Roots Run Deep

“I was hoping to get a turkey for her birthday on May 18, but it didn't work out,” Tommy said. “But she told me although she didn’t kill a turkey, she still had fun listening to him gobble and seeing the hens out feeding in the morning. I hope when I'm 90 years old, somebody still takes me turkey hunting.” 

Like so many devoted NWTF members, hunting has always been a way of life for the Deagles. Tommy has been hunting deer, rabbits, squirrels and more since he was a kid, and his father, Charles Deagle, had been hunting since he was a kid. Both father and son started hunting wild turkey close to 30 years ago.  

When Charles passed away ten years ago, Tommy and Vicky decided to spend some time in the woods, listening for a gobble, just as Charles had always loved to do. Vicky harvested her first turkey that morning using her late husband’s shotgun, which made it feel like he was still with them for the hunt.  

Tommy remembers early on, folks used to have to travel to other states to hunt wild turkey. He accredits the rebound of wild turkey populations to the trap and transfer efforts made by the NWTF and partner wildlife agencies.  

“I enjoy seeing wild turkeys now because I know the reason why we have them is from the money raised by the NWTF,” Tommy said. “Now older people, like my mother who is 90 years old and kids have the opportunity to hunt turkey in our state. It makes me feel good that our money is well invested.” 

Tommy has been an active member of the NWTF Patuxent Chapter based out of Leonardtown, Maryland, and has been donating his artwork to the NWTF for close to 30 years. The chapter committee recently awarded Tommy for all his years of donating. But he has been carving ducks, turkeys and a wide variety of songbirds for 60 years now.  

When he was just ten years old, his grandfather had an old wooden decoy, and the head broke off of it. Tommy remembers repairing it, which inspired him to start carving birds. 

Now, he goes into schools for the career days and attends 4-H events and NWTF JAKES events to teach kids how to enjoy what he’s enjoyed his whole life. 

“When I go to these different outreach events, there's always that one little girl or boy that has a natural talent to be able to carve or paint or draw,” Tommy said. “I want to inspire that child more than all the 100 that are there, so hopefully years from now, somebody else will still be carving. I always tell people if they put a million dollars in one hand and a story of the young kid that falls in love with carving in another hand, I'd rather have the story.” 

Tommy always tells the youth that when he signs the bottom of his carved ducks, he’s responsible for it, no matter how good or bad it is. He tells them to do the same, because their work is their responsibility, regardless of the results. This is similar to how he views his hunting expeditions. 

He references an article published in the Turkey Call magazine about a hunter that’s been in the woods since the 1950s. This hunter now wants the kids he’s mentoring to have a successful hunt, but he also wants them to have the opportunity to learn from their mistakes like he did.  

“Go out 50 times and learn from your mistakes,” Tommy said. “That's basically how I've learned all my life, and I know that’s true about a lot of other people too.” 

Tommy has always been strongly connected to the outdoors and is always inspired when he meets a total stranger that lives the same life as he does, connected to the outdoors. He can only hope to continue to spend his time doing what he loves and doing what he can to conserve that way of life. For now, he and his mother are just waiting for the next season to arrive, bringing with it the next opportunity to be together in the outdoors and hear the majestic gobble of the wild turkey.