I have never been turkey hunting before!
Last night I was out on our land and heard some gobbling off in the distance. I decided to try my hand at my first thunder chicken this morning. I have the clothes, the gun, the calls, but up to today it was all "theory".
I commute to work an hour each way, and have spent 6 mos practicing my diaphragm call for 2 hrs a day in my truck.
I got up well before daybreak, got dressed and headed out. It took me about 10 minutes to walk to where I set up. I set out two bad plastic decoys (tom and hen) about 35 yards from the tree line, and I found a tree a few feet into the cover to sit against. as the sun came up I almost lost hope, then I heard a gobble about 1/8th of a mile to my left, then one to the right, then again behind me! My heart was RACING. Then I saw about 6-8 birds silhouetted against the sunrise high in a tree, and I could see them preparing to fly down. They flew down, and started "talking" and the other gobbling groups began talking back, and coming in. They seemed to be converging about 500 yards from me over a small ridge, but I could still see them. I was terrified to start calling just in case I scared them off. I tried and immediately they gobbled. then I saw 2 toms coming across the field from my right, headed to the large group forming in the valley. I called and they responded, but did not change course. I then got nervous and started all kinds of random calls, and I'm still not sure what I settled on, but I think it was some fighting purrs. Then they both turned and headed my way as if they wanted to see who was fighting over the hen. as they got closer I saw that one was a jake and one was a BIG tom! Now my adrenaline is PUMPING. So far everything was playing out like something from the hunting shows I had been watching all winter!
The larger of the 2 birds showed up first and I knew when he was within 35 yards, and I remember thinking to myself... "this is really happening....what do I do now?. Oh yea.... SHOOT IT !
I slipped the safety off, and I assume the gun fired, I didn't hear it or feel it, but he dropped like a rock!
26 lbs, 1 inch spurs, 11" beard and DELICIOUS fried up !