Something Old, Something Blue

[Neill_Prater]

My thoughts often run to the past, particularly at the close of turkey season. At 70, it marks the end of another year, far more of which are now behind me, than ahead.

I've seen threads on here about your favorite cap, or call, or vest, many of which you have been toting to the turkey woods for some time, but never a thread about the oldest physical object that accompanies you to the woods on a regular basis. The one thing that perhaps more than any other, evokes memories of turkeys chased, hills climbed and destinations long dreamed of finally achieved.

For some of you, that may be an I phone 7, but for those of us who are on the older side of the equation, it could be almost anything, perhaps even something one wouldn't normally associate with hunting at all.

For me, it's a simple camouflaged pouch with a Velcro closure. For those of you among the younger generation, back in the day, we actually had to carry paper tags and/or permits, and in some jurisdictions, ID on our person while hunting. I never liked the idea of carrying my wallet to the woods, so early on looked for an alternative way to tote my paperwork.

I started both deer and turkey hunting in 1977, and in Missouri, both pursuits required the use of adhesive backed carcass tags at the time. If you just stuck them in a plastic bag in your pocket, there was always the possibility of loss, or changing garments and finding yourself hunting with the tags in the truck.   

I'm not sure what year I purchased the solution, but I still remember where. Bass Pro was a fledgling store in Springfield, and was growing rapidly. Before they built their outlet store, they would sell clearance and return items in kind of a "bargain basement" setting. I had my now deceased hunting buddy, Dan, with me. Funny how you remember things like that, but forget what you had for breakfast, isn't it?

Anyway, I ran across this pouch for $1. Hey, this was back when hamburgers were probably 50 cents. I didn't have a clue as to what it was until just a few years ago when I ran across an ad showing this as being the holder for a fire starting kit.

I added a lanyard, why blue I haven't a clue, but it looks suspiciously like a drawstring from a blue windbreaker. It may not look like much, but has hung around my neck on countless hunting trips and reminds me of a time when the hills seemed shorter and a much younger me was filled with enthusiasm and anticipation of hunts to come and wiley gobblers to pursue. It's a reminder of friends now gone, friends not yet made, of places not yet hunted, of places I will never see again. Of sunrises in the piney woods of Alabama and sunsets on the Kansas prairie. Of occasionally outsmarting an old longbeard, but more often being outsmarted.

Now that my license is usually on my phone, the pouch still accompanies me on every trip, finding new purpose by keeping the key fob for my Jeep in a safe place.

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[MISSISSIPPI Double beard]

Nice post, I hope you see and enjoy many more seasons of huntin.

[Greg Massey]

Nothing wrong with carrying memories with you. Thanks for sharing ...

[Gooserbat]

I have a facemask that's faded, stinks, and probably needs retirement and honestly I only wear it occasionally now but it's seen a lot of flopage.

I'm betting your buddy was Dan Lutz.  You already know I had the privilege of hunting with him a few times.  Hopefully I will meet up with you and we can hunt one for Dan.

[Ozarks Hillbilly]

Thanks for the share. Brought back some memories of long ago for me. Ol Johnny Morris has came a long way since selling fishing tackle out the corner of his Father's Brown Durby liquor store.  Back in the late 70's - early 90's seemed like there was a Gobbler behind every tree in south central Missouri.

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[Yoteduster]

I'm 72 and made it through another season one thing I have with me on every hunt is my marbles boy scout match holder that I've been packing since I was 12 or 13

[bigriverbum]

very cool and well written post. i really enjoyed it

i'm 35 and the oldest thing i use is my camo boonie hat that i've had since before i could even pull the trigger at age 12.  i must be stretching it out as the years go on. not sure how it still fits

[NCL]

I am also 70 so could very much relate to your well written post. It got me thinking what is the oldest thing that I have carried for my turkey hunting endeavors. I thought not a gun, added a couple in the past 20 years. Changed vests several times. Maybe some of my camo but most of that is relatively new, could be one of my many face masks. Finally decided it either has to be my binoculars or Gerber multi tool which usually accompany me unless I forget to take them. Good topic that sure got me thinking.

[Tail Feathers]

Well written post Neil, good to hear from you on here.  The oldest thing that regularly goes on turkey hunts with me is an original Mossy Oak Greenleaf Facemask.   I got it for my first ever turkey hunt some 20-odd years ago.  It's all cotton, covers the whole head and is still the best concealment option for when being concealed well is critical.  I don't use it on every hunt, but it makes most all of them with me.

[Sir-diealot]

For me it is the gun, I used it for both deer and turkey until NY started to allow rifle for deer season and now it just get used for turkey season. If the gun is not good enough then I have my first grunt tube I bought while at a Wal-Mart and a old Mad Super Crystal turkey call that was my first. (Actually a replacement because a friend picked up the old one and sanded it against the grooves that were already there and it never sounded right again but within two years of the first)

[ol bob]

Old wore out boonie hat that I wore on the first hunt I went on.