The woods won't be the same: Remembering an old friend

My buddy was an upbeat sort of guy.

Keith Barnett was always smiling, regardless of whether we were sitting around a coffee pot 30 minutes before first light, after an evening of staying up a bit too late or after the strenuous job of dragging a harvested buck out of the hills. Rain or shine, heat or cold, my buddy savored every minute he spent in the outdoors.

He loved just being there and his enthusiasm was transparent and infectious.

Barnett was all about the experience. Harvesting the biggest buck in the woods or turkey gobbler with the longest beard was considered a bonus to the pure joy of being out when the leaves were turning into their autumn hues, when the woods in spring were coming to life or in the dead of winter listening to the mesmerizing sounds of a passing flock of Sandhill Cranes.

Barnett always had a plan to outfox the game or fish that he dearly loved to pursue.

As with all things outdoors related, the majority of Barnett's plans were based on solid information he had learned from a lifetime spent in the outdoors.

But occasionally, his plans were based on hunches.

I remember one such hunch during spring turkey season a couple years ago that came very close to working out for us. The results were down right comical.

"Luke, I've been hearing a gobbler sound off every morning from the top of a hill not far from camp," I remember him saying before good shooting light one morning in April. "Why he's there I don't know. Most of the hens are down in the pecan bottoms, but he sounds like a big one. Haven't seen him, but I bet he would be worth hunting. Let's ease in there and see if I can call him up.

"You do the shooting with your bow and I'll do the calling."

Now, there are easier things to accomplish than killing a mature gobbler with archery equipment, but Barnett knew my devotion to the sport.

At the break of dawn, at a time when turkeys are usually still on their roost, Barnett cut loose with a few subtle hen yelps. His calling was instantly answered by a booming gobble that appeared to be coming from some live oaks only 60 yards away. Within one minute, a sure-nuff long beard was strutting and gobbling his way to my position behind a makeshift blind.

The bird stopped about 25 yards out, turned broadside to me, strutted and stared intently at the hen decoy we had swaying in the breeze.

I placed the 20-yard pin on the center of the turkey, nudged the release and sent the arrow on its way. This bird was wired and probably saw me draw or possibly heard the twang of my bowstring.

Regardless of what spooked him, he spooked.

The trophy bird jumped straight up 3 feet. My arrow flew exactly where I aimed, but the turkey was well out of harm's way. When the bird hit the ground, his legs were churning. He was running and flapping his wings in attempts to become airborne. Barnett was hid in some brush directly in the bird's path. For whatever reason, just as the bird left the ground and sailed over Barnett's position, my buddy stood up and attempted to grab the turkey.

If there is anything more difficult than arrowing a mature gobbler, it's catching one with your bare hands.

Don't know if Barnett actually touched the bird, but from my vantage point it looked like he came very close. We spent the next few minutes on the ground rolling with laughter. Barnett had an old saying, "Anything can and often does take place in the great outdoors,"

The big gobbler had proven him right.

The last time I saw Barnett, he, my son Drew and I were outside the cabin at the lodge. Barnett was about to embark on a new chapter in his live and was looking forward to a move back to the Waco area.

"Luke, you and Drew come down this summer and let's do some fishing together at Lake Waco or Whitney," he said. "Y'all take care and be careful."

I remember him smiling as he turned and headed back toward his cabin.

My son and I never made that summer fishing trip with Barnett, but we did get pictures he sent of a big white bass landed here or a striper there. Barnett enjoyed being with his family and friends, back in his old stomping grounds around Waco and China Springs.

Come next spring, I am making plans to be back on this hilltop where Barnett and I had the hilarious encounter with the boss gobbler.

And to tell you the truth, I don't care if I kill the bird or not, just want to call him in close and take his picture. It will remind me of my ole' hunting buddy. I'm positive Barnett is in hunters' heaven now and if there are any Big Woods beyond the Pearly Gates, I'll know where to find him.

Dove, teal, Canada goose seasons set

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regulations Committee has approved the 2012-13 Texas early migratory game bird seasons, including a 70-day season and 15-bird daily bag statewide for dove, a 16-day early season statewide for teal and 16-day early season for Canada geese in the Eastern Goose Zone.

Texas dove season in the North and Central Dove Zones will run Sept. 1-Oct. 24 and reopen Dec. 22-Jan. 6 with a 15-bird daily bag and not more than two white-tipped doves.

The South Zone dove season will run Sept. 21-Oct. 28, reopening Dec. 22-Jan. 22 with a 15-bird daily bag and not more than two white-tipped doves.

The Special White-winged Dove Area will be restricted to afternoon-only (noon to sunset) hunting the first two weekends in September (1-2 and 8-9) and reopen when the regular South Zone season begins Sept. 21-Oct. 28 and again from Dec. 22-Jan. 18. The Special White-winged Dove Area season takes four of the allowable 70 days, so when the regular season opens this area must close four days earlier than the rest of the South Zone. During the early two weekends, the daily bag limit is 15 birds, to include no more than four mourning doves and two white-tipped doves. Once the general season opens, the aggregate bag limit will be 15 with no more than two white-tipped doves.

Early teal season runs Sept. 15-30 statewide with a daily bag limit of four teal. The early Canada goose season is also Sept. 15-30 in the East Goose Zone with a bag limit of three Canada geese. The possession limit is twice the daily bag limit.

Listen to Outdoors with Luke Clayton at: catfishradio.com. Email Luke with hunting and fishing news at: lukeclayton@prodigy.net.

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