From Rattlesnakes to Longbeards: My First Texas Turkey and a Perfect Double

I had just gotten back from Alabama… still riding the high from days spent learning, listening, and soaking in every bit of knowledge I could from Beretta and Shoot Like A Girl. It lit a fire in me. One I wasn’t about to let burn out.

So I brought it home to South Texas.

This property and I had history… and not the kind you brag about. Every time I’d hunted it before, I left with rattlesnakes and nothing else. But this time felt different. Maybe it was the confidence. Maybe it was the preparation. Either way, I knew I wasn’t walking in the same hunter I had been before.

We scouted the evening prior, watching the birds, listening carefully, pinning down their roost. A plan formed easily, like it was meant to. By 6 a.m., we eased the truck to a stop and stepped out into the quiet dark. Snake boots laced tight (because out here, you don’t forget the past, you just learn from it)

Two decoys went out. We tucked ourselves into the brush and waited for the world to wake up.

Then it happened.

Gobble.

Then another.

And another.

The kind of sound that hits you right in the chest.

We called just enough. Soft, subtle, inviting, not begging. And they answered. Right at first light, we heard wings cut through the air as they pitched down from the roost. 

Moments later, two jakes appeared at the edge of the field, cautious but curious. Then came the longbeards. Two toms, strutting in like they owned the place.

We stayed patient.

At 50 yards, they lingered. It would’ve been an easy shot. But I didn’t want easy, I wanted it done right. I wanted them in the decoys. Maybe it’s the waterfowl hunter in me, but I needed to see it all come together.

So we waited.

The jakes hung back, unsure. But the toms… they committed. Step by step, they closed the distance until they were inside 25 yards, locked on our setup.

This was it.

I tried to coordinate the shot with my boyfriend, but he was behind the camera, capturing it all. So I made the call.

My heart was pounding. Hands shaking. Every ounce of adrenaline rushing through me—but underneath it all was something new… control.

I settled the sight on the biggest tom.

One shot.

One Hevi Magnum Blend shell.

And just like that, it was over.

A perfect headshot.

I sat there for a second in disbelief. 

Everything we had planned, everything I had learned… it all came together in that single moment.

Then I heard another shot.

He dropped his bird too. Not quite as textbook, but clean, ethical, and just as meaningful.

We looked at each other, both realizing it at the same time… 

Our first double.

My first Texas bird.

And proof that sometimes, when you put in the work, trust what you’ve learned, and stay patient…

Everything finally comes together exactly the way it’s supposed to.

I am beyond blessed to live this life. To be surrounded by people who support me. To have a God who loves me and gives me the ability to enjoy this land. 

Thank you Beretta, Shoot Like a Girl, Lady Outdoor Lifestyles, Britten Shoemaker, my mom, and a ton of other brands, people, and landowners who have allowed these stories to become reality.