The Best of the Best

by Joe "Kenny" Gasaway

Azaleas are blooming, and the sweet smell of citrus is thick in the air. Pollen is on the sidewalks and on the hoods of our trucks. Cardinals have begun to serenade their less colorful mates at the first hint of daylight.

Owls call out to others to verify their dominance, and gobblers scream back to threaten or challenge any bird of their species.

It’s High Turkey Time in Osceola country!

This is my 60th year of hunting turkeys in the spring, and 52 of those have been hunting Osceolas, mostly on WMAs.

It has been a long and joyous ride! No outdoor activity has ever or will ever provide the sheer pleasure that absorbs my body and soul than that of spring morning hunting turkeys.

It would be easy to bog down in sadness or grief over the many turkey-hunting friends and relatives I have lost who were dear to me. There are times of sadness, but I am blessed to have known them, and I cherish all of the times we have spent together. I learned from many of them, and I taught others. We actually taught and learned from each other, as is the case between my friends and me now.

My only living blood relative who pursues gobblers is my daughter, who will be hunting with me on opening day. I am looking forward to the hunt.

In 1965, when I shot my first gobbler in Southeast Arkansas, I was being mentored by my grandfather, who called up the gobbler. My other teacher was my dad, who called up my next one three years later. After that kill, I did all of my own calling. There has been a lot of trial and error, and believe me, there has been a lot of error!

Looking over my shoulder, I can see many mistakes that I have made, as well as some things that have led to my success. I still make the same mistakes year after year. Last year, I didn’t kill a gobbler, not because of technique, and certainly not because of calling mistakes, but because of blowing the shot. I called two gobblers into range and two gobblers were missed! I haven’t missed or crippled many gobblers in my six decades of hunting them, but I did last season. I fear and expect that I might repeat that horrible experience again before I make my last and final call prior to crossing The Great River.

There has been a lot “me” and “I’ so far, so please bear with me! Most of the time, no one really cares to read about someone bragging. I have nothing really to brag about.

I’m average at best.

I am not a “how-to” writer. A person who does that is a self-proclaimed expert.

Everyone will have a bad season sometimes if their hunting time is limited or they are bound to sub-par places to hunt.

I am happy for those who can hunt for several days if not weeks, a year. Many of you hunt in several states. Having said that, let’s all be careful about how we judge another turkey hunter’s success. 

If a jake is legal and someone brings it to the check station, keep in mind that person was within the law and is probably proud that he scored. It doesn’t make you more manly or some kind of professional to chastise or declare how you would never shoot one. 

Joking is OK. All hunters need to have tough skin. You can bet in years past, when I brought a jake to the check station, there were no less than 100 people there! I had to take my medicine!

As for those with a lot of time and lots of good places to hunt, should one of our brothers or sisters of the cult share photos of their successes, don’t allow sour grapes to leave a bad taste on that hunter’s success. That person loves the sport and spends a fortune doing what they like to do. 

One last thing I will mention pertaining to check stations. Guys, please watch your language! I am a poor example of a Christian. Those who have worked and hunted with me know there have been times in my life when I could cuss the bark of a live oak. I am not being sanctimonious, just want to make a point.

I have been working part-time at various check stations for the last few years.

I have heard some of the worst vulgar talk spewing from the mouths of hunters, mostly younger guys, when children and ladies are present. This is in the check station areas.

Please notice who is around you.

I’m not offended, but many older men are. I once asked a person to watch his language when a young minister and his 10-year-old daughter were checking in. His reaction to me was, “If he is offended or doesn’t want his kid to hear profanity, they shouldn’t come hunting.” That was the most ignorant, stupid tactless thing I ever heard, and I told him so. I’m not the profanity police, as I admitted earlier. S and D words are common and even expected. I don’t need to mention the others that I think we need to tone down. You are all grown, so you know which ones they are!

So much of this article is about what you should not do that I feel like a school principal back in the 60s! I do apologize, so I will proceed to the final subject of what NOT to do.

Earlier, I said that I wasn’t an expert, but I may have misspoken. I am an expert in finding ways not to kill a turkey. Missing is the final screw-up, and earlier, I discussed that. I’m sure many of you might have various tips for me. There is no need to talk about guns, chokes, shooting sticks, scopes, red dots, shooting loads, etc. It’s hard to keep composure sometimes, and you must not shoot too soon or too late. That’s it.

Don’t hunt turkeys where they “should” be or where you have seen them in the past. Don’t rely on where you saw them in the fall. It’s better to waste a day of hunting in order to find where turkeys are now. That has been one of the biggest mistakes of my entire turkey-hunting career.

If you have been around the sport any length of time, you already know not to call too often. Normally, don’t call too loud. A loud call should be only to encourage a shock gobble. When I am hunting from a blind, I call loud about once every two hours in case there is no bird in hearing distance of my softer calls. 

There are a thousand theories and ways to work in a gobbler, only experience will let you know. There are many people who can give you advice, but be careful. Decoys can be helpful, but they can be harmful as well. Remember one thing: NOTHING works every time!

I will not advise anyone on technique. Some work better than others. I have used about every technique known to be successful and have found a couple that work for me.

The don’t of this subject is don’t give up! If you have found turkeys and choose to hunt from a blind, hunt as long as you can stand it. If you slowly walk, sit and call, continue as long as you can, even if there has been no gobbling. If you run and gun and by mid-morning, you haven’t had any success, DON’T come by me crashing brush and blowing on a crow call!

I guess I should strike that last “don’t” comment because we shouldn’t judge others on their method of hunting. I just hope those who use that style of hunting on public land will take into consideration where other hunters are. It is a very successful technique, and I have killed a few birds using that method, but I kept bumping other hunters and found that I was also bumping a lot of turkeys, so I retired that style of hunting. (I also got old and fat!)

The final thing is don’t expect to kill much, see much, or hear much. If you take that attitude, you won’t be disappointed! Turkey hunting isn’t for everyone. The following line will explain who we are.

We turkey hunters are the cream of the crop, the elite, and the most dedicated of all hunters. The greatest writer on the subject, Tom Kelly, compared us to The Tenth Legion, the greatest military unit in history! I suggest you read his book, Tenth Legion.

We need to act that way; we are the best of the best. Be courteous, don’t fight over territory, and try to make every hunt positive.

Finally, I hope to see many of you at the check stations or on the roads of the Florida WMAs this year. (Not in the woods with me!)

I wish you all a safe and successful season! God Bless!