For some, turkey hunting is just a hobby that comes and goes every season. For others, turkey hunting is a passion that is deeply loved in every aspect of their life, and for Johnny McKinion and his son Buck, it is exactly that. Out of that select group who have the passion for turkey hunting, not all get to experience as many joys and triumphs during their season as others. McKinion and his son, however, are part of that group who got to experience a long list of joys this turkey season; ones that will be held as fond memories for both of them for years to come.
McKinon is a native of Brandon, MS. He currently resides in Pelahatchie, MS where he serves as Regional Director of the National Wildlife Turkey Federation for Northern Louisiana.
“You know; a lot of people love their kids. But ‘ole Buck came along, and let me tell you; that kid is hands down my best friend,” McKinon said.
McKinion began introducing his son to hunting turkey when he was six years old. After that first year, Buck was ready to always be out chasing turkeys the next season.
“For a seven-year-old, I was really blessed. He was able to kill a really big bird that year. That’s what fueled the fire for him,” McKinnon said.
After that, McKinion was able to take his son on hunting trips to Texas and Kansas, which further developed his passion for turkey hunting that became a special bond for the two.
“This year in particular though was just a really special year. Before this year, I never really let him do any of the stuff by himself; I wanted to teach him what was going on. This year while I was out on the road, he did all of the scouting by himself,” McKinion said.
The season really took off for the two at the end of youth season, after the end of a long rain. All of the areas where Buck had originally scouted at the beginning of the year had been flooded, but the two still went to check the spot out once McKinion arrived back home. Once they arrived at the spot Sunday afternoon, the water had receded, and there were tracks everywhere. The next morning, they headed back out to the same spot.
“I’m fixing to be forty-six years old, so my hearing isn’t maybe as good as it used to be. We got there and it was pitch black, so I’m fiddling around, getting my stuff together. And Buck looks at me and says ‘Alright old man, you need to hurry up,’ I asked what he was talking about, and he said ‘That bird is gobbling,’ So I said ‘Yep, lets go,’” McKinion said.
As they continued along their path through briars and pine thickets in the dark, they heard the bird gobbling every step along the way.
“We got almost to the edge of the pine thicket, and I asked Buck if he could see through the bottom. He looked at me and said ‘yeah sit down.’ So we sat down and Buck could see straight to the front and to the right, and I could see straight to the front and to the left,” McKinion said.
As the sun came up, McKinion gave a tree yelp and the bird came straight out of the tree. As the bird gobbled, he flew straight down in front of Buck. The bird began to drum, and both waited patiently for the right time.
“I can’t see the bird at all, but Buck could see everything. He gobbled so much it sounded like he was choking. He (the bird) started running and all of a sudden I just heard ‘BOOM.’ I turned and looked at him. Buck looked at me real cool, cut his eyes, and just said ‘He’s gone,’” McKinion said.
The three and a half-year-old turkey was just the start of a great season for McKinion’s son, Buck. Their next successful hunt was the following Tuesday morning. While they didn’t hear a turkey in their same spot as before, they heard one further down the road. So they walked down the paved road to the right spot.
“We get there, and Buck said ‘Dad he’s gobbling right over there.’ So, we get there and ease into it, and about that time I heard a turkey gobble. So we start walking, and what I thought was the same bird I heard before, was another bird way closer. So I looked at Buck and said ‘Sit down.’,” McKinion said.
After sitting down, Buck immediately saw the turkey. The turkey was positioned in a tree forty feet directly above them. But somehow, the bird had not seen the two of them and began to gobble. After sitting there for a little while, he pitched to another limb before eventually hitting the ground. McKinion began cutting at the turkey, but the turkey did not so much as a gobble. After that, McKinion began to fear the turkey would not be coming at all. Buck, however, still had hope.
“He looked at me and said ‘Dad, he’s coming.’ Sure enough, I looked to the left, and it’s not one bird; it’s three,” McKinion said.
Since McKinion’s gun was too far away for them to make it a double, Buck decided to take down one bird on his own at 25 feet. 
“I was excited just to get to watch him pull the trigger. It was a great hunt,” McKinion said.
About fifteen days later, they had success once again. After waiting close to twenty minutes one turkey to gobble, Buck suggested to his dad to hunt a turkey he had heard behind them. But since they were hunting before school, McKinion was afraid it would take the bird too long to get through the timber and get to them. Buck, however, had another idea.
“We happened to have a pipeline just to the left, and Buck said ‘Ya know what, I bet he goes to that pipeline,’” McKinion said.
After walking to the pipeline, they spooked a hen out a tree, and she went onto the pipeline. They decided to sit down, right there, so McKinion could see down the left and Buck could see down the right. Once they sat, McKinion began cutting at the hen, and she began to cut back.
“I looked at Buck and said ‘She’s coming.’ What came out of his mouth was, ‘I know. I see HIM’. At that time, I thought he said her,” McKinion said.
McKinion was looking at a female bird that was about ten to fifteen yards away from him while Buck was looking at a different male bird that was on his side.
“I hear him pull the trigger all of a sudden and I jumped and turned around and yelled ‘What happened!? Did your gun just go off??’. Buck, of course, Mr. Cool, just kinda turns and looks at me and says ‘He’s dead.’ I’m over here wondering ‘Who’s dead!?; I’m sitting there looking at a hen walking with a Jake behind her! And I turned and looked over at Buck, and sure enough, there was another one!,” McKinion said.
This final bird marked a limit for Buck and a season that will be remembered for years to come. Out of the three birds that Buck killed, his largest bird had a 10 and 3/4 inch beard with one-inch spurs.
The season, however, wasn’t quite over yet for McKinion, who made an attempt on his own before the season was over.
“From the time Buck was six up until now at fourteen, unless we were in Texas or Kansas, I never pulled the trigger. I always let Buck do that,” McKinion said.
At the tale end of the season, McKinion got a call from a friend about a turkey he had seen crossing the road. So McKinion and his son headed into the bottoms where they heard two turkeys gobbling. It was barely even daylight when the turkeys hit the ground. Once McKinion called and the turkeys gobbled, a coyote came straight through the middle of all of the turkeys; they went everywhere. After sitting there for about twenty minutes, the turkeys ended up coming right behind them. McKinion gave one yelp, and the turkeys headed towards them gobbling.
“Buck looked at me, and he said ‘Dad, this is all you.’ Now, six to14, that’s how long it had been since I pulled the trigger on an Eastern bird. And that bird came up, 19 feet, and I smooth missed. Buck just looked at me and said ‘Really dad?’. But I told him it had been years since I had tried to pull the trigger. I was so nervous, you woulda thought I was getting married tomorrow,” McKinion said.
Even though McKinion’s final hunt of his turkey season did not end exactly as he had hoped, it didn’t make his overall season any less special or memorable to him.
“I’m truly blessed. At his age now, I was nowhere near as good as he is. Every hunt we had this year was special in its way, and I couldn’t be happier,” McKinion said.
