My Boy's First Bird!!!!!!
05-08-2005, 06:37 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Kenansville N.C. USA
Posts: 281
My Boy's First Bird!!!!!!
Fellows I have been on some great hunts over the years but yesterday I went on the best hunt of my life!!!!! Before I go any futher let me go back in time about a month. The second day of the NC season NC Hunter and Pat Ely called in a nice long beard; unfortunately NC Hunter missed the bird with his bow. His shot was high because of a cracked arrow at the nock. He cut a few feathers off the bird but didn't make the kill. So for a month NC Hunter and myself have been wondering if his bird was still alive. Well I promised my oldest two boys that I would take them before the season went out since my six yr old had already been hunting with me. Well as luck would have it I had to work yesterday which just so happened to be the last day of the season. I got off work at 3:25 yesterday evening and called my wife and ask her to have the boys ready when I got home. We finally made it to the woods at 4:40. I had seen a nice tom in the area a few weeks before and was sure we would see him again. I took a quick peep around a hedge row in one of the fields and there was three birds about 200 yards away one of which was in full strut. I sat my boys down where they were and crawled on my stomach out in the field to place a decoy. I then came back to where the boys were and explained what was going on; my oldest one had already figured it out. He was trembling and hadn't even seen or heard the bird. I started yelping with my mouth call and saw a jake run across the field in the opposite direction. This got me to wondering if I had spooked the birds so I get up and see a hen and the other turkey coming to us. At that point I figured out the bird I was working was the boss tom. The hen came about 50 yards from the decoy and turned to the right going away from us. The tom saw the decoy and came in strong; he stopped at 15 yards and went into full strut right on top of the decoy. I told my son(which happens to be 10 yrs old) to shoot; he says he can't he will hit the deke. Well by this time I am getting nervous and told him to shoot the decoy the shot would kill both since it was an inflatable decoy; still he won't shoot. Well I have had all I can stand by now I am shaking trying to get him to shoot. I take my gun off safety to back him up in case he misses. Finally after about 3 days( which was actually about 30 seconds) he shoots(The bird was taken at 5:05). He and I get up and run to the bird which is almost beheaded. After the both of us calm down I start looking his bird over and find a cut across his back IT'S NC'S BIRD!!!!!!!!! Of course we had to call him and tell him and maybe rub it in a LITTLE!
He had a 10" beard 7/8 spur left leg 1" spur right leg and weighed 18 lbs. I can honestly say I have never been as happy over one of my own kills. Fellows this is what it is all about PLEASE take a kid hunting whether it is your child or someone elses I promise you it is as gratifying as anything you will ever do.
He had a 10" beard 7/8 spur left leg 1" spur right leg and weighed 18 lbs. I can honestly say I have never been as happy over one of my own kills. Fellows this is what it is all about PLEASE take a kid hunting whether it is your child or someone elses I promise you it is as gratifying as anything you will ever do.
05-09-2005, 03:40 AM
#10
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Shadyside Ohio
Posts: 140
RE: My Boy's First Bird!!!!!!
yb 76, had the same experance with my son this spring. first day of ohio's youth season. we watched as the 4 toms came in at the ready. took out the strutter at aprox 10 yds. not much left of the head. emotions ran high followed by laughter & hugging. i've been hunting for over 30yrs. and don't think i have ever been more shaken & happy. congrats on your sons trophy, hope ya have many more. gb 50