I got my first turkey tonight, well first Tom that is. First off let me say that i'd rather be lucky than good any day and the moral of this story is never give up looking for an animal that you know you fatally hit.
I went out tonight about 4:30 and went to a spot I never really hunt but had been in at the end of season looking for rabbits. It is just after the bridge on 840 before the speedway exit, but I turned around and parked on the side headed back to Murfreesboro. I went in and poked around until about 5:45 and saw nothing, so i headed back to the car to go to another spot. Now here is where I got lucky. As I was getting ready to put my gun away i looked across 840 to the other field and I noticed two hens and two birds behind them. I thought it may be someone's decoys as there were cars parked on the other side, but then one of the birds in the back went into strut and I got back into my face mask and gloves and took off over the hill and under the bridge. I got up to where I had to get off the gravel road so they wouldn't see me and I flanked them popping up just high enough to see that they were still there. I finally got around them and crossed over the road and started working my way back up the side of the field knowing the birds were working towards the corner of the field i was going to. I belly crawled the last 25-30 yds and got in position just in time to see a hen walk out in front of me. she circled back and started the other way and took the opportunity to crawl about four feet more to position behind a sapling cedar tree. When i did I saw the two Toms standing there about 30 yds away and I was able to slide the gun barrel under the lowest branch and through the weeds to where i could put a bead on the closest birds head. I shot and he tumbled. The other three flew away and I ran out to claim my prize.
Well he gets up and starts running and I start running after him. I knew i hit him, because despite trying he could not fly. However, he was running as fast as I've seen a turkey run, so I was not sure about the shot. I went into the woods where he went in and I did not see or hear anything. I looked around, no blood (expected that) no feathers, no bird. I started walking in the direction the others flew and where i thought the bird was most likely to go to roost. I guess I got lucky again, because I spooked him, but the way he tore off it sounded like a deer running and that is what i thought it was. I circled back and was disgusted. I decided to try again and set off on the same path. About 50 yds past where i thought i jumped the deer, i heard him fly out of tree in a cedar thicket (I guess he got his wings back). I could not see him and continued on to no avail. I figured he had regained his composer and was gone. I started back and went through the same area and wouldn't you know it he flies of again. My brilliant a$$ tried to shoot him out of the air, but missed by mile. I took off after him again and this time his running was coming to an end. I caught up to him in a cedar thicket on the ground got to within 15 feet and fired; no shell loaded. I racked one and he ran. I shot and missed at about 25 yds. Ran after him again and made sure to reload. caught up to him and got to about 15 feet again. This time I did not miss. :grin: It took me about an hour to track him down but i stuck with it and I got him.
He had a 9" beard and 1" spurs. Not the biggest bird, but I was more than happy with him.
I went out tonight about 4:30 and went to a spot I never really hunt but had been in at the end of season looking for rabbits. It is just after the bridge on 840 before the speedway exit, but I turned around and parked on the side headed back to Murfreesboro. I went in and poked around until about 5:45 and saw nothing, so i headed back to the car to go to another spot. Now here is where I got lucky. As I was getting ready to put my gun away i looked across 840 to the other field and I noticed two hens and two birds behind them. I thought it may be someone's decoys as there were cars parked on the other side, but then one of the birds in the back went into strut and I got back into my face mask and gloves and took off over the hill and under the bridge. I got up to where I had to get off the gravel road so they wouldn't see me and I flanked them popping up just high enough to see that they were still there. I finally got around them and crossed over the road and started working my way back up the side of the field knowing the birds were working towards the corner of the field i was going to. I belly crawled the last 25-30 yds and got in position just in time to see a hen walk out in front of me. she circled back and started the other way and took the opportunity to crawl about four feet more to position behind a sapling cedar tree. When i did I saw the two Toms standing there about 30 yds away and I was able to slide the gun barrel under the lowest branch and through the weeds to where i could put a bead on the closest birds head. I shot and he tumbled. The other three flew away and I ran out to claim my prize.
Well he gets up and starts running and I start running after him. I knew i hit him, because despite trying he could not fly. However, he was running as fast as I've seen a turkey run, so I was not sure about the shot. I went into the woods where he went in and I did not see or hear anything. I looked around, no blood (expected that) no feathers, no bird. I started walking in the direction the others flew and where i thought the bird was most likely to go to roost. I guess I got lucky again, because I spooked him, but the way he tore off it sounded like a deer running and that is what i thought it was. I circled back and was disgusted. I decided to try again and set off on the same path. About 50 yds past where i thought i jumped the deer, i heard him fly out of tree in a cedar thicket (I guess he got his wings back). I could not see him and continued on to no avail. I figured he had regained his composer and was gone. I started back and went through the same area and wouldn't you know it he flies of again. My brilliant a$$ tried to shoot him out of the air, but missed by mile. I took off after him again and this time his running was coming to an end. I caught up to him in a cedar thicket on the ground got to within 15 feet and fired; no shell loaded. I racked one and he ran. I shot and missed at about 25 yds. Ran after him again and made sure to reload. caught up to him and got to about 15 feet again. This time I did not miss. :grin: It took me about an hour to track him down but i stuck with it and I got him.
He had a 9" beard and 1" spurs. Not the biggest bird, but I was more than happy with him.