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Photos courtesy Doris Billings |
The Outdoor Woman:
Doris Billings
By Jeff Helson
Encouraging others to hunt is second nature for retired educator Doris Billings. You can take her from a classroom, but the passion for sharing knowledge hasn’t left the Hampton, N.J., resident, who recently helped a neighbor prepare for a hunter safety test. She also took her grandson on his first turkey hunt last spring and called in a 24-pound bird for him.
Even while she was teaching, Doris would get questions from her students about hunting. “People usually have lots of questions, and I try and give honest answers about what they should do or not do,” she said.
I first met Doris while hunting at Turkey Trot Acres in New York. My wife, Karen, was along for the trip, but wasn’t hunting even though she had a license. Doris did everything she could to encourage Karen to turkey hunt, sharing her own stories of hunting and fishing adventures.
LESSON 1: A NWTF member, Doris recommends Women in the Outdoors, or similar state-run programs, for females wanting to get started hunting.
Building an Outdoorswoman
The 8-acre property Doris lives on is what remains of the family farm where she spent summers and many weekends as a young girl. Although Doris grew up in town, her grandfather taught her to hunt.
“My father bought me my first shotgun when I was 14,” she said. “It became a tradition to go hunting on Thanksgiving.”
Doris was in her senior year, on her way to becoming a teacher, when she met Dick. He was a hunter, and she returned to hunting after they married.
Finding New Loves
Besides two children, Doris and Dick’s family includes German shorthaired pointers. Training the dogs and pheasant hunting with them have been some of Doris’ longtime passions.
Then, about 15 years ago, Dick and Doris discovered turkey hunting.
Doris has hunted Eastern wild turkeys in Georgia, South Carolina and New York. Twice a year, the Billings head west for Kansas. And every other year, they head to Nebraska for Merriam’s turkeys.
LESSON 2: When hunting new, unfamiliar places, Doris suggests first contacting local fish and game authorities to learn more about an area. She also recommends hiring a guide for the first day afield to get to know the lay of the land, terrain, etc.
“We hunt together, but we don’t hunt together,” Doris said of her and Dick’s turkey pursuits. “Once we’re out of the truck, we go different ways.”
Crafty Calls
Doris’ interest in turkey hunting took a new twist when she began making calls after she retired. After purchasing a hand-made pushbutton call, she figured she could do it and soon moved to crafting her own slate calls.
Dick helps her cut out the wood. (“He’s afraid I’ll cut my fingers off,” she said.) Then Doris assembles, tunes, sands and finishes the calls.
With the rare exception of a box call for long distance calling, she exclusively uses her own calls. “When I was making them, I’d test them outside, and all of a sudden, I’d have a turkey coming through the woods. So I know the sound was pretty good.”
LESSON 3: Doris advises new turkey callers to borrow or purchase a turkey calling CD, listen to it and try to match the sounds. Practice call rhythms, how strong to call and how often.
Doris has a good ear for talking turkey — and understands when not to call. “In the fall you can call a lot and it doesn’t matter,” she said. “In the spring, sometimes, you have to call very little.”
All-Around Outdoorswoman
Her adventures in turkey hunting may only pale to those she’s had fishing for salmon. Dick taught her to fly-fish 46 years ago, and the couple often travels to Quebec to angle for Atlantic salmon in the Gaspe Bay.
Then, 12 years ago, they went to Russia to fish for salmon on the Yokonga River.
More Adventures in Store
What’s left on Doris’ outdoors to-do list? Going after an Osceola wild turkey in Florida and finishing her Grand Slam.
And there are still plenty of lessons to be shared and learned along the way.