How's this for beginners luck
11-06-2002 | 08:04 PM
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Joined: Feb 2003
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From: McKean PA USA
How's this for beginners luck
Hello Everyone,
As I stated in my reply to Brokenbucket, I think it is really awesome that people gather in forums just as this one to share pointers, stories, or just to shoot the proverbial.
Anyways, I just wanted to share my successfull hunt on the first day this year. Actually it is my whole story of my 3 years in the sport.
Three years ago I had the most unbelievable experience that anyone not knowing what to expect could have. I had never even known anyone that turkey hunted but decided I would go out and buy a brand new Mossberg 500 and enough cammo clothing to cover 3 people.
I went in to the woods that year (in fall) on the first day (not knowing how to call very well yet) and busted a flock of 15 out of roost and worked those birds for 2 hours straight. Right out of roost I got a shot at a Tom and missed. Since my shot broke up the group, I was able to re-position and call them back in, only to miss again (hmmmmmmm
). Two shots was enough and I though for sure as I was able to call them in again that I would not miss. Sure enough, I missed a third time at another bird. I am thinking at this point that I have obviously misjudged the range of my Mossberg. This ended my season and started my lifetime hunger for turkey hunting, as well as a few months to practice calling and learning more from forums like this one.
The next year (which was last year) I gave my father-in-law no option but to go with me this time. He gave me the excuse that he did not have the cammo for it and did not want to go out and buy it just for a couple of days of season. I then went out and got him all the cammo he needed. That fall we went out the first day and I called a Tom in front of him and he shot him (yet another one hooked on the sport from a first impression).
The following spring there was some discouragement as neither of us saw or heard a thing (except a lot of woods). I like to say that when people ask what we got that we got "back" <img src=icon_smile_dissapprove.gif border=0 align=middle>.
That brings us to this year (November 2nd,2002), the first day of fall turkey in Pennsylvania. I was forced to go by myself as my father-in-law had to work that first day (after very limited scouting). I went out that morning, stepped into the woods, paused and took a deep breath before heading to my spot. While walking along, I happened to bust yet another dozen or so birds out of roost and immediately began calling (I think you all know how your heart beats when this happens). Not 20 minutes of calling, I harvested a 18 pound 7 1/2 in bearded bird, which was my first ever bird (this is where the story gets good and funny).
I was so excited that I filled my tag out, tagged the bird and headed back to the car to leave and get my father-in-law. When I got back to the car, I noticed I left my gun in the woods (I guess the excitement got he best of me, eh). I retrieved my gun and went and got Jeff (he's my f-i-l). We didn't see anything the rest of that day but Jeff went out that next morning and saw them in roost as well but had technical difficulties (his call wouldn't work in rain) but at least got the experience and opportunity to hear and see them.
So you see, we both have had our discouragements in hunting the wild turkey but are definitely hooked for life. And it is people like you, sharing your stories, pointer, etc that make it even more enjoyable. I can learn from my mistakes as well as yours, so thank you for that.
I guess the moral of this story for anyone that is brand new to turkey hunting is to hang in there. You will make mistakes and have discouragments (I promise), but don't give up. Keep on getting out there and learning from your mistakes. <font face='Verdana'></font id='Verdana'>
As I stated in my reply to Brokenbucket, I think it is really awesome that people gather in forums just as this one to share pointers, stories, or just to shoot the proverbial.
Anyways, I just wanted to share my successfull hunt on the first day this year. Actually it is my whole story of my 3 years in the sport.
Three years ago I had the most unbelievable experience that anyone not knowing what to expect could have. I had never even known anyone that turkey hunted but decided I would go out and buy a brand new Mossberg 500 and enough cammo clothing to cover 3 people.
I went in to the woods that year (in fall) on the first day (not knowing how to call very well yet) and busted a flock of 15 out of roost and worked those birds for 2 hours straight. Right out of roost I got a shot at a Tom and missed. Since my shot broke up the group, I was able to re-position and call them back in, only to miss again (hmmmmmmm
). Two shots was enough and I though for sure as I was able to call them in again that I would not miss. Sure enough, I missed a third time at another bird. I am thinking at this point that I have obviously misjudged the range of my Mossberg. This ended my season and started my lifetime hunger for turkey hunting, as well as a few months to practice calling and learning more from forums like this one. The next year (which was last year) I gave my father-in-law no option but to go with me this time. He gave me the excuse that he did not have the cammo for it and did not want to go out and buy it just for a couple of days of season. I then went out and got him all the cammo he needed. That fall we went out the first day and I called a Tom in front of him and he shot him (yet another one hooked on the sport from a first impression).
The following spring there was some discouragement as neither of us saw or heard a thing (except a lot of woods). I like to say that when people ask what we got that we got "back" <img src=icon_smile_dissapprove.gif border=0 align=middle>.
That brings us to this year (November 2nd,2002), the first day of fall turkey in Pennsylvania. I was forced to go by myself as my father-in-law had to work that first day (after very limited scouting). I went out that morning, stepped into the woods, paused and took a deep breath before heading to my spot. While walking along, I happened to bust yet another dozen or so birds out of roost and immediately began calling (I think you all know how your heart beats when this happens). Not 20 minutes of calling, I harvested a 18 pound 7 1/2 in bearded bird, which was my first ever bird (this is where the story gets good and funny).
I was so excited that I filled my tag out, tagged the bird and headed back to the car to leave and get my father-in-law. When I got back to the car, I noticed I left my gun in the woods (I guess the excitement got he best of me, eh). I retrieved my gun and went and got Jeff (he's my f-i-l). We didn't see anything the rest of that day but Jeff went out that next morning and saw them in roost as well but had technical difficulties (his call wouldn't work in rain) but at least got the experience and opportunity to hear and see them.
So you see, we both have had our discouragements in hunting the wild turkey but are definitely hooked for life. And it is people like you, sharing your stories, pointer, etc that make it even more enjoyable. I can learn from my mistakes as well as yours, so thank you for that.
I guess the moral of this story for anyone that is brand new to turkey hunting is to hang in there. You will make mistakes and have discouragments (I promise), but don't give up. Keep on getting out there and learning from your mistakes. <font face='Verdana'></font id='Verdana'>
