Some hunts take you right back to the places where your passion for turkey hunting first took root.
For me, the Noxubee River has always been one of those places. I’ve chased turkeys up and down its banks since I was a young man, and every trip back seems to hold a little more meaning.
This hunt brought it all full circle—a crisp morning, an old gobbler, and a new memory made right where so many of my turkey hunting stories began…
Story time...
I slipped in along the Noxubee River this morning to a turkey that had been roosting on the opposite side. Thinking "you never know," maybe I can make him pitch to my side of the river...
Of course, I walked in across a small slough in the dark only to figure out the turkey was a little too close on the riverbank on the opposite side... So under the foliage of green and dark woods, I created me some space between me and the bird.
I found me an ancient cherry bark red oak that must have been custom grown for turkey hunters before me, it was about as comfy as my recliner.
I got all settled and was digging through the mouth call pouch and was fixing to pull a trusty old Country Girl yelper out and thought "Man, this is a fitting time to grab the NOX since we named it after the Noxubee River!" since I'm hunting here at the moment.
As it got light, I soft yelped to the turkey as I was in a tree, and he pretty much let me know he was interested by cutting me off right away.
So, every once in a while, I would just reassure him with a barely audible yelp and each time he let me know he hadn’t forgot...
Just about fly down time, a red blur from right at Mach speed came flying towards me which turned out to be some wild cardinal (or as we call’em "red birds") literally landed on my top of my gun and made it fall off my knee.
After I got myself together, my mind went back to the turkey. I gave a few soft clucks and lo and behold, he pitches down the river over the water covering a 100 or so yards and hooks right into the bench on my side of the river.
This old boy landed literally 15 yrds dead in front of my gun.
In fact, I needed to move my gun to my cheek and up a little from my knee to get it fully shouldered.
Thank the good lord for those giant virgin oaks because the turkey decided to walk to the right and behind one (which gave me my chance to get the gun shouldered).
He stepped out in full strut looking for the hen he had heard, and I touched off the 28 ga and the deed was done. It happened so fast I looked at my watch and it was 6:30 am on the dot.
For sure a hunt that will never be forgotten!
It felt good to be along the old Noxubee River chasing turkeys where I did in my early 20’s.
It never disappoints and I could only sit back on that old oak and think of all the turkey hunts I have had over my life along that river.
It’s funny how certain places hold a piece of your hunting heart. The old Noxubee River has sure done that for me over the years—and this morning was another chapter I’ll never forget.
And talk about fitting—having the NOX mouth call in my vest that day just felt right. Sometimes it’s the little things that make a hunt that much more special.
If you’ve got a river bottom or old hardwood bench that speaks to you the way this place does to me—well, go spend some time there this season. You never know what memory might be waiting.
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See y’all in the woods,
~ Lyle