The Deerslayer's Wife
Embracing the Hunting Lifestyle
Turkeys!
When we purchased our hunting property a year ago, we hoped that there would be enough game to meet our needs. That translates to “fill our freezers”. The place had been over-hunted for sure. But it was a decent size for us, was easy to get around on, and was covered with ancient oak trees with enough mesquite to flavor all our smoked meat. It was a beautiful piece of land and it was ours.
This past spring, we heard some turkeys off in the distance one evening. We weren’t even certain they were on our property. Sure enough, while walking around the next morning, we spooked one right in front of our little casita. Immediately, we discovered that she had been sitting on a nest of eleven eggs!
Apparently, we were gonna have our very own flock of turkeys! Images of Thanksgiving turkey and dressing, turkey pot pie, trash can turkey, and turkey stock to make turkey soup (I use my pheasant soup recipe.) filled my head. I was ready to make room in the freezer for some turkey.
Several months passed before we had another chance to get to the ranch. Fast forward to September and October. We had feared that the eggs might have fallen prey to a pair of foxes that resided nearby. It was time to start getting ready for hunting season. We headed up ready to get to work. While driving around the property, I spotted a flock meandering around in the shade of the oak trees. It appeared that most if not all of the eggs had hatched. I was so excited.
It’s kinda funny. I don’t really have any helpful hints or recipes for this post. I just wanted to share something that brought me so much joy and made me so happy. Not too many years ago, I wouldn’t have been caught dead driving around a ranch in a pickup truck. Or spent days cleaning mouse poop out of a very rustic hunting cabin. I was content to send my husband off hunting while I shopped and, well, didn’t go hunting. I’m not really sure what changed. Now, I can’t think of any place I’d rather be than on that ranch, listening for turkeys.
I have much to be thankful for.
The Deerslayer's Wife 
I enjoy your posts and am tickled for you about your flock of turkeys. While I hunted deer for many years, hunting turkeys was much more exciting for me. And these days, I pretty much would always rather take a young feral pig for the smoker than anything else on the game list.
Jim Holmes
Texas
Jim, I’m glad you enjoy my posts. Be sure to “like” with a star as well! 😉 What is it about turkeys, though? Seeing a trophy buck is great, but a flock of turkeys? Nothin’ like it. I agree with you about the young feral pigs. There’s nothin’ you can’t do with that meat. Delicious! And the shanks done in the smoker? Beans will never be the same. Thanks for stopping by.
Turkeys are by far my most favorite game animal. Calling in an elk is fun but a tom turkey gives you the same rush as you are exposed to the elements. Happy to see this post!
I thought it was just me! Deerslayer and I get pretty excited seeing the turkeys on the game cameras. Thanks for sharing the rush!
How lucky! lots of free range turkeys for future Thanksgivings and X-Mases!
I’m looking forward to it.