O4-MAY-B-5

 

EASTERN SHORE MARYLAND,

UP ACROSS THE BAY BRIDGE TUNNEL AND THE ARRIVAL IN TIME FOR THE TROPHY COLLECTION AND TURKEY HUNTING OF MARYLAND SPRING SEASON 2004: COLLECTION OF TROPHIES IN PARKER’S TAXIDERMY, AND DELIVERY OF THE NEW ONES TO GINA TYLER’S IN CRISFIELD, WITH A DAWN SIGHTING OF A SPLENDID PAIR OF TURKEY GOBBLERS IN FULL STRUT,

AND AFTERNOON CELEBRATIONS AT TURNER’S SCULPTURES, GATSBY’S ANTIQUES, AND SCI CHESAPEAKE CHAPTER AND A SALISBURY

BIRTHDAY PARTY

 

May 14—16, 2004

 

            This was a bit of a multi-tasking whirlwind in multiple venues on the Eastern Shore, coming up from Op Smile in Norfolk across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.  I had been intrigued since last fall there was the inaugural run across the Bridge Tunnel which is marathon in length.  If it were not too near the Marine Corps Marathon, I should try to come down to join the Magees and run the next one.

 

            As I drove the Audi north with my $2.00 gas, I saw the signs for Turner’s Art Gallery.  I remembered the story of the person who had been the dentist who preferred his sculpting and art work and now runs this rather up market sculpture gallery with high price tags.  I stopped in to see if this should be the kind of place from which I should get the intertwined giraffes I had seen in carvings in Zambia that I am puzzled about how to get back home.  I got their catalogs, and spoke with Dr. Turner hand his son, and took a few pictures of their outdoor art work, and it is beautiful—and about ten to thirty times more expensive than I wish to finance.  Fortunately, Craig and Carol made a big discovery of a similar kind of sculpture, art and antique store, with a big difference in price since they have a different origin—their stuff comes from India or China in big containers—including wildlife trophies already mounted.  This gallery is called Gatsby’s in St. Michaels’ and this may be the solution to the art work I ma thinking of that I don’t already have from my own travels which, of course, has made each piece far more memorable.

 

            I then headed off on a search.  I have never found Parkers’ Taxidermy without getting thoroughly lost, and this was no exception.  I made it to Willards, and then wandered the back roads asking a couple of times, and getting conflicting advice.  I finally found it and came in to see the two deer and one full mount red fox from the 2002 season that I had brought in, including the Pine Creek Canyon buck and the “Shot in the Dark” buck at Bill Webster’s and the long range fox shot from the Vo Tech School, all in 2002.  All the trophies were ready for pick up and that would leave only the last fall’s buck with Gina Tyler in Crisfield, and the recalcitrant “Phantom of the Derwood Deer Woods’ hung up in the tug of war with crazy Charlie at North American Taxidermy who wants to double charge me twice, with lawyers in correspondence with him.  The big news came by cell phone call from Craig as I was under way.  The tanned wolverine hide and skull had just arrived from Alaska and had not been forwarded to Marcus Zimmerman—let’s see what Gina might think about this!

 

 

            I picked up the two deer an the fox and drove back a circuitous way to get to Trappe, where I joined Craig an Carol at a pasta place in Easton, and caught up with what is going on at the office.  While there, Bill Webster called urging me to get on down to Princess Anne since he says the tom turkeys have been coming out at the edge of the field ands strutting at 7:15 AM.  So, I stayed packed up, and drove to Princess Anne where Bill and I talked for a while before turning in to get up at 5:00 AM to get out and brave the ticks at the edge of the warm woods and camouflage behind a hen and a jake decoy with a box call.  I got tangled up in briars and sat behind two trees with a narrow gap in front.  I waited until the sun began to rise at about 6:00 Am as I heard the turkeys clucking and gobbling in the trees to my right.

