The Selma Times-Journal

Turkey hunters almost always say the same thing – it’s much harder than hunting deer.

Maybe that’s why they take so much pleasure in associating with one another.

Members of the Blaster Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation held their annual spring meeting and banquet Friday night at Lions Park.

“I just like being outdoors and doing things you wouldn’t be able to do otherwise,” 19-year-old Pitt Hughes said. “My father started me out hunting, and I enjoy being with people I don’t normally get to see.”

Hughes is a product of the JAKES (Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship) program, which encourages hunters 12 years and younger to get involved with turkey hunting. He said he has been hunting since the age of 10.

The Selma chapter is recognized nationally for providing steady financial support to activities that aid turkey hunting and related outdoor activities.

They also are able to help increase the popularity of a sport whose difficulty seems to be its best feature.

“It takes a lot of skill and a lot of patience,” NWTF member Robert Fancher said. “There’s a lot of walking and a lot of scouting. Turkeys see so well, they can pick up on the slightest movement.”