!  Then we hear something come crashing through the woods.  We both get our shotguns ready.  We hear the bird, but don’t see it.  After about 30 minutes, I decide to call again.  Unfortunately, I should have purred, but instead I hit an aggressive call.  Nothing answered, and it became extremely quiet.  I thought, “I may have blown it for us.”  I wait to call again.  We hear more rustling in the timber.  I called with a purr, this time, softly.  Suddenly, four hens appear.  They move towards us right to the decoys.  We sit quietly and as still as possible.  The hens started to move off, and I called to them, they returned.  I was able to talk to them and keep them right in front of us for nearly 30 minutes.  They wondered off, but we could still hear them.  I softly called, and saw them moving around behind us.

Then, from where I was sitting, I saw a giant Tom. 

I told Todd, “get your gun, do you have a shot.”  He turned and opened the window in the back of the blind.  I called the Tom with a little purr, and simultaneously, Todd made an amazing shot. I was so happy to have been part of his success.  We waited quietly to see if another Tom was nearby, but no luck.

As we were headed back to the cabin, Todd expressed sorrow that I didn’t get a chance to shoot.  I did not care; I was so happy to have sat next to him all afternoon in a quiet closeness. Hunting with Todd renews me, and fills me with a great sense of peace, on our little piece of land. I hope you all find that same peace.

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