Meet Laura – A LIFETIME of hunting… literally.

As a daughter of two people who met coon hunting & are still happily married, it’s safe to say hunting is a part of me & in my blood. I used to coon hunt with my father & grandfather’s as a child. I have a bear skin rug on my living room wall that a family friend shot & killed. I have been a proud owner of a Bluetick & Bloodhound. I create crafts from deer antlers for myself & others. I have been pig hunting in Australia (where my fiancée is from). I am member of NWTF & an avid turkey hunter. The outdoors will forever be a part of who I am & something I am passionate about.

I have been a turkey hunter for going on 3 years now. I became more involved & actually started hunting after meeting my now close friends, Woody & Dennis, at a NWTF banquet I was volunteering at. As we were getting to know each other, they mentioned they owned a hunt club & that they would more than willing to take me out hunting even though I had no previous turkey hunting experience. I am forever thankful that these two guys called for me, set up decoys, drove us to various locations, & filmed my hunts. I had lots of close calls with them the first year, but didn’t get a turkey my first season because Dennis shot mine-at least that’s what I’m going with & Woody tells me!

My second season with Woody & Dennis started off slow, but the guys felt like I knew enough at that point to go out on my own for my first time. They gave me a call & a decoy to set off on my own. I was extremely nervous because I had never called before, but watched a few videos & practiced before setting out to the woods, early the next morning. I was had a sinus infection & bronchitis on this first independent hunt of mine, which was not exactly ideal because with bronchitis, you cough…A LOT. Somehow, I was able to keep it under control. I called birds in right away before they flew down off their roost, but they seemed to be spooked by the decoy I had set up so, I army crawled out of the stand, through the dewy grass when they left & took it down & spooked a turkey I hadn’t seen in the process. I thought for sure I wouldn’t see anything for the rest of the day. I heard some turkeys off in the distance after spooking the other & managed to call in a hen, but that was all I had seen. Before I decided to call it quits, I poked my head out the side window of the stand & look around if there were any more turkeys. Sure enough, there was a large tom with a hen, down in the field beyond my car & I quickly & quietly opened up the back window & started calling. I thought, “If I can get this thing up past my car, it’s dead!” As soon as I started calling, it stopped & slowly came marching up the hill, coming closer to the stand. I had never felt more of a rush in my life & finally got it past my car, was able to take a shot with the 20 gauge, my grandfather had given to me. I was so proud of myself for getting my first turkey on my own & so, were Woody & Dennis. The turkey itself was 20 lbs., with a 9.5 inch beard & one inch spurs. Not too shabby for my first turkey ever!

I learned to never give up, have confidence in your own abilities, & I will forever be a huntress, among many up & coming huntresses.

I want all huntresses, especially beginners to know, it pays to stay dedicated, even if you don’t get something when you first start out because when you finally do, the satisfaction, thrill, & reward is beyond worth it. And if you can hunt, be as sick as I was on this particular day, & still have a successful hunt, you can do just about anything! Happy Hunting!