 

THE GLORIOUS SIGHT OF SPRING TURKEYS

IN FULL STRUT WITH THE BRIGHT MORNING SUN

SLANTING OFF THEIR COPPERY BRONZE AND RED WHITE AND BLUE DISPLAY JUST OFF MY LETHAL RANGE

 

            Bill was wrong.  It happened at 7:11 AM.  I had watched the sun come up and tried not to swat a few mosquitoes when I saw a turkey colme out and walk just along the clover in front of me passing the decoys.  It was a hen turkey and all I wanted to do is keep from being spotted.  As I looked to my right, I could hardly believe my eyes, and wished very much for a video camera.

 

            Two big tom turkeys came out of the woods in full strut.  They were pirouetting and vibrating with their wings scraping the ground and great tail fans spread.  They had been silent, as I had been after my original few clucks.  The bigger of the two was the furthest one, as you might have guessed, and he had a double beard, one about four inches and the other well over twice as long.  He was preening and prancing, admiring his own display in the dazzling clear light of the dawn sun.  It was too good to be true.  I could have shot at any time but the range was just at fifty yards which I would reach, but not a killing shot, and the birds would flee into the woods where they would not be seen.  It was too good a show to stop.

 

            I tried not to move, but needed to turn my shotgun barrel from between the trees to the right side of the one on my right.   I waited as the one bird came prancing up toward the decoys, clearly intent on scaring the jake to disappear.  He got within about forty yards, but the bigger bird just kept puffed up and strutting.  I waited until the second bird was behind the tree in my view and then inched the shotgun barrel around from the tree in which I was tangled in briars and actually had to tug it to get it back.  I was in full camouflage, and so well concealed that when Bill came to me later, he walked to within five feet of me before he saw me only because I said hello to him.  But the shiny barrel of the shotgun must have attracted the attention of the tom turkey out of sight in front f me in the morning sun, since as I concentrated on the tom turkey to my right, I turned to level the barrel at perhaps 45 yards when I heard one soft “Cut!” 

 

            As if by a pin poked into a balloon, the big tom facing away from me deflated, and never looking in my direction, alerted by his buddy only that something was not right, he froze.  I still had the shoot or not to shoot option, but I did not want to run the high risk of wounding so magnificent a bird.  I knew I would hit him, but I was unsure that I would kill him outright, so I watched as the lesser of the toms walked by me and slunk over to where the other one stayed stock still, and with the safety off, I looked down the barrel at him as he slipped away back into the woods.  I would have swapped the shotgun at any point for a good video telephoto of this show.

 

            I am also glad for the decision that let the bird walk without a pellet in him.  This will also get me another chance at them at the last weekend of the hunt next week.  If I had burned all bridges, and if, worse, I had wounded an unretrieved bird, I would not have had a chance to see his same sight again.  I made pans to return and change my schedule around.

 

            Bill was as intrigued with my story as if he had seen it himself.  He was eager that we get back to do it all over again.  I pulled one small deer tick off my arm and found another later in the skin with a lot f reaction around it.  I hope that this one was innocent of any contact with Lyme Disease.  We went immediately to Mom’s Café in Princess Anne where Bill; is know by everyone there and we had a steak and eggs breakfast.  We came back to his house to change, and packed up the wolverine hide for me to go with Bill to see his former student Gina Tyler in Crisfield.  She is just starting out in the taxidermy business, carrying a name that could not be more classic of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and is eager to make her mark in artistic expression.  When we whispered by phone that I might have a wolverine hide with me, she could not contain her enthusiasm.  “Of course, this is the third one of these brought in this week,” I said.  She has not only ever done one, but has never seen one.  It would be the centerpiece of her portfolio to start with such a trophy.  If I had Marcus Zimmerman do his usual artistic and expensive job, it would be not very special for him, but this will be a lifetime achievement for her.  I told her I had a red fox and this wolverine and I wanted each on a good pedestal mount, probably of oak, and that they should match so I would bring in the red fox to show her and also bring in the photo albums that will show her the wolverine in life as well as immediately after I got him.  If I can do all that by next weekend and she could get the deer mount started, perhaps I could pick up the one, drop off the plaques and the other items as we come back to hunt turkeys.

