Ray Eye Goes Home
When you're one of the best turkey hunters in the country, you rarely find the time to hunt on your own. When you do, the memories are all that more sweet.
This is a short story about a turkey hunt , a turkey hunt on May, 5 2009 , but yet a trip back in time, back to yesteryear, back when life was much simpler, a trip back home to the hills, back to Johnson Mountain, back in time to relive my boyhood memories and my early days of turkey hunting.. I cannot put into words my experience of hunting alone this morning in the Ozark Mountains... To hear gobbling closing in—the spit-and-drum...movement in front of my gun...the sound of wings dragging over the rocks...the sounds of other turkeys gobbling across the mountains. There is nowhere in the world where gobbling sounds so wild—so exhilarating. The Ozark Ghosts were singing their love song in the rugged remote wilderness on this morning ... Then the echo from the sound of my gunshot disappearing into the distance, across the hills and hollers... A feeling I cannot describe, hunting the Mountain just as I did as a small boy ............ I was not able to hunt the area of Johnson MT where I took my first turkey, which was my plan. The road was gated and closed, hunters were parked at the other old road that leads to my tree of my 1962 hunt . But I also hunted this morning's area when I was a boy and after I got married. I hunted here with Sara, my daughter, when she was a little girl. I hunted here with my wife, Janet. It is the saddle between Johnson, Logan and Pruitt mountains—sacred ground I hunted there with my dad, grandpa , my uncle Lee, my cousins, brothers and friends from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and early 90s ........ I took a trip back home this morning
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Comments (9)
Mr. Eye is a great turkey hunter.Beautiful pictures.
Thank you Mr.Eye for sharing your photos and memories with us.If anyone who doesn't know why hunters hunt,would only read Mr. Eye's stories they would know and possible understand.
Ray Eye is the " Living Legend " in the hunting 'word and especially in the hunting world. He has touched so many lives in the hunting world with his wisdom of experience in the hunting woods. He loves kids and kids love him. Just ask the kids what they call him, " Uncle Ray " . He's not only a professional in the hunting world , but he makes hunting a fun experience. Scouting, picnics in the woods, numerous photo's, video's everything that goes on during a hunt, know's all the cool places to eat, all with his fun and humerous personality. His photo's of the Ozarks are breath taking and a what back in time. So much history in the Ozarks as well as the beauty of the woods, hollers, bluffs, rivers, dog woods, morning birds, to name a few.. If you ever get a chance to talk to Ray Eye, ask him to share his boyhood memories growing up in the Ozarks. There are many to share. I consider it an honor to have heard just a few of them.
(first pic) SEE WHAT TURKEYS DO TO YA'(lol)
Mr. Eye, tanks for the pics, and the memorys(could have done with out the tears though). My Grand-dad is who started me on this journey we call turkey hunting too(I miss him). From one Ozark boy(Ark.) to another. Thank you for all YOU have taught me over the years. I think your Grand-pa/Grand-Ma would be proud of you.
Ray Eye's office is the woods. The turkey are his co-workers or maybe the turkeys work for Eye. That's the way it seems when Eye is working a bird. He just doesn't call like you or me, he gets inside their head. He knows what the bird is going to do before it does.
Eye hunts hard and works even harder to educate turkey hunters.
When a bird gives me the slip, I ask myself, What would Ray do?
Ray Eye is the real deal. Even though he travels far and wide to both hunt turkeys and educate turkey hunters, (better than anyone on earth) he has not forgotten from whence he came. He means it when he says "sacred ground".
Ray, the places you mention and the photos bring back memories for me. Thanks for the tour. We hunted off DD for about 10 years. Made a trip up on Johnson Mountain with Dave Hodnett. The one eye guy who dropped his glass eye in your hand at the Laughery Valley Party Night.
Nice photo of Council Bluff Lake and could put myself in the woods around it.
The Indiana Crew has been the last nine years hunting Daniel Boone National Forest at Cave Run Lake in Kentucky. Pioneer Weapons Area.
I can appreciate a big time hunter/guide like yourself would still be thrilled to hunt home ground and public land to boot.
I appreciate being included while you share your trip.
Gary Johnson
Laughery Valley Fish and Game
nice pictures
With moist eyes I remember sacred ground hunts, they are truly the best reason we hunt or what we hunt for. All hunters understand.
Thanks for sharing yours.
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Ray, the places you mention and the photos bring back memories for me. Thanks for the tour. We hunted off DD for about 10 years. Made a trip up on Johnson Mountain with Dave Hodnett. The one eye guy who dropped his glass eye in your hand at the Laughery Valley Party Night.
Nice photo of Council Bluff Lake and could put myself in the woods around it.
The Indiana Crew has been the last nine years hunting Daniel Boone National Forest at Cave Run Lake in Kentucky. Pioneer Weapons Area.
I can appreciate a big time hunter/guide like yourself would still be thrilled to hunt home ground and public land to boot.
I appreciate being included while you share your trip.
Gary Johnson
Laughery Valley Fish and Game
(first pic) SEE WHAT TURKEYS DO TO YA'(lol)
Mr. Eye, tanks for the pics, and the memorys(could have done with out the tears though). My Grand-dad is who started me on this journey we call turkey hunting too(I miss him). From one Ozark boy(Ark.) to another. Thank you for all YOU have taught me over the years. I think your Grand-pa/Grand-Ma would be proud of you.
Ray Eye is the " Living Legend " in the hunting 'word and especially in the hunting world. He has touched so many lives in the hunting world with his wisdom of experience in the hunting woods. He loves kids and kids love him. Just ask the kids what they call him, " Uncle Ray " . He's not only a professional in the hunting world , but he makes hunting a fun experience. Scouting, picnics in the woods, numerous photo's, video's everything that goes on during a hunt, know's all the cool places to eat, all with his fun and humerous personality. His photo's of the Ozarks are breath taking and a what back in time. So much history in the Ozarks as well as the beauty of the woods, hollers, bluffs, rivers, dog woods, morning birds, to name a few.. If you ever get a chance to talk to Ray Eye, ask him to share his boyhood memories growing up in the Ozarks. There are many to share. I consider it an honor to have heard just a few of them.
Ray Eye's office is the woods. The turkey are his co-workers or maybe the turkeys work for Eye. That's the way it seems when Eye is working a bird. He just doesn't call like you or me, he gets inside their head. He knows what the bird is going to do before it does.
Eye hunts hard and works even harder to educate turkey hunters.
When a bird gives me the slip, I ask myself, What would Ray do?
With moist eyes I remember sacred ground hunts, they are truly the best reason we hunt or what we hunt for. All hunters understand.
Thanks for sharing yours.
Ray Eye is the real deal. Even though he travels far and wide to both hunt turkeys and educate turkey hunters, (better than anyone on earth) he has not forgotten from whence he came. He means it when he says "sacred ground".
Thank you Mr.Eye for sharing your photos and memories with us.If anyone who doesn't know why hunters hunt,would only read Mr. Eye's stories they would know and possible understand.
nice pictures
Mr. Eye is a great turkey hunter.Beautiful pictures.
Post a Comment (200 characters or less)