September 2021 - 20

I had a plan.
I'd been to this hillside of ponderosa and
aspen dozens of times over a handful of seasons.
I knew as long as I didn't walk over the top
it was a straight shot downhill to get back to
camp. I rehearsed the morning in my head the
night before. I practiced my calls.
I had my GPS - just in case.
I unzipped my tent in the earlymorning
haze as drizzle coated green grass,
magenta shooting stars and bright-orange
Indian paintbrush. I grabbed my 12-gauge
Winchester, threw on our shared hunting
pack and told my husband where I'd be going
one more time.
" You got this, " he whispered to not wake
our sleeping 3-year-old. " You won't get lost. "
" I know, " I muttered back. This wasn't war.
I wasn't going to battle. I was walking into
the turkey woods.
But here's the thing: I was walking in
alone. Despite almost 40 years living and
recreating in Wyoming, nearly a decade of
hunting and untold hikes I'd never gone off
trail alone. Ever.
I'd always hunted with someone who
could help call and - if I'm being honest -
tell me what to do. I had someone to mimic.
Someone to ask questions. Someone to tell
me if I was doing something wrong.
But that May morning in 2020 I had just
myself, and I felt it.
The shotgun I carried through years of
pheasant, chukar and turkey seasons felt
clumsy in my hands as I walked through a
sagebrush field to reach the trees. The rain
picked up, running down my face.
I stopped to call. It sounded all wrong.
Nothing would come to this, I told myself.
What business did I have being out here
alone? I could feel the silence in response.
I walked farther and stopped to call again,
but couldn't find the striker to my slate call.
" Great, 15 minutes into your first hunt
alone and you already lost part of a turkey call.
You really don't belong out here, " I told myself.
20 | September 2021

September 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September 2021

September 2021 - 1
September 2021 - 2
September 2021 - 3
September 2021 - 4
September 2021 - 5
September 2021 - 6
September 2021 - 7
September 2021 - 8
September 2021 - 9
September 2021 - 10
September 2021 - 11
September 2021 - 12
September 2021 - 13
September 2021 - 14
September 2021 - 15
September 2021 - 16
September 2021 - 17
September 2021 - 18
September 2021 - 19
September 2021 - 20
September 2021 - 21
September 2021 - 22
September 2021 - 23
September 2021 - 24
September 2021 - 25
September 2021 - 26
September 2021 - 27
September 2021 - 28
September 2021 - 29
September 2021 - 30
September 2021 - 31
September 2021 - 32
September 2021 - 33
September 2021 - 34
September 2021 - 35
September 2021 - 36
September 2021 - 37
September 2021 - 38
September 2021 - 39
September 2021 - 40
September 2021 - 41
September 2021 - 42
September 2021 - 43
September 2021 - 44
September 2021 - 45
September 2021 - 46
September 2021 - 47
September 2021 - 48
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2025
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/wyoming-wildlife-may-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2024-e-edition
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-iak-special-issue
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/dec-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/January2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/December2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/September2020
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