Forest Shoemaker of Banner fell in love at the age of 16. It was then that he was first exposed to turkey hunting. In the midst of this turkey season in Mississippi, Shoemaker, who recently turned 22, still finds this time of year is one of his favorites.
Ironically, Shoemaker’s interest in the sport sprung out of a need for entertainment in the spring.
“I grew up deer hunting, and by the time I was 16 or so, I got bored with it,” Shoemaker said. “I decided to take up turkey hunting by means of trial and error to spend time in the spring.”
As is the case with most people who begin a new hobby, Shoemaker experienced a learning curve in his early days as a turkey hunter.
“My first spring, I had no clue what I was doing,” Shoemaker said. “I didn’t have any gear, know what to do or where to start. I read books and forum posts that year, asked questions to local hunters and tried to spend as much time with folks who knew how to kill turkeys as possible.”
For Shoemaker, turkey hunting presents a unique challenge that he can’t experience in other forms of hunting.
“It’s more interactive,” Shoemaker said. “It’s like a game of chess, trying to outsmart a turkey into coming close enough for a shot. It’s a nice change of scenery compared to deer hunting.”
In playing these “chess matches,” Shoemaker has accumulated a few stories to tell from his experiences.
“My favorite stories are the ones where I get back to the house toting an extra 20-or-so pounds over my shoulder,” Shoemaker said. “My least favorite stories are the ones that seem to still keep me up some nights. I have a few of both.”
One of his favorite stories came from just a few weeks ago. Shoemaker missed the opening of Mississippi’s turkey season while spending time with family in Texas, but his trip was cut short due to the passing of one of his aunts. After driving back home for the funeral and being awake for about 30 hours, he decided to go hunting the following morning.
“The morning unfolded as if it were written in a book,” Shoemaker said. “Two birds started to gobble, then three, then a fourth, all in different locations. I set out after the one gobbling the most. I sat down no more than 80 yards from where he was roosted and watched him fly down with all his hens and watched him walk towards me, around me and eventually behind me.”
After the unexpected move by the gobbler, Shoemaker had to think on his feet.
“I made a shift in setup and made a call and the gobbler made his way into shotgun range,” Shoemaker said. “He made his last gobble at 7:08 a.m. on March 18. I dedicated that bird to my aunt, thanked the Lord for the lessons He teaches through the woods and all of His blessings, and spent the rest of the morning reflecting on the events leading into that day.”
For Shoemaker, it’s days like March 18 that make the early mornings and long walks through the woods worth it.
“It’s a special thing, turkey hunting,” Shoemaker said. “Someone said, ‘From the day the last season closes until the day the next one starts, I’m just existing, but for those few months when I get to chase these birds, that’s when I’m living.’”