Photo by Mike GilesRetired outdoors editor Otha Barham displays one of the three turkeys he tagged this season.

Retired outdoors editor Otha Barham raised his Berretta shotgun slowly while taking aim as a gobbler stretched out his neck looking for the unseen hen.

Barham, of Meridian, had climbed up the hill before daylight a few hours earlier in search of his first gobbler of the year. He set up quickly just as he has for most of his turkey hunts over his 84 years. Though he has slowed down a bit and can’t run and gun after the turkeys anymore, Barham’s still got plenty of initiative, patience and woodsmanship which make up for his lack of mobility. Throughout the early morning hours Barham heard gobbles reverberating from the ridgetops and hollows surrounding his blind, but none came in.

The early morning gobbling had died down and noon passed as Barham hunkered down waiting for the tom that was sure to come if he just had enough patience. Though he’d called to them throughout the morning Barham was taking it easy around 2:30 P. M. when he detected movement.

“I looked up and three gobblers came out and started walking towards me and the decoys,” Barham said. “I never even called as they came closer and closer. They came in so close together as they approached the decoys that I had to wait a long time for them to separate for fear of killing them all in one shot.”

Two of the birds pirouetted and spun around leaving a lone gobbler by himself for just a minute.

Ka-Boom roared Barham’s favorite Berretta shotgun and his first bird was tagged. The gobbler had a long beard and sharp spurs and was the icing on the cake for a day in the outdoors well spent.

Number 2:

On his second hunt the veteran of many turkey wars set up his decoys at the crack of dawn and quickly got into his blind.

“Before I could get my mask on there were several hens coming into the field approaching my decoys,” Barham said. “I ducked down and put my mask on and looked up and saw a gobbler strutting towards the decoys. As he came within range, I shot the decoy and he turned and started walking away so I shot again.”

Alas, the veteran proved he was human as he had missed the gobbler. But then a peculiar thing happened. Barham watched as the turkey turned on a dime at the other end of the patch and eyed the decoy intently.

“Low and behold that gobbler went into full strut and came right back to the decoy,” Barham said. “This time I took a fine bead on his red head and squeezed the trigger slowly.”

Boom roared his Berretta for a third time and the gobbler crumpled to the ground and tag number two was history.

“Mike, I never called to that turkey,” Barham said. “I had just enough time to get set up in my blind and turn around and he ran straight to me- And I never even called!”

Two birds down and nary a call made!

Trifecta: Tagged out

On Barham’s third hunt of the year he made his way to another familiar power line in the hills south of Meridian and put out his decoys again.

“I put out the decoys and watched a Longbeard cross the right of way with a keen eye on my decoys,” said Barham. “But he never flinched as he walked by at 80 yards, just out of range. A few minutes later another Jake gobbler came in and walked to the decoys.”

With sundown fast approaching there was precious little time left but just as he thought his day was done, the big Longbeard came back out of the woods into the powerline and pranced right up to the decoys.

“That gobbler came straight to the decoys like he was on a string,” Barham said. “He walked around the decoys and I squeezed the trigger again.”

Tic-boom roared the Beretta shotgun for the third and final time of the 2020 turkey season.

“I’ve never had a season like this before,” said Barham. “I went hunting three times and killed three gobblers and never called a time!”

Astonishingly Otha Barham had tagged out in his Mississippi turkey limit quest in only three hunts. At a time when many are bemoaning the times we live in; Barham is taking advantage of every opportunity and breaking down barriers!

Call Mike Giles at 601-917-3898 or email mikegiles18@comast.net.