Turkey Hunting Ain’t Just About Taking Turkeys
Day 4: Bo Pitman and John E. Phillips Hunt a Naked Gobbler, Part II
Editor’s Note: Do you consider fooling a longbeard and bringing him within gun range the essence of turkey hunting? Or, does turkey hunting have an intrinsic value to you that goes beyond your ability to harvest a gobbler every spring and fall? In my world of turkey hunting, I view my turkey-hunting experiences as part of a continuing-education program. My goal in life is not only to take turkeys, but rather to learn all I can about how to take turkeys and to create memories that last much longer than feathers and meat do.
 Since Pitman could see the entire bird, he urged me again to, “Shoot the turkey, John.” Because Pitman sat at a different angle to the turkey from me, he couldn’t see the small pine that prevented my taking the shot. He simply saw a huge gobbler with a beard less than 15 steps from my gun barrel in what looked like clean woods to him. Pitman didn’t understand why I wouldn’t squeeze the trigger. Finally, after what seemed like eternity, the longbeard took one step forward. My muzzleloader reported and took the gobbler. The gray smoke from the blast carried my prayer of Thanksgiving upward to the heavenly host.
 Before I could get up off the ground, Pitman had the turkey’s feet in his hands, scolding me. “What’s the matter with you? Why didn’t you shoot that turkey? Did you get turkey fever?” “Come here, Bo, I want to show you something,” I said. I had Pitman sit where I’d sat, showed him the pine tree and explained what had happened. Then he laughed as he told me, “Bubba, you did the right thing. But I don’t believe I’ve ever sat so long in one spot with a turkey that close.” We talked about the hunt on the way back to the lodge. The pictures of the turkey we took together that day will fade, but the moment we both shared will remain with us as long as we’re above dirt.
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