Women On Target^® Rio Grande Texas Turkey Hunt
Outfitter: Laguna Vista Ranch, Pearsall, Texas

Story and photos by Justin McDaniel

Kate Desmond had never even thought about going hunting prior to winning a drawing for a free turkey hunt at NRA’s inaugural Great American Hunting and Outdoor Show in January. Attending the event as a volunteer, Desmond took a chance and bought six raffle tickets for a hunting trip to Knowlton’s Laguna Vista Ranch in Pearsall, Texas, which was being sponsored by NRA’s Women On Target^® Hunting Programs.

As luck would have it, Washington Redskins great and NRA Board Member Dave Butz was on hand for the drawing, and he pulled Desmond’s name from a pool of approximately 100 entries.

“I think I did a little dance actually after my name was picked because I was so excited,” Desmond said.

Now, after taking her very first gobbler, Desmond says she’s hooked on hunting for life.

“It was just the most incredible experience I think I’ve ever had, to be honest with you,” said Desmond, a property manager from Westminster, Md. “It really was. I’m still fired up.”

Prior to her hunt, Desmond was mentored by Ann Marie Foster, NRA Women On Target Hunting Programs coordinator, on what to expect from her first hunt. Desmond was already familiar with firearms and had shot sporting clays before, but she had never considered giving hunting a try.

“I’ve shot before and I have my own gun, but I’ve always just done sporting clays,” she said. “I’ve never hunted and never even thought of hunting before this.”

The hunt was scheduled for Friday to Sunday, April 9-11, so Desmond and Foster set out for San Antonio with hopes of getting Desmond her first turkey while the birds were still gobbling. She didn’t know it then, but one of the best turkey callers in the business, Brad Cantrell of the Primos Hunting Calls Pro Staff, would be her guide and caller for the hunt.

“I never knew you could get such a thrill out of hearing a turkey gobble!” she said.

They had a tom on the hook on Friday, but he got hung up and wouldn’t cross a fence line. Saturday, however, was a different story. They didn’t hear a gobble that morning – something the guides said is unusual for the ranch – but the activity picked up in the afternoon.

At 3 p.m. they set up, and an hour later a gobbler sounded off and began working their way.

“It’s a little nerve-racking up until when you hear him and he’s right there and he’s drumming,” Desmond said. “What was really awesome was that he came in full-strut. I never knew about the drumming that turkeys do when they’re coming in. I never knew any of that. I learned so much in just the last three days. My heart was pounding along with the drum.”

After allowing the tom to come within 12 yards, Desmond took him with one shot from her Remington 1187 20 gauge.

“The adrenaline rush that I got was amazing,” she said. “I could not get up at first because I was like, ‘I did it! I did it!’ I just had my hands on my head saying, ‘Oh my gosh, I did it!’ The excitement of it all was just overwhelming.”

Desmond’s Rio Grande gobbler had an 11-inch beard and weighed 25 pounds, making it the largest tom taken on Laguna Vista Ranch this year, and possibly the largest ever taken there. Cantrell told Desmond he believed it would have made the record books, except for the fact it was missing a spur. The spur that remained measured 1¼ inches.

To top off the hunt, Foster took a gobbler of her own the very next day from the exact same spot that Desmond took her bird. Foster killed her turkey at 10 a.m., just an hour before they had to leave for the airport.

“It’s so exciting to be able to share something that I’m passionate about with a new hunter,” said Foster. “It was so much fun teaching her about hunting and being with her on her first hunt, and it was just icing on the cake to get a bird of my own. Kate’s experience really embodies what this program is all about, and it’s great to be able to call her a friend.”

Desmond and Foster already have plans to hunt Easterns in Maryland together this May, and Desmond has set her sights on completing the wild turkey Grand Slam.

“That’s my goal,” she said.

Desmond was absolutely thrilled with her hunt, from the friendliness of the ranch staff, to the beautiful scenery, to the first-rate accommodations.

“We connected with the guides, and even though I’d never hunted, I think that was important,” she said. “They made us feel really comfortable and supported us. We couldn’t have done it without those guys.”

