DAVID RAINER ADCNR The inaugural class of the Alabama Turkey Hunters Hall of Fame was inducted last weekend during the World Championship Turkey Calling competition at the Mobile Convention Center, and the inductees should come as no surprise to those who call themselves a turkey hunter.
People are also reading… “It all started as me being an old barber and talking turkey hunting and ended up with the title ‘Turkey Man.’ It’s about being a part of something you love so much. Hopefully we can get it kicked off and get these people who deserve to be in it inducted. It’s not how good you can call. It’s being stewards of the land and caretakers of the turkeys and passing along the tradition where we can have turkeys for these younger generations.
“I think it’s a high honor,” said Starr Boykin, one of Lynn’s four children. “I think she’s smiling from up above. When she was with the National Wild Turkey Federation 23 years ago, I think she was one of the first ones to think about the hunting heritage. She was one of the pioneers of the hunting heritage movement. She wanted to continue hunting and conservation for future generations.
At the ceremony, Max said many of the inductees are known for their calling and hunting skills, some for their conservation work, but Fred T. Stimpson did it all. Stimpson was famous for his turkey hunting skills and was renowned for his conservation work through land procurement and wildlife management. Named in his honor, the Fred T. Stimpson Special Opportunity Area is a 5,400-acre tract in Clarke County that transitioned from youth hunts and limited adult archery deer hunts to SOA status.
“Billy was a real good man who did a lot for turkey hunting,” Mason said. “Billy was probably the most generous person I ever met. He’d give you the shirt off his back. Billy was really good at figuring out a turkey and the best way to call that turkey. He and Paul Butski were the same. They knew the turkey and what he was doing. Those were the two best callers I ever hunted with.