After meeting the objective of taking a bird, a trophy at that, during my 60th Spring Season I was pumped to get back after it this morning. After just finishing Chemo Session #10 the alarm at 3am was not welcome and my fatigued body said no way. I reset it at 5:30am to have time for some nourishment and get out for a mid morning hunt. I arrived at 9:15 am to see a bearded hen leading a strutter across a newly planted soybean field. I settled in where I thought I should be, sent a yelp out to let them know where I was and got comfortable. After an hour of watching them 300-400 yards away, the hen crossed the field ditch and led him in my direction. I remember saying “this could happen”.
I dropped my range finder when the strutter hit 50 yards and pulled my 20 gauge tight to my shoulder. In full strut, the sun reflected off his back as his head towered up and my finger tightened against the trigger. The recoil punched my bony shoulder as the gobbler fell to the ground. By the time I got to him the flop diminished to stillness. What just happened? Did the Lord just Bless me one more time. The emotion swept over me for the second time in three days as I limited out in my home state. My cancer journey took a couple most welcome turns and for that I am Blessed.
Doug Wigfield
