Hunters enjoy grand times chasing grand slams

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Most turkey hunters are happy to kill one bird a year, but Jackie Rauls and Wayne Richardson make a habit of bagging an annual grand slam.

A grand slam is killing the four major species of North American wild turkeys in one season. They include the Osceola turkey of Florida, the eastern, the Rio Grande and the Merriam’s. It’s a premier hunting accomplishment. Rauls has done it three years in a row, and Richardson has done it two years in a row.

Rauls, of Rison, is a retired industrial supplies salesman. He has two replacement knees and a replacement hip. He stands about 6-4 and says he weighs about 300 pounds. Richardson was the longtime baseball coach at Watson Chapel High School. In addition to his two turkey grand slams, he also has coached Watson Chapel to four state championships and helped coach the football team to a state title.

A key to their success, Rauls said, is having good, private places to hunt. Those come from making friends, and Rauls said he and Richardson have cultivated those relationships with old-fashioned southern grace. They bring their hosts fresh fish and fry them, and they invite them to Arkansas to hunt deer.

“We’ve had good southern fish fries in five states, but this year I was afraid we might have outdone ourselves,” Rauls said. “In Kentucky, we had a fish fry last year for Mr. Jim Coffey. When I called him this year, he asked me, ‘Jackie, are you bringing any fish?’ ”

Yep.

“Mr. Coffey said, ‘Well, good, because I was going to tell you that if you ain’t bringing no fish, then don’t come.’ ”

They ended up feeding nearly 20 people at Coffey’s place.

This year’s slam started in March in Florida, where Rauls and Richardson killed two Osceolas apiece. Because of hybridization between Osceola and eastern turkeys, Rauls said they only hunt south of Gainesville to ensure that they get purebred Osceolas. Rauls killed one bird on the outskirts of Orlando, but they killed their biggest birds near a crossroads called Illypaw. Theyhad 1 ½-inch spurs and 12-inch beards.

In April, they killed eastern birds in Kentucky and Tennessee. Rauls’ biggest bird weighed 24 pounds and had 1 3/8-inch spurs. Richardson’s best eastern weighed 20 pounds and had 1¼ -inch spurs.

Then, they were off to Kansas to chase Rio Grandes in May. Rauls’ best bird weighed 19 pounds and had 1¼-inch spurs. That bird was hunkered down in tall grass waiting for Rauls to pass. When Rauls made eye contact with the gobbler, it flushed.

“It took off like a 747,” Rauls said. “I shot him out of the air. I’ve never shot one out of the air before. It was the prettiest shot I ever made in my life.”

Richardson’s Rio weighed 19 pounds and had 1 1/8-inch spurs.

“They looked like twins,” Rauls said. “I’ve never seen spurs that were needle-sharp. Usually they’re kind of blunted, but these were as sharp as needles.”

Their journey ended near Valentine, Neb. Rauls killed a Merriam’s that weighed 23 pounds and had 1¼ -inch spurs. Richardson’s Merriam’s weighed 24 pounds with 1¼ -inch spurs.

Richardson worked all day to get his Merriam’s. Rauls said several big gobblers and a flock of hens flew off the roost and went away from the hunters. They hopscotched each other for hours trying to get in front of the turkeys, but the birds moved too fast.

About 12:15 p.m., Rauls gave up and went back to the truck for a cup of coffee and a sausage biscuit. He waited. And waited. And waited. About 3:30 p.m., Richardson trudged back to the truck with a gobbler slung across his shoulder.

“He said, ‘I did everything I knew to do,’ ” Rauls said. “He said he sat down to rest and ‘those stinking turkeys turned around and came back to me.’ ”

As we spoke, Rauls said several whitetail bucks were in his yard eating corn.

“Deer don’t make my blood pressure go up the way they used to,” Rauls said. “But stick me in Florida at daylight when those Osceolas tune up, and it’ll go up 20 points.”

His beards and fans are mounted on plaques in his living room.

“Every time I walk past them, it brings up memories of how, when and where,” Rauls said. “Those turkey tails and beards and spurs are my most fulfilling trophies. I love it. I can’t tell you how much I love it.”

Sports, Pages 37 on 09/22/2013