Hunting for me has become an incredible way to get outdoors and really challenge myself. Hunting trips are where my very best ability is pitted against animals in their home turf.
The world of hunting is so cluttered sometimes by the thought of the harvest that we often forget the friendships that are formed or renewed as well as skills that are taught by tough luck. It’s the bonds between buddies wanting an adventure together that bring us to these places.
But let’s not forget the most important part: the thrill of the hunt. This was never clearer to me than during a moment in the Cumberland Mountains near Huntsville, TN, just a few months ago.
I once again joined my friends at Yamaha as well as some of the best turkey hunters in the business for a few days to chase the Wild Tennessee Mountain Turkey. After a quick check of our trailer we jumped into the Nissan Titan XD Pro4X Diesel and headed about four hours northeast into the Huntsville area. This is where the off-road riding destination Brimstone Recreation is located. Brimstone has many miles of trails that are either family-friendly or technically challenging for those who are looking for outdoor adventure on their ATV or UTV. I’ve ridden there many times.
After arriving at our cabins, affectionately known as Hoot One and Hoot Two, we joined forces with Brimstone Recreation’s Mark Love and his team of guides to test our skills. Mark’s love (no pun intended) for turkey hunting is incredible and after many years of conversation we were set to test our luck together the very next morning. For me this would be my first mountain turkey hunting experience. Love assured us we would at least hear the elusive birds but that our conditioning and sheer willingness to hike like nothing ever before would determine our seeing one. Man, was this ever the gospel. I fancy myself an able bodied man but this was a true test of willpower (and available oxygen) more than anything.
Right Tools
After a quick sight-in procedure to determine the pattern of our Winchester Long Beard shot guns as well as to familiarize ourselves with these rifles, it was clear that we had the right tool for our hunt. The Winchester Lok’d and Lethal XR in 12-gauge had left a mark of confidence with everyone. Fortunately for us we also had Yamaha’s Viking and Grizzly as well as the Wolverine at our disposal and these mountains would require each one for mobility to get into the best possible position to even hear this elusive bird. Speaking of the Wild Turkey, here is how that hunt went down.
We had three full days to hike the Cumberland Mountains here but the first morning is always the most anticipated for me. Stumbling around in the cabin well before sun up I was as ready as I had ever been to get into the woods. After dressing out in my Field and Stream Stores RealTree Xtra hunting gear I had to wait out on the porch for my fellow hunters to wake up.
It was then that I heard fellow hunter Steve Hickoff make an incredible owl hoot from his porch just up the hill. The woods came alive with owls calling back to see just what Hickoff wanted. This brought a smile to my face and I knew this would be part of a very memorable hunt from that moment on.
For our first trip we packed our Winchester shotguns into the gun scabbards on the Yamaha Viking and rolled out. This would be a pretty lengthy ride as we pulled up into the trail system and drove to our guide’s secret parking spot to begin the morning hunt. We stepped out of the Viking and began what would be an almost four-mile hike across the ridges of several mountains in the area. Although this trip would not be the most physically taxing of the days to come, unfortunately a lone hen was the only bird to recognize our efforts there. However my Garmin Vivo-Active HR watch determined my heart had a few high points, cresting at 155 bpm several times during the hike with elevation changing about 500 feet from start to finish.
