robg606
Well-Known Member
My best hunt ever. Well my 18 year old son Wade really never showed much interest in hunting until the last couple years.This year we have bonded considerably through hunting and fishing. You see, in a couple months he will be going off to basic training to defend our country through the Air Force. I was enlisted in the Army and served for 4 years and I am proud that my son is continuing the family tradition of serving our country.
So now the story. Windy as he*% this morning so I decided to make coffee and get dressed at 9:30 this morning and get Wade to give it a try. All week we had been seeing (3) big ole toms and (23) hens across the road in a field.I knew it was almost impossible to call them from their harem since we could not hunt on that land. I knew with the wind this morning they probably would be shielding themselves from the open wind from the open fields.
Started to call at about 9:50 and heard nothing. At 11:00,about an hour later, Wade suggested we should start stalking them out from the blind we were in. I told him hang tight let me cluck and purr a few times more as it is almost impossible to sneak up on a turkey. About the 3rd purr a thunderous round of gobbles rattled our ears. They came from a cedar thicket to our right and the way my son was positioned he could not see them yet. I said OMG there are two big...... wait a second, it was THREE big gobblers. Neck to neck they spit and drummed their way to our decoy spread.
I told Wade to start raising his 835 as soon as they got behind a big old oak tree. He did just that, and I said as soon as I cluck and they raise their head to gobble, pick one out and dirt nap him. BAM! perfect 25 yard shot and down he went. The other Toms started clucking and ran over the crest of the hill but I could still see their heads. I called and every time I hit a note they gobbled in unison. They strutted all around the decoys and their fallen comrade but I could never get a good shot. They slowley started to walk away down the hill.
Thats when I handed Wade the Wood Witch and told him I was going to low crawl after them and to coninue calling with clucks. He did it perfectly like a champ because as I was crawing about 30 yards after them and he turned them back at me. I lay there like a frozen statue and the next Tom that came withing blasting range would meet his maker. about 3 minutes later it was silent and big boy popped out silently from a fallen log about 25 yards from me and that was all she wrote.
I know this story was a little long but I have been waiting for this day for a long time to be with my son while he killed his first bird and I never dreamed that this hunt will forever be embedded in my head and memories forever. Congrats Wade , you done a fine job son! I hope every sportsman on here with children will be able to share in the future what I have shared with my son today!
