Date:5/3/23
Time: arrived at 445. First gobble at 520
Location: farm
Cloud Cover: clear clear
Wind Direction and Velocity: nil
Temperature: 43
Moon phase: almost full
Special Notes: I’ve been slacking on my turkey reports but this morning was too good not to share.
turkey Activity: scouted yesterday morning because I could only be there till 6 due to other commitments and knew I wanted to take Beau this morning. I heard more turkeys gobbling yesterday morning than I have on any other morning in a long time. It gave me high hopes for this morning.
turkey Responsiveness: knew we were in for a tough assignment when a hen fired up between us and the gobblers almost as soon as we sat down. They followed her around for almost an hour before deciding they were going to play the game right.
Hunters: my 4 year old son Beau and I. My Dad was hunting about 500 yards down the ridge from us. He’s already killed a bird this year, so he kind of knew he was being gar holed but was fine with it as it was a shorter walk.
Guns: M2 12 gauge. It throws a turkey load 6-8” high at 40 yards. I think I finally have the kentucky windage figured out on it after a couple misses years ago.
Malfunctions: Beau wanted to hunt with my dad since Grandaddy had recently killed a turkey, so in Beau’s mind he had a better chance with grandaddy. Got him all set up in his gobbler lounger and low net blind with grandaddy and beau decides he’s hunting with me, so we leave the lounger and blind and I take off through the woods with him slung over my shoulder.
Special Equipment: diaphragm mouth call
Curses: zero
Kudos: little man got to see most of the process. It was really cool to experience it with my boy. Having my Dad there, who started me turkey hunting at 5 years old, was just icing on the cake.
Birds By Species: 1 eastern turkey. 2 beards (my first double beard) 10” and a 6” pencil beard, 1 1/8” spurs.
Photo Ops: Lagniappe: turkeys flew down not long after we got to our setup. We made a move to where I wanted to be once they were on the ground and out of sight. Beau got to hear some good gobbling on the roost, so that was cool. I soon briefly saw the gobblers following a hen from right to left about 200 yards away. Pretty soon Beau was leaning over on my shoulder and by 630, he was sound asleep in my lap. By this time, the gobblers had followed the hen off about 600 yards and I thought we were done for. I made some more calls and heard dad crank up behind us on the ridge. The next gobbles were progressively louder. Wasn’t long and I saw a fan glint in the sunlight 200 yards away. The 2 gobblers disappeared behind a tree and I went ahead and got my gun in position. Next time I saw them they popped out at 80 yards. They eased up to us and stopped at about 40 yards. I looked down at a still-sleeping Beau and kind of laughed, thinking about how my Dad did the same thing I was about to do to him 29 years ago. KABOOM, a turkey went down and Beau was suddenly wide awake. I thought he’d be scared but he just laughed and ran out to the turkey with me, saying “Daddy I was so still!” (I’d been preaching being still to him for the past month he’d been asking to go). Dad walked up and the story telling began. A whole lot of fun packed into one morning.