First Time's a Charm

By Cadet Ryan Brasher

Fresh out of the Academy, what's a guy to expect? It was a week into turkey season, and all the agents were pumped up looking for turkey violators. My first Field Training Officer was Sr. Agent Kenny Balkom and who else better to get a new cadet fired up. We were patrolling in Claiborne Parish checking a few deer feeders and hunters. We checked one hunter who said that he had shot a turkey the day before. He checked out alright, and we eased along down the road where a truck was spotted off to the side. We drove past it and Kenny said, " There's a turkey in the back." We whipped around, and sure enough, a hen turkey that had been breasted out was in there. We waited there for the hunter to show up. He came out of the woods saying, "That's a gobbling hen." The hunter told us that it had a beard, but it had been removed and that his friend had killed it. Come to find out, the hunter that we had checked earlier was the guilty subject. We found out who he was and his friend brought us right to him. The subject took us to the location where everything had occurred and where the turkey was shot. The two subjects were issued citations. After all, have you ever heard a hen gobble? Not too bad for a first case!