Editor’s Note: Ronnie “Cuz” Strickland videoed for Mossy Oak and Primos Hunting for some years. Today, Ronnie, “Cuz” Strickland is Mossy Oak’s vice president in charge of television and video production. Strickland probably has filmed more TV shows and videos about hunting and the outdoors than anyone in the industry. Currently he’s responsible for producing 5 TV shows, including “Hunting the Country”, “Deer Thugs”, “Turkey Thugs”, “Inside the Obsession”, and “Game Keepers,” as well as all the videos that Mossy Oak produces. Strickland has hunted all over the nation and all over the world with celebrities and everyday hunters and has seen about everything that can happen in the woods. We’ve asked Strickland to tell us about some of the funniest and strangest hunts he’s been on while hunting across the country.
I was hunting with a fellow named George Partlow, a wonderful person to spend the day in the woods with and a really-great hunter. He gets very excited, when he takes a bird. We were hunting at Bent Creek Lodge near Jachin, Alabama. Our guide was Bob Walker, one of the best turkey hunters in the nation. We were hunting in the middle of the day and truly didn’t think we’d have the opportunity to take a turkey. But for us, turkey hunting is more about the hunt than it is about the taking of the turkey. We were walking along and calling occasionally to see if we could get a turkey to gobble. Not only were we successful at getting a turkey to gobble, this old gobbler got really fired-up and gobbled almost every breath. But because the turkey wouldn’t come to us, we had to change locations three or four times to try and get to a place where the turkey wanted to come.
Finally, we had this turkey strutting down the side of a creek. He would strut, walk down the creek, turn around, strut and walk back up the creek. We needed that turkey to come about 5 or 10 yards closer to us, for us to take a shot. Finally, about the tenth time that he strutted up and down the creek, the old gobbler came and stopped where George could take the shot. As soon as the turkey went down on the other side of the creek, Bob Walker got-up and walked down the creek to find a log to use to walk over the creek.
George Partlow got so excited he started throwing-up. He took his hat off, laid it beside a tree and was really vomiting. I didn’t know what was happening. I thought he was sick or something bad had happened to him. Finally, when George stopped vomiting, I asked him. “Are you ok? Are you ok?” He said, “I’m fine Cuz. This happens to me all the time, when I get excited and stay excited for a long time. This is one of the most-exciting turkey hunts ever!” I started laughing and said. “That is amazing.” I’ve seen people get excited on turkey hunts before, however, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a fellow make himself sick, because he’s gotten excited hunting, but I guess that is a good thing.
Day 3: Cuz Says a Dead Turkey Isn't Always Dead
Tomorrow: We’re Not Hunting Hoot Owls with Mossy Oak’s Ronnie Strickland
