Birds of a feather
Vets gather for camaraderie and conversation - and wild turkeys
CAMP RIPLEY - The few stray feathers fluttered in the breeze, entangled in the tall grass in the far reaches of Camp Ripley. And the not-so-far reaches of Bill Wroolie's mind.
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But the feather in Wroolie's hat rested in his hand. He held the large turkey feather lightly, handing it to a curious onlooker outside his hunting blind in Area 6 at Camp Ripley.
Then, after a photo or two of his near success, Wroolie reclaimed his prize and disappeared inside the blind for an afternoon hunt. The onlookers and supporters took heed, reboarding the camp bus that followed Wroolie and his guide to the site, leaving the two to try again.
Hours earlier, Wroolie shot - and hit - a nice-sized tom. It rolled to the ground, but the 12-gauge shot wasn't entirely true, and the turkey quickly bounced up and escaped.
All that remained were the feathers at that spot about 25 yards from the blind.
Bill Wroolie (left) and guide Dick Snyder walked to their hunting blind Wednesday at Camp Ripley during the Disabled Veterans Turkey Hunt.
Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls
"My expectations were that if I see a turkey, I'd be good to go," Wroolie said Wednesday of the fourth annual Disabled Veterans Turkey Hunt at Ripley. "It's been a lot of fun."
Wroolie, of Brainerd, was unsuccessful Wednesday afternoon, too, and would not hunt Thursday - the event's final day. But the highly decorated Vietnam War veteran will cherish that feather - and the joy of his first turkey hunt.
"I would try it again. It's fun and neat to be out there," said Wroolie, 60, a Purple Heart recipient who lost his right arm in Vietnam. Wroolie also is the outgoing state commander of the Disabled American Veterans association and a past national commander of the Order of the Purple Heart.
"It's peaceful and quiet out there," Wroolie added. "And my guide did an excellent job."
Bill Wroolie displayed the feather from the turkey that got away on his hunting blind Wednesday.
Brainerd Dispatch/ Steve Kohls
Wroolie's guide, Dick Snyder of New Prague, also a Vietnam vet, has guided in each of the four Disabled Veterans Turkey Hunts.
"I wouldn't miss it," said Snyder, a board member of the state chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. "Once you do it (turkey hunt), you're hooked."
According to event coordinator Dennis Erie, 35 disabled vets participated in this year's hunt, up from 28 last year. In 2007, hunters bagged 14 birds over two days - a 50 percent success rate. This year, hunters fared considerably better, shooting 28 turkeys.
"It's definitely grown since the first year, and we're projecting up to 40 (hunters) for next year," Erie said. "The DNR has been very happy with the progress. It's very similar to the (Camp Ripley disabled veterans) deer hunt. It's the same type of camaraderie and conversations."
Bill Wroolie sat inside his hunting blind Wednesday afternoon at Camp Ripley during the Disabled Veterans Turkey Hunt.
Brainerd Dispatch/ Steve Kohls
Inside building 7-133 - the mess hall - at Camp Ripley early Wednesday afternoon, the conversation was spirited, hunters and guides talking and laughing over a lunch of sloppy Joes, beans and chips.
Dennis Joyner, 59, of Longwood, Fla., smiled as he told the story of his successful morning hunt. Joyner, a triple-amputee, bagged a nice tom at about 7 a.m. Although he has participated in numerous such hunts across the country, this was his first Camp Ripley turkey hunt.
Like Wroolie, Joyner missed with his first shot. But surprisingly, the shot didn't spook the turkey and it continued walking along the side of the blind, to about 7 feet from where Joyner waited.
"It just stood there and I popped him," said Joyner, a Vietnam vet and past national commander of the DAV.
Bill Wroolie (left) looked on as guide Dick Snyder placed a decoy in a clearing fronting their hunting blind Wednesday at Camp Ripley.
Brainerd Dispatch/ Steve Kohls
"It's neat - trying to work the birds," he added of the allure of turkey hunting. "And with shotguns, you've got to get them in to 30 to 40 yards. That's the maximum (distance). Beyond that, your chances are less and less. And turkeys see so well. Even in the blinds, to try to call the bird and get it within 30 to 40 yards is a real challenge.
"That's the neat part - getting them in."
BRIAN S. PETERSON may be reached at brian.peterson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5864.