Iowa State: Paul Gets a Turkey First

My mind tells me it was March or April, 1989, and that I heard the story in Paul and Ed’s room…and if Paul‘s involved, you KNOW there’s going to be a goodstory. So why would this be different? (The reality–turkey hunting is a fall activity, so I know my recollection of the date is off.)

Paul and Ed were roommates from their arrival at Iowa State until I graduated in Spring, 1989. They’d known each other in high school and got along pretty well as roommates (obvious if they roomed together more than a semester or year, right?)

The one area where they were different was outdoors. Paul loved sports and was a great high school golfer. Ed didn’t care for competitive sports; instead, he liked fishing and hunting. In fact, Paul had never been fishing or hunting in his life and Ed went regularly as a father-son experience with his dad, and that’s where we start.

In all the years Ed had gone hunting with his dad, he’d bagged deer and pheasants, but he’d never been able to shoot a wild turkey, not once in a dozen years of going out with his dad to try. This frustrated Ed to no end.

So it’s a Sunday, close to dinner–Sundays we went out to eat since the dining halls were closed–and I went the two doors down to their room to see if they had plans. Paul had the same grin he had the night of the poker incident from a year on, on that Sunday. Paul couldn’t hide his mirth/glee–ever. Ed didn’t look as happy. He’d just gotten back from going out hunting turkeys with his dad (Paul had gone home for the weekend as well, if I remember correctly).

Ed said hi, Paul said “Hey, Jim” in a real fast tone–which meant he was ready to burst. He didn’t wait for me to say anything, continuing, “Sooooo….wanna hear about my weekend?”

Of course, especially seeing Ed was DREADING Paul talking. See, Ed once again was shut out with his hunting. Thirteen years, no luck. Paul? Well, he had bad luck with his car driving back to Ames. Halfway back, he was driving on HWY 30 when a wild turkey flew in front of his car, smacking the grill at 55mph (90k/h for anyone in the rest of the world).

Yup.

Paul, the non-hunter, bagged a turkey in return for a dinged grill. Paul now had a higher turkey count than Ed…who’d been trying for one for more than a decade. And Paul was happy to share that comparison through a bunch of laughter. To be fair–my recollection is that Ed understood the humor of it and wasn’t actually mad. Over several days, Paul suggested that maybe Ed needed a car rather than a shotgun. He asked if Ed wanted any pointers for the following weekend from a known turkey-killer. Paul wondered whether he needed a turkey-hunting license for when he headed back to Cedar Rapids/Marion the next weekend–do you need a hunting license when you are driving a car??

At some point a few years later–I think the spring before I got married–Ed finally did bag a turkey, but I don’t remember that for sure. In the intervening decades, I’ve lost touch with Ed though I’m told he’s still in northeast Nebraska, still hunting, and with a happy family. Paul?? He’s out in San Diego and will probably read this, laugh his butt off, and hopefully correct any of this I’ve got wrong.

As always with these memories, it’s so nice to remember the good times. Very little bad remains now that decades have passed. I am blessed to have lived with guys who were/are friends.