Listen for the Gobble, Feel the Rush
As I walk down the two track that winds slowly through the dimly lit woods, I find myself laughing inside my head of what life used to be and still is for many others. I do not find myself to be a religious man but I certainly find that I am as close to god as I can get when I am out hunting; yet I am anticipating a high, a rush that one could compare to a drug, so how can it be so serene?
As I walked in the woods on this Easter morning, with the sun just kissing the tree tops over the hillside in the cool air, I could smell, hear and see many signs of nature. Walking quietly down that dirt trail I could see in the sand the tracks of many creatures. The prints in the sand included ones that most people would mistake for the same as a pet in their home but they were actually those of predators, not unlike me, the bobcat and coyote. Walking a little farther and noticing a small print that just was not quite recognizable to me until I came to a larger one just a few more steps. The alarms in my head went off as if to come from some 1960’s science fiction sitcom with the words, “DANGER ROY ROGERS, DANGER”, like some cheesy cardboard robot were standing on my shoulder in the devils place.
He I was in nature’s playground doing what felt right. The walking gave me great exercise, especially with the large overbearing down feathered hunting outfit that I had on which was designed for 10 degree weather and sitting, not 35 degrees and walking for miles. I had found the foot prints of what had to be a black bear and the smaller ones were what had to be her cub. No longer was I the major threatening predator in the woods, taken down a notch from the feeling of being the top dog. Most likely any bear that would see me or hear me would just run but I was out there turkey hunting; deliberately moving slowly, quietly and making the noises that belong to a hen, a female turkey. It would most likely be alarming for a bear to see that I am an impostor of a turkey and if I should come between a sow and her cub, well no good things could come of that.
I laughed in my head at that moment thinking to myself, I am in god’s house right now. Many people in this world would turn their nose up at me and judge me knowing that I am out hunting while they are getting ready for Easter Sunday service, but really hadn’t I already beat them to church? Wasn’t I already honoring the lord’s wishes by being in nature and hunting for my food? I am certain that god did not intend for us to purchase our food off of a shelf at the local Wal-Mart, not to say I don’t, I’m not that good of a hunter. As far as being in touch with the lord, believe me when I say that I said a little prayer when I saw those bear tracks that were fresh in the sand. I was no longer afraid, in fact I said to myself is there really a better way to die than out in nature hunting for food and having a bigger, more adapted predator take me out protecting her young out of pure instinct.
I laughed inside my head, still looking and hunting of how many people would never get to do something this wonderful. I laughed at how many people feel that hunting those poor little creatures is so “wrong.” I laughed at the fact that one of my best days ever in the woods had not even produced a single track of a turkey, as I put the turkey call inside my mouth and made that distinct noise my ears were delighted with a tree shaking gobble, and I laughed inside my head and said thank you God.