Brodie Swisher
I first met Walt Whisenant more than 20 years ago. He was the uncle of Don and Jan Fossitt, an older couple who worked with my wife and I in our youth camp ministry. Don and Jan were more like family than friends to us. Even better, Don and Jan had a small farm that was favored by the local longbeards every spring.
The only catch? They didn’t let anyone hunt the place. They said no to the local hunters when it came to hunting. And despite my best efforts, they wouldn’t even let me hunt the farm, even though I was like a son to them! But that all changed when Mr. Walt made it clear that his final bucket list wish was to kill a wild turkey before he died.
You see, Mr. Walt was 90 years old when I first met him. He was a man who had served his country, was faithful to God, and lived each day with passion and vigor. For Mr. Walt, 90 was just a number. It didn’t slow him down nearly as much as other men his age.
The Plan Comes Together
So, in 2005 we hatched a plan to bring Mr. Walt up from Georgia to Tennessee for his first turkey hunt. We aimed for peak turkey season so he could witness all the glory of the springtime turkey woods on full display.
But there were challenges. Mr. Walt’s hearing was poor—even with hearing aids—and he relied on lip-reading or notes to communicate. He was also a bit unsteady on his legs, trusting a cane for balance. So, we would haul him to the field in an electric golf cart. It would be quiet and efficient. The day before the hunt, I set up a Double Bull ground blind with a couple of camp chairs inside. We’d load up on all of Mr. Walt’s favorite snacks and a note pad and pen to communicate back and forth in hopes of keeping him busy while we waited out the birds.
Opening Morning Misses
On the morning of the hunt, Don drove Mr. Walt to the field while I hustled out on foot. As they pulled up in the golf cart, I heard a gobbler sound off in the bottoms. I told Mr. Walt what I'd heard, and he grunted in response, barely able to hear.
We got Mr. Walt settled in the chair and pulled the ground blind over him. We organized our gear, laid out our snacks and listened close for gobbles in the distance.
As the morning unfolded, turkeys pitched down into the field. Gobbling, yelping, strutting, and fighting – we heard and saw it all right from the start. Everything was going just as planned. And before the sun had even cleared the horizon, we had a gobbler marching behind a group of hens, headed right to our setup - just 15 yards away. As the gobbler strutted in nice and tight, I signaled for Mr. Walt to shoot. However, when he tugged on the trigger, his shot flew high. Mr. Walt had missed! The gobbler and all his ladies quickly exited the field.
"It’s okay," I reassured him. "There’s another bird gobbling. Just settle down. Reload, and get ready for the next one.”
Sure enough, another longbeard followed a hen right to our decoys. This time, Mr. Walt steadied his aim, took a deep breath and pulled the trigger when I gave him the green light. The gun went off like a canon, leaving our ears ringing inside the blind. And with a large measure of shock, we watched as the second bird of the morning made a hasty retreat. Mr. Walt had missed his second turkey in less than 5 minutes.
Mr. Walt was frustrated but determined. "Call up another one," he grunted. But that was it for the morning. We had no other players. The game was over.
It was at that moment Mr. Walt got superstitious on me. He was mad! He said, “I’m not gonna shave my face until I come back here next spring and kill one of these wild turkeys!”
He said it, and he meant it. The next spring, he came back looking like Uncle Jesse from The Dukes of Hazzard—sporting a big white beard and there was fire in his eyes. He was ready to redeem himself.
Redemption in the Turkey Woods
That second year, we upped our game. Instead of a notepad for communication, Mrs. Jan made flashcards that read: "Walt...get ready." "Walt...be quiet." "Walt...shoot." It would be a much simpler method of communication than writing back and forth on the note pad.
Like the year before, the morning played out perfectly. Birds were gobbling all around us. We had jakes, we had hens, and best of all, we had a longbeard in full strut coming right to our calls. The bird strutted just 15 yards from our blind as I cut on my mouth call to try and get the gobbler to come out of strut to give Mr. Walt a clean shot at the bird’s head and neck.
