I always pray for my own safety from snakes and from harm by any animals when I traipse through the rough Ozarks terrain. Mostly because of the memories I have from my younger days when I lacked the knowledge to be frightened of what might really harm me. Outdoor adventures erupted easily into dangerous incidents like picking up old dead wood and coming face to face with a copperhead or my first time deer hunting when my husband set me walking through the timber to drive the deer toward him, with strict instructions not to fire the gun. Well it was the only documented time in my entire life that I actually followed his directions. I walked within 10 feet of a bobcat and when he growled at me I just about panicked. Yeah I know I was the one with the gun but I wasn't supposed to fire it remember?

Now I’m not the only person who 'almost' fell out of a tree stand or bruised their forearm with a bow string when using poor form in shooting, but I have learned how to be as safe as I can be and when to pray for safety leaving it in His hands. Some of you have heard of the latest hunting event that brought a previously unknown safety issue to my full attention, for those of you who do not I will recount the outing.

First light and 55 degrees brought the sun slowly upon the ridge in rural southwest Missouri where I sat against a tree alternately working a Primos box call and listening intently for another response from the toms below me in the valley and the one above the timberline traveling along the log road in no particular hurry. It had started with an explosion of gobbles from the toms as their calls overlapped with the sound of each one before echoing along the valley below until it was impossible to count their individual calls. A dog barked somewhere in the distance and I could tell he was coming closer. "Oh please don't scare the turkeys away!" I thought to myself. When the barking faded away the toms were silent again.

This was my third day at the turkeys this season and I just knew this was my day. My husband had offered to go to work a little latter so that he could take our child to school and I could be in the woods before the sun rose. I was ecstatic about his support and the effort he made to allow me the extra time to take advantage of the turkeys early morning fly downs and thunderous sound off. He thought I needed that advantage to bring the bird home.

Again at the calls, I made an effort to lift the box and turned it toward one direction and then the other for a realistic sound effect. Then after a second call with the box I picked up the push button and yelped irresistibly for his attention. "Come on big boys" I beckoned. They all started in again and much closer this time but the dog was closing also. Not long after the barking resumed and carried its way toward me from the lower regions I heard the sounds of turkeys begin to grow fainter as they were no doubt pushed in the other direction. Frustrated I kept calling with the box and persisted when they gobbled, but after several attempts I thought they were all moving away. Suddenly a rustling noise told me something was moving over to my left and I thought I could hear a turkey running up the hill toward me. I couldn't see anything through the foot high spring growth and after a short while the movements through the brush fell silent again. I was sure of it now, the toms had moved farther away. I scraped the call again and moved the box around as I worked it, at the same time turning to scan over my right shoulder for any movement or dark feathers. Mid-turn I caught sight of a sudden movement from my left front side, where I had watched for a while after hearing what I thought was a turkey run through the leaves toward my position. I turned toward the motion and saw a bobcat advancing on me at a full run just before he landed against my leg. He pawed my coveralls and I yelped in startled amazement. His claws hung in my coveralls for a few seconds and I sat there holding my gun animated with fear and making a noise that would make the three stooges proud. With one last look from those dark eyes he freed himself and escaped with his own fur intact leaving two small snags which ended in tiny holes on the biggest camouflage clad turkey he has probably ever seen

When I had recovered somewhat from the shock of what, had happened I called my husband on the two-way radio I always carry with me when outdoors. Had I needed help he was aware of where I was and near with his two-way so that we could communicate. I don't always use it but it is nice to know he is there if I ever needed him. After he asked: 'if I were all right' he reassured me and suggested I follow the turkey with a spot and stalk approach. Unfortunately it was not to be that day and in my stalking I never spotted one nor did I hear any more gobbles. They had moved on and it was soon time for me to do so also.

Only two days later while hunting another area in the same woods after placing a decoy tom up from my position, I called over an hour with no response or sight of turkey when I heard something moving through the leaves and brush. Eyes searching the direction of the sound I had heard I looked without turning my head and discovered a coyote above me on the ridge line just paces away from my decoy. Turning his head side to side and looking confused he stepped away from the unsavory rubber bird and stood crouching low to the ground hesitantly before he trotted out of sight. He did not see me and thankfully did not attack as the cat had just two days before but the excitement of such close encounters as these further alerted me to the question of safety when calling turkey among them. Had I called in another varmint when I could not lure a turkey? I decided it was time to go home for the day knowing that if there had been any turkeys around before he came along they were long gone by now.

Turning the two separate situations over in my mind for several days afterward I began to think toward the idea of the likelihood that this could happen again. Having been coyote hunting several times unsuccessfully I was just amazed and almost sure no one else would believe the telling of these similar incidents happening just two days apart. I could scarcely believe it myself, after having spent so much time in the woods hunting and calling, photographing and even hiking alone with no thought of being attacked or confronted by an uncomfortable conflict with natural predators. I think there is some confirmation about Missouri's rising predator populations after my own experiences this season compared to my previous uneventful turkey seasons.

After the teasing and jovial conversation that followed the telling of these stories I’m told by other hunters of similar incidents some requiring hospitalization and have also been assured by individuals that this is quite common among turkey hunting experiences. Someone asked me where my camera was during the bobcat attack and my father-in-law laughed about it and said next time just shoot it. Well, I for one hope there isn’t a next time like that and it’s a good thing my gun was pointing the other way I’d hate to have shot myself in the foot trying to fire at a bobcat attached to my leg!

My common sense tells me that just being aware that this could continue to happen is a good first step in ensuring my own safety. Being vigilant and remaining calm in such situations is necessary in keeping from shooting or injuring myself. Layers of clothing, even just a thin coverall helped me to remain unscathed from sharp claws. I don't think I'll sit in the midst of one foot or taller growth again as it restricted my vision of this critter until he was close enough to charge. He was only 6 feet away when I saw his body emerging from the green shrubs making his run at me. I'll continue to carry my two-way radio to call for help in the event that I would need it, thankful for the reassuring voice on the other end. I know I will also continue to pray that the Lords presence keeps me safe in predatory conditions.