Nothing brings family together like traditions.  When that tradition includes an interlude with nature, especially when hunting is involved, lifelong bonds are secured.  This spring, during the opening week of Turkey Season, there was much to celebrate when 3 generations from the same family each tagged a tom.

First up was the patriarch of the family, Richard Compeau, age 85.  This was actually his first turkey, though his hunting experience of other wildlife has been an important part of his life from his early years.  On this day, Richard was sitting in a tent blind with his son, Greg.  Set up in a big field, with no decoys and no turkey calls, they patiently waited, “old style,” is how Richard described it.  Before long, they saw a tom, but in the distance just to the south of the berm.  Richard was hunting with his 20-gauge Springfield Savage he’d purchased in Massachusetts where he was stationed in the navy in 1958.  He was offered a larger gun for the hunt but preferred his “60-year-old gem” as it was much more comfortable being lighter weight.  In those days, he’d often hunted pheasant and a lot of small game.  He’d tried other guns over the years but always came back to his 20-gauge.  He’d also enjoyed shooting clay pigeons from time to time.  This skill would come in handy when a second tom came onto the scene.  The plan was for Richard to await the directive from his son Greg, just one word… “Shoot!”  And so it was that Richard responded in kind, with the first shot hitting a wing, causing tom to veer to the left before taking flight.  Richard immediately got off a second shot, and down tom went, much like a clay pigeon!

A few days later, Greg and his son, Kade, filled tags together, sitting in the same blind.  To their delight, “two toms came in and didn’t leave,” as Richard put it.

Richard will turn 86 in May.  Though he crossed the arctic circle and the equator in the same year back in his navy days, nothing compares to being back home in Michigan, spending time with family.  He is an inspiration and serves as a testament to the rewards of staying active and prioritizing family.  You’re never too old to make new memories and celebrate each day as the gift it truly is.