Brenda Valentine Wyoming May 9-13, 2009

Getting the opportunity to hunt with Michael Waddell was incredible, and then getting to hunt with Brenda Valentine on the same trip was incomprehensible. On the second day I awoke earlier than the sun once again. Although I was not the one killing anything I was able to tag along on Brenda and Barney Valentine’s hunt. It was Barney’s first time shooting a Merriam’s turkey and I felt privileged to be along for the ride. Barney was up first, the rising sun painted the sky a soft shade of purple. Up on a ridge, a flock of turkeys strutted with the Wyoming sunrise as their back drop. Brenda and Barney sat against two separate trees with their guns pointed towards the empty field, waiting in anticipation. Two gobblers strutted in, Barney smoked his, and Brenda pulled her trigger and missed. We all watched as her bird made a clean getaway. She got up, laughed it off and was beyond excited about Barney’s bird. Brenda has no problem with the fact that she had missed, she didn’t beat herself up over it, she simply said “everyone misses, and with all the hunting I do, it’s bound to happen.” She showed more grace and poise then I had ever seen. She taught me that everyone misses and anyone who tells you they don’t is a liar.

After trying a few more setups with no luck, we headed back to the house for lunch and decided we would try again for Brenda’s bird that afternoon. After a hefty meal, and a quick nap we were back in the field. This time my sister decided to join us after sleeping in all morning. The afternoon was warm and the birds seemed impossible to get going, we decided to sit down in some tall pines and have a break. Then out of nowhere a gobble shattered the silence. Brenda, the guide and camera man headed down a hill towards the gobble, Danielle and I hung back and watched from the top. The bird started coming in from a long way. He strutted all the way across the field and right into Brenda’s sights. I held my breath as I watched, the gun went off, and the gobbler started flopping. Danielle and I were so excited we couldn’t contain ourselves, we started yelling and screaming. I had just witnessed Brenda Valentine kill a Merriam’s turkey. The opportunity to spend that time with Brenda and my little sister truly was a gift that I will cherish forever.