Alright...here's the story. After Gabe's amazing baseball start, we headed to Alabama. We got there a little late and barely had time to shoot a couple of loads at an old icecream bucket to make sure the gun was true. I took Gabe, his best friend Brenson, and his dad to a field that I knew the birds liked. They often came through this field on the way to the roost. It was drizzling rain off and on all day.
I set some decoys out in the field and then seperated from Brenson/David. We sat about 100 yards apart facing the same field. (As dads we would be in control and were really just hoping to roost a bird).
We didn't see a thing, but did hear them fly up into the big trees on the creek bottom. We left at dark. I went ahead and set up the decoys on the other side of the field close to the creek and a couple of hours later, I went into the dark woods on the other side of the creek to set up my blind for Gabe and myself. That way David/Brenson would be on the opposite side of the creek that the birds roosted on.
At daybreak we heard 4 gobblers. One was right over me and Gabe. About 45 minutes of a turkey party in the woods and BOOM. David/Brenson shot one with a 410! 25 yards dead as a hammer.
double beard- 9" and 6", 1 1/4 spur and 1 3/16 spur, 20 lbs....wish we could count that one!
Anyway, Gabe got tired of waiting and wanted to go see his friend's bird. I cautioned him to wait, but he insisted. we got out of the blind and spooked the gobbler that was headed our way. I saw him in the edge of the road at 30 yards. Gabe began to hit his head with the palm of his hand. I told him "Don't get mad...just learn the lesson."
It was hard for him to be happy, but he is, I think. He wanted a bird himself, but to see one, have 4 gobble and then to help his daddy clean one was probably a good "first turkey hunt." I reminded Gabe that I set the hunt up and that in some way, that was "our bird" too. David and Brenson don't really turkey hunt and would never have gotten it without our help to set them up. The land was Brenson's grand daddy's, so I feel like I secured an open invitation!
I'm going again on Friday.