After several minutes of strutting for his hens and doing his best to intimidate the jakes, the gobbler began to walk away. Panic set in as I watched another opportunity slipping away. The gobbler was at 20 yards, then 30. When the bird finally got right for the shot, I did my best to give Mr. Walt the signal to shoot.
I whispered, “Shoot.” I shouted, “Shoot!!” and I was waving the “Walt, Shoot” flash card in his face. And finally, it all clicked. Mr. Walt now understood the mission. When the turkey moved into an opening at 40 yards, Mr. Walt finally pulled the trigger. Boom!!!! The gobbler hit the dirt, but I watched in horror as one of the hens began to hop and flop around behind Mr. Walt’s target bird. Mr. Walt had shot one of the hens that walked up behind the gobbler at the worst possible time.
In disbelief, I thought to myself, “I’ve gotta call my buddy Steve, the local game warden—and a deacon at our church—to explain the accidental hen kill. Fortunately, as I got out of the blind to approach the birds, the hen recovered herself, got to feet to run and quickly flew out across the bottom like she’d never been touched. Thank you, Jesus! It was time to celebrate.
A Memory to Last a Lifetime
It was a beautiful moment as Mr. Walt quickly staggered toward his bird with the help of his cane. It was his first time to ever lay hands on a wild turkey. He didn’t know whether to pick it up by the legs or by the neck. He simply grabbed it by the wings, spread them out and said, “It looks like an eagle!"
I laughed, but quickly said, “Man! How many bald eagles have you killed?” “Hey, we’re going to the check in station to register this bird, don’t you say nothin’ about killing bald eagles, barred owls, hens, or anything! Let’s just check your bird in and get out of there!”
But what stuck with me most were Mr. Walt’s first words after that successful hunt: "Praise the Lord!" At 91 years old, Mr. Walt still had breath in his lungs, he had killed his turkey and praise the Lord were the words on his lips.
He also said, “That’s a lifetime achievement!” And that’s exactly what he meant. He had waited a long lifetime for the opportunity to hunt the wild turkey, and when it finally happened, he was beyond grateful. In fact, he carried the picture us and that turkey around everywhere he went. He kept the photo in his Bible until the day he died, and there’s no doubt he’s up in heaven right now, telling Jesus that same old turkey story over and over.
Those first turkey and deer hunts with my children will forever be my favorite hunts of all time, but the story of Mr. Walt and his first turkey at 91 years of age is right there with them. Like fine wine, the memories of that hunt with Mr. Walt just get better with time.
I encourage you to consider the "Mr. Walts" in your life. The granddaddy or great granddaddy that you think might be too old to make a trip to the woods. Find a golf cart, grab a ground blind, and take them along. While they’re still kicking, while there’s still breath in their lungs – give them an experience that’ll make their heart race once again.
It’s not too late. If they are able, get them out there, and let them experience the good stuff God gives us each spring in the turkey woods.
Tips for Hunting With Elderly Hunters
- Transportation is everything. Use an electric golf cart or side by side to carry them right to the hunt location.
- Use a ground blind. Ground blinds are great for all kids, whether they’re 9 or 90.
- Make sure they have a comfortable chair. Comfort is king. Don’t buy the cheapest camp chair you can find. Make sure they have a safe, solid and comfortable place to sit and wait (nap).
- Have plenty of snacks. Again, great grandaddy is a lot like a child. Snacks will help pass the time and keep them occupied.
- Keep a note pad and pen for writing notes back and forth or playing games.
- Don’t forget hearing protection – Chances are, their hearing is already bad. Still, make sure to have amplified muffs or ear buds to protect and enhance their experience.
- Go easy with the gun. With TSS loads, the 20 gauge or .410 is the perfect option these days for our older hunters.
- Don’t forget an extra blanket or jacket. Older hunters get cold easily, even when it’s 75 degrees out.
- Use a shooting stick or tripod. A solid rest helps lighten the burden on their arms as they wait for the shot.
