HuntingNet.com Forums - First turkey story

This thing started years ago, many years ago. I remember the day Dad brought home the old box call. It was big and noisy; I thought it was the neatest thing. You were supposed to be able to swing this big plank of wood on the box and a turkey was supposed to come, at least that was the theory. Dad collected a few different calls over the years and we took them to the woods and tried to work the magic. It never really seemed to work for me though. Dad retired and I got older and interested in other things (girls). Dad continued turkey hunting and actually got pretty good at it.

Last year I decided to return to the turkey woods with the same success that drove me from the woods in the first place. Maybe it's a music thing; turkey calling is kind of like music. My favorite band is the whirr of my truck tires. I rarely even turn on the radio.

This year I decided to give it one more try. I bought a couple of slate calls and a mouth call for my son. He plays the saxophone pretty well when he is beaten into submission so he's the best candidate. Well he took to it just as he did his sax, he really wasn't interested.

I proceeded with a few calling lessons from my nephew Jeremy who has done this successfully. Then it was off the woods. Jeremy provided decoys, I had a blind and my trusty calls. Bought a new shotgun and I'm ready to go. I had one, I just wanted a new one. Don’t tell my wife.

Four days of hunting and the results are the same. Before the next trip I take Nick's mouth call and listen to the tape for hours. Practice can't hurt, right? I head for the woods once again so my son Nick can take a nap and I can continue my quest. The morning is perfect, sunny kind of cool but comfortable and no wind, that's what I said, no wind. Nick takes his place in the blind and I take a position not far away and start calling. It must have been musical because after about two minutes I no longer saw Nick's head in the blind. Napping again.

About nine o'clock I decide to leave Nick to his nap and wander to the next field. Calling and walking, you know that I'm an accomplished caller now. I practiced. I make it to the field where I saw a couple of birds previously. I call.... hey, what was that? Could it be? I call again.. I think that really was a turkey. He's a long ways off. I guess I should move closer. I slowly make my way towards him. Calling, waiting and walking.

I got as close as I thought I should and called one more time. He answers. This time he's close enough that I may actually have a chance. Then he shuts down. I wait, wait some more. Call again. Wait.. After about 20 minutes I give up. Ok that was fun but the result is the same. I had wandered into the woods and decided to make it back to the edge of the field. I find a place in the trees with a view of the field. Call.. nothing. Then I hear a crow scowling madly as if someone is sitting on his perch. Gobble gobble I hear. This time he’s closer. I think he’s making his way up the field to find me or most likely a hen.

Ten minutes later I see something move through the brush. Could it be? There it is again. I ready my gun. click off the safety. He walks behind some brush. I can see him in the next opening if he keeps going. There he is, that’s a beard. The next opening I’ll shoot. He walks, stops raises his head. I think, this is where he runs off. He takes a step, I can see his head now. Just then he stretches out his head and gobbles. I can’t take it, bang mid gobble.

The result, two ticks, a few chiggers one turkey and a memory that will last a lifetime. Now if I can just keep Nick awake long enough to find a bird, maybe we can add his story.

Oh yeah, the turkey weighed 23-1/2 pounds, 12 inch beard and had 1-3/4 spurs.

Sorry it was so long but I've waited a long time to get here.