2019 Flood

March 9, 2019, yet another devastating flood impacted many communities, including western Iowa. This event was the third “100-year flood” in the past 8 years and my dear farmer friends were hit hard as the water covered their croplands, rose 5 feet up into their filled grain bins, and ruined their stored hay in the barns. A devastating event that consumed profits, livestock, and entire towns. As the waters receded in the coming days and weeks it unveiled the catastrophic damage.

We often take for granted the gentleness of Mother Nature, and ever so often we are reminded of the great power it has. It is ominous and tranquil. A giver as much as it is a taker. I believe it is this battle in itself for balance and our strive to be a part of something larger than ourselves that lures us into the wilderness. We crave the uncertainty and the unknown that Mother Nature can offer.
As the flood swept across my hunting area I made peace with the reality that I would not be able to spring turkey hunt, a time of the year I greatly look forward to as it has always been one of my favorite things to pursue.

Hope After All

By the time April came to an end, the area had become significantly drier. With a little bit of scouting I had determined that the turkeys had indeed filtered back into the area! My urge to get out in the field built up and I promptly purchased a turkey tag for the last season. For my first hunt this year I chose an area that is a rather short walk from the truck and offers easy terrain to cover. I also have in company my 4 year old son, Garth, which was a major factor in choosing this particular spot. As we pull into the farmyard and I scour the fields with my binoculars, I don’t feel very optimistic about bagging a gobbler today. The evening is rather chilly and a forceful wind is steadily sweeping across the land, not to mention that I haven’t seen or heard any turkeys nearby.

Hunting With Papa

Instead of becoming even slightly bummed out,  I realize why I’m actually here. My boy is excited to be hunting with “Papa.” He is not overly concerned with me shooting a turkey today, or perhaps even seeing a turkey up close. He is simply happy to be hunting with “Papa.” I allow him to crawl up in to the front seat and use his own binoculars to help me search for some toms – which to him is a big deal!  He also has been asking me to teach him how to shoot his bow for over a month now, and I made sure to bring it along. Before I load up with my gear and head into the woods, we take valuable time to practice shooting his little red bow and arrow. We set a target out, no more than 5 yards away, and he intently listens to my instructions and then eagerly makes his best attempts. We take time to shoot at the paper target, then dirt clods, and vary our distances at each.

I am very careful to not rush these moments. My “hunter brain” likes to nag at me with thoughts like, “we need to get in the blind” or “we’re wasting time, the turkeys will be in the fields soon.” I actively block these out because I understand what will be most fun and memorable for Garth on this hunt. It will be the key times where he is engaged with things, not sitting quietly in a blind for an hour hoping a turkey walks by. I let him make the call when he is done practicing with his bow and we gather our gear to head into the woods.

The Little Things

With some gentle persuasion he chooses the perfect spot for our blind. We set the decoys up and wait. One fun thing about turkey hunting of course, is the calls. I make sure to let Garth try out my slate and box call, another new and fun thing that he doesn’t get to do everyday. It is my goal to give him as many little memories that he can hold onto as possible.

When I think back to some of my young hunting trips with my dad, there are simple things that stay stuck in my mind. One thing I always looked forward to was grabbing a snack from the gas station while out on one of our hunts. It wasn’t something I got to do very often but it was a treat I remember enjoying during our trips. There’s no way of knowing what will stick out in Garth’s mind 20 some years down the road, but maybe if I am conscious of it, I can provide those good memories to him. After we settle in, I pull out the snacks I brought along for him. Even a simple granola bar and a juice box is a little treat he can look forward to.

What It’s All About

With no activity nearby, I surrender my phone to keep him occupied while we wait for some birds to reveal themselves. After about an hour, I decide to pack up early and call it a day. We make our way back to the truck and I can’t help but to smile. I think of everything the flood took away, but in doing so it gives me gratitude for this moment. I am thankful for the opportunity to be in the woods, but I am grateful for even More Than The Hunt. It gives me a unique perspective on everything good in my life and just truly how much I have to give thanks for. I smile because right now we have this moment together, and 20 some years down the road we will still be able to reflect on it. Today I did my best to make “hunting with Papa” an exciting trip, and I believe I accomplished that for him. But to tell the truth, it is I that was excited to be “hunting with Garth.”

My late turkey season had a very exciting outcome that can be checked out here!

Do you want to get your kids involved in hunting, fishing, and the great outdoors? Check out my 5 steps to get them loving it!