This morning was my first turkey hunt ever. I've bowhunted and gun hunted deer for years but never had any turkey experiences outside of seeing a few during bowhunting. To make things even more interesting, I hadn't ever shot a shotgun until two nights ago. I took 2 practice shots, hit the target both times and was ready. I was going to give myself a very limited range (20 yards in) to take a shot.
I met a good friend of mine at 5:00 am this morning and we setup on a fence line of a chunk of woods that he's hunted a few times before. He did not know specifically where any birds were roosting so we figured we wait a while and see if we heard any gobbling. At about 5:45 or so we heard our first gobble a ways off. We waited about 5 minutes and as it gobbled a few more times in the distance - we figured it was time to move around the point of the woods to the other fenceline.
We got setup on our two stools with my friend doing the calling. He called back and forth with the bird for the next 25 minutes or so with the bird seeming to get closer but we weren't really sure. We also thought we might have another bird approaching from the opposite side so we decided to stay put.
Pretty soon the gobbles are starting to get close. I then start to hear what seems like a hen. I say this because it seems to be making the same calls that my friend is with his slate call. We are positioned just in the woods on a fence line. We have great cover from the field. My friend sees a turkey about 15 yards away in the field that's working it's way down the fence line He tells me to stay put and we'll let her pass. We're really in some thick brush so it's hard to see anything until they are right on you. I sit there as stone still as I can and the bird makes it just to the point where I can't see it anymore as it's behind my friend's hed. A few seconds later the bird turns and heads back to where it came from. At that point, my friend says "it's a jake - you can take it if you want".
I have no great expectations for this hunt. Hearing a bird was great, seeing one was even better. To get the opportunity to shoot a bird of any quality would make for a great success. I decide to try to get a shot. The bird has decided to angle into the woods directly in front of us. I get the gun up and try to draw a bead on himbut he's moving fast through brush. My friend is whispering "shoot, shoot". I'm like "I can't". As the bird angles away from us down a ridge I have to stand up to even see him through the brush - which I find out I can't do. My friend is calling to try to bring him back and I'm keeping the gun up in case he does.
All of a sudden there is a much louder gobble in the woods near the same area this bird originally came from. My friend says "sit down, the big boy is coming"..... i freeze and don't know what to do. He whispers very harshly to me again "sit the bleep down.. now!" I sit down and say... "where the bleep" is he??? He calls again and we hear another gobble. He seems like he's hanging out under 50 yards away in some real thick brush. After a minute of some very suspense waiting we hear a very loud and close gobble in the field. We know he's out of the woods and working the fenceline towards us but because of our angle he's going to be on us very fast. When we first see him he's probably 15 yards away.
I have my gun up at this point.. .and my friend is sitting between me and the fenceline. He has leaned back as far as he can to give me a wider window to shoot. I finally see the bird and his beautiful blue head. I have the bead on him but it's through some brush and I know he's going to to keep coming our way... I want an open shot. He gets a bit closer and my friend is again whispering very intently "shoot, shoot". I aim at the top of his head and pull the trigger. He goes down like aton of bricks.
All I keep thinking is... "I didn't miss, I didn't miss!!!"My heart is pounding a mile a minute. I've heard stories about birds running off after being shot but this guy wasn't going anywhere. We both jump up and give each other high 5's. He did a great job of calling that bird in. I never would have had the skill on my first hunt to get that bird within range, much less shoot him then.
Please keep in mind that Ihave no idea how turkey's are judged. I know people pay attention to beard length and weight, but I really have no idea of the quality of bird that I had shot. My friend takes one look at him and is like... 'that's a great bird.... look at the spurs on that thing". I'm like... "so... what does that have to do w/anything???" I just want to know how much turkey breast I'll have to smoke.
We decide to take him to the taxidermist as I want a mount made of the fan and the spurs. When I get in there I find out what a quality bird this actually is. He's 6 year old, 23.5 pounds with a 11 inch beard and spurs of 1.5 and 1 5/8"(taxidermist measurements) I ask the taxidermist if that is big and hegives me a very confused luck. He looks at me and says "don't take this the wrong way, but you'll be lucky toevery shoot another bird of that guality again. He may have been pulling my leg when he said thatbut when my friend confirmed it I was convinced.
I will say I am hooked on turkey hunting. My friend deserves almost all the credit. He forced me to apply for a tag this year, took me out on a day that was dark and gloomy when I would have rather stayed in bed and helped me have one of the best hunting experiences I've ever had.
I will eagerly be awaiting next year. From what he says.. .it's not always this easy :-)
Congrats on your first bird. I agree that is a whopper. Nice read too...
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Im a turkey hunting addict
Bow Oneida Eagle Tomcat
Easton Arrows
And the most reliable release Fingers
Gun Mossberg 500 & T/C Hawken
Fire and Iced custom calls Field pro staff
My First Turkey!!... l