 

            This would mean that when I rendezvous with Dale Kramer on Tuesday of next week to hang the rest of the trophies and may hopefully have the Phantom of the Derwood Deer Woods retrieved by then, all the wall mounts will be in place, the lip of the snow sheep will be in repair with the trophy mounting pins and glue I had picked up at parkers’ and the only things awaited will be the two pedestal mounts with the masterpiece wolverine the next delivery to be awaited.  We will see how much of this wish list can come together, but at least we are straightening out some of the trophy problems, and can hope for a new turkey fan tail to replace the one that mice chewed away.

 

DRIVE BACK TO THREE EASTERN SHORE PARTIES,

TOURING BILL WEBSTER THROUGH THE SCHAEFERS’ HOUSE AT TRAPPE, VISITING THE GATSBY’S GALLERY,

AND THEN ATTENDING THE SCI CHESAPEAKE CHAPTER

WILD GAME DINNER WITH BILL AS A NEW MEMBER, AND ENDING AT A SALISBURY BIRTHDAY PARTY

 

            After Bill and I got ready to go to the SCI Chesapeake Chapter business meeting and wild game dinner after preliminary stops, I drove out and waited for him to follow me.  I saw no one driving out behind me and I had the Audi loaded with the three trophies.  I then saw Bill walking down the lane.  His fan belt had slipped off the pulley and he needed a ride.  So, I had to off load the three trophies in his garage to get room enough for him to colme in.  We went to Trappe Maryland so that Bill could see for the first time the new Schaefer house, before he comes next month and sees mine.  After Bill toured the house, we got in the Mercedes and drove to St Michaels to see the Gatsby’s Gallery of antiques and sculptures that are a fraction of the Turner price.  Amazingly they had some big game trophies present as well bought from some estate sales.  They had a big cape buffalo at about half the cost for mounting one, and a leopard mount for about four thousand dollars.  If I had lost some of my own trophies and still wanted to have one as a souvenir, I could replace it from among those I saw here along with zebra skins etc.  They had several items that would go well in the game room but I must see how the big picture falls in, and Sandy Shelar is coming over to talk about wall hangings and the final decor items later next week. I need from her the newspaper story of Diane Blank the artist who had hand painted the splash tiles in the kitchen and the suggestions on the T’nalak and other items from around the world as well as the wall hangings and souvenirs that I have still not unpacked.  If the trophies are all hung and the souvenirs are distributed, then we can see how many “holes” are left to be filled in by such items as carpets or any other things that will still be needed for completion.  It is still too wet, and it is still impossible for me to get the lawn mower out and cut through the two feet high grass that has grown up in the year since the lawn has been mowed.  Only much later this summer can we get to the exterior landscaping and design of what may come next to incorporate the garden area as part of the usable space in my lot.

 

            We then went to the Cambridge Maryland Waterloo Farm for the Chesapeake Chapter Business meeting and annual Game Dinner.  I knew Bill Webster’s birthday was coming up, so I made him a present of the next two year’s membership in the Chesapeake Chapter—this means his dues are paid up and my own are not.  He looks wistfully around the big farm and the game rooms and says “I’m sure to be the only one of the members who has taught school for 28 years!”  I replied that he was twice the turkey hunter of anyone present, even if he was off by four minutes on when the two big tom turkeys would come strutting in on me this morning.

 

            We ate wild boar, black buck, pheasants galore, and any amount of rare venison’s.  It was good and not at all bad for you as most meat orgies might be.  We paid our respects to the Killets, Bob and Mary who are headed to Australia to hunt the Bantang, and then will make a return trip to Derwood to measure the big stag and a few other trophies, and to see the remodeling project of the Game Room as they are “90% finished “ with their reconstruction project begun around the same time.

 

            We then went to a fortieth birthday party for a colleague of the Peninsula General hospital era in Salisbury, by which time Bill and I had been up for a very long time.  He drove home to Princess Anne, as I put my shotgun in his car to have it ready when I arrive just before a Friday gun show which might have a Parker double at auction.  So, I will go to see Craig and together we will go to Princess Anne to have dinner and go to the gun show and see if I can collect a souvenir that a friend has wanted all his life.  We will make a good weekend of it next week, and maybe see those two tome turkeys in full strut again—at a little closer range to be sure of adding one of them to the trophy collection.

 

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