Lyne Simmonds
Naples, Florida

The morning of October 16, 2008, I woke up to a crisp clear day in Grant, Colorado, just outside of Denver on State Road 285. I was ready for the final leg of the drive to Adventure Experience and I didn’t want to miss the beauty of the mountains. Coming from Florida, I was in awe at every turn, getting more and more excited about hunting Elk in this part of the country, fighting to keep my eyes on the road. I drove through Buena Vista and up to Cottonwood Pass to reach Taylor Reservoir. From there, it was only a few miles to Illinois Creek. I made it to the lodge: 1:00 PM and 10,000 feet.

Esther and Carol enjoying the evening by the fire.

It’s the perfect hideaway: Log cabins nestled in the woods, a larger cabin with a kitchen and a gathering place, and another one housing a small office, complete with a swing on the front porch. The first afternoon was spent meeting the other hunters as they trickled in until early evening. There were three of us from Women on Target^® – Carol from Chicago, Esther from Laramie and I from Florida; and we shared a cabin. After going through the formalities, Mark gave an orientation. He was very thorough, reviewing rules, terrain, altitude and difficulty factors and I was getting very nervous …

The next day was dedicated to acclimating ourselves to the altitude and sighting in. The weather was beautiful, so we took the time to play with our optics, glassing at everything around us, and judging distances. The afternoon sun was quite warm, but in the shade, the puddles were still covered with ice. We all looked forward to the morning.

The plan was to be ready to leave at 4:15 AM. We were so excited that we even beat the 3:30 alarm clock! We had a long hike to 12,000 feet, and wanted to be there by 6:40 AM – shooting time. First we rode in a truck with our guide, then hiked up the steep hill. We paced ourselves pretty good, until we heard the first bugling elk. The higher we climbed, the louder the bugling; it’s the most incredible sound. We made it to the top a good 20 minutes early. It was still dark, so we had time to study the silhouettes and catch our breaths. Esther and I took a prone position and hiding on our respective side of a large clump of trees. While I had my eyes on a small bull, waiting for a better look, I heard one loud bang; Esther spotted a 6x6 monster bull and dropped it with one shot. Once we knew for sure he was down and walked over to find him, we realized how big he really was. Even in 20 degree weather, we were hot; laughing, crying, hugging each other; what a fantastic moment.

It took the rest of the day to dress and pack the elk for the trek down. While we helped for the whole process, we gained a lot of respect for the packers, hiking with the quartered animal on their back.

Over the next few days, we got up even earlier and hiked even longer in search of "my" elk. Each morning, Esther and I greeted each other with "let’s go hunting." We packed a lunch and spent the entire day on the mountain. When the elk bedded down, so did we, at 12,000 feet in the sun, savoring every minute of the hunt.

After having spotted several bulls over the last few days, most out of range, my day finally arrived. First, there was a 40-minute ride on an ATV, then a two-hour hike, the goal was to reach the top by 6:30 AM. We were 10 minutes early and found a fairly good rest; there were lots of elk at a distance, still too far for the range finder to pick up.

The next two hours were packed with excitement. Esther stayed behind and Mark and I worked our strategy to get closer. Inching our way from one clump of trees to the next, and from one bundle of rocks to the next, sometimes on our elbows, other times on all fours. We observed, watched and stalked. Waiting for the right moment to make our next move, we had plenty of time to look at all the animals. We watched a cow nursing her young calf and two good-sized bulls fighting.

Lyne (the author) with her 5x5 bull, at 11,750 feet

Our patience and perseverance paid off. A large 5x5 bull came into my sight at 278 yards and disappeared, while another smaller bull stood broadside for what seemed like a very long time. While soul searching, I was confident I could make the shot. I was ready to squeeze the trigger when the larger bull appeared again, surrounded by four cows. The next thing that happened had to be divine intervention … all the cows and bulls started uphill, toward us. My bull was last, and came within 75 yards. I shot once; he went down, while the rest of the herd continued their stampede past Esther, who had stayed behind, but she could guess at the thrill of the hunt that had just taken place.

The day was just beginning, and there was a lot of work to do before heading back to base camp, and snow was coming in. We made it back to camp by 4:30 PM. Dinner was spent telling the hunting stories over and over, reliving every minute. The three of us had tea by the fire in our cabin. It was a perfect hunt! The next day was spent relaxing and making arrangements with the help of the outfitter to get to the meat processor and taxidermist. Snow was now covering the ground and making the hunt even more challenging for the rest of the hunters While some returned home without filling their tag, all left with wonderful memories. As for us, we know we’ll be hunting together again!

Thanks, Women On Target^®!