Can’t believe how proud of a moment I had today with my son who just got his hunters Ed certificate a couple weeks ago got his first turkey.
Wednesday I’m walking through the house and look out back on the property to see a Tom walking across the neighbors pasture. I give the joy a yell and he’s throwing on his boots and I’m running to the sage to grab his mossberg youth 20 I picked up from the pawn shop a month ago. See pawn shop guns thread. We hit the ditch and start creeping out to our blind. We make it but somewhere must have spooked him or he changed course. We sit and I start calling. Nothing for 30 mins. Then I look tot he right and of course he has just appeared square in the neighbors pasture like he was there the whole time and closing the distance. He comes in struttin and spittin doing his dance. My son is enthralled totally has Tom fever. I whisper to him to just enjoy it and relax. The Tom is coming toward our decoy and has a few steps to clear a tree and is at about 15yds. No clear shot. All of a sudden he goes on alert then turns and runs as a black flash of lab comes around the corner. My daughter decided to let the dogs out. I’m super bummed and pissed. My son…. He can’t stop grinning and talking about how cool it was. Of course he’s bummed but he loved the show that Turkey gave. Hook set for sure.
Fast forward this morning I awake and step out on back patio with coffee in hand and the gobbles are ripping back on the river tree line. I awake him and with some hot chocolate promises in a thermos convince him to get up and we sneak out to the blind in the dark. We have three hens come through, deer l, ducks, geese everything but a Tom.
This evening I stop my boat deck project early as it’s about the same time as the Tom came through two days ago. We get out to the blind. It’s blowing 20 straight at us toward the house. I know calls are not going to carry in this so I’m wrenching on that diaphragm trying to be as loud as I can. Nothing for 1.5 hours. Then I look to my right and see one Turkey, no two throw the binos up and here they come from several properties over I stop at 16 hens then I see a couple bigger birds got to be Tom’s. I get him ready gun propped up. They all come in and start killing in front of the decoy. Finally the Tom’s get there but it is a mess of birds he can’t pick out a shot. Finally a Tom gets jittery probably from a dad whispering loudly at his son to pick one. The one on left his heads up, he swings over he puts his head down turns away feeding. I’m the one on right his heads up take him. Which one dad? The one on right with head up. The anticipation is killing me. Bang, Blouch, however you say it. That 20 rings and the Tom instantly is flopping on the ground. He is amiss with emotion “dad is it dead did I get him, ouch my shoulder hurts”. Yeah bud you got him good. I shouldnt say it starts as his hunting journey has started at age 4 when I got a bear with him in tow and multiple duck hunts. But this is different this is him doing it and me watching. A whole new chapter and I can’t wait to see where it leads.
Wednesday I’m walking through the house and look out back on the property to see a Tom walking across the neighbors pasture. I give the joy a yell and he’s throwing on his boots and I’m running to the sage to grab his mossberg youth 20 I picked up from the pawn shop a month ago. See pawn shop guns thread. We hit the ditch and start creeping out to our blind. We make it but somewhere must have spooked him or he changed course. We sit and I start calling. Nothing for 30 mins. Then I look tot he right and of course he has just appeared square in the neighbors pasture like he was there the whole time and closing the distance. He comes in struttin and spittin doing his dance. My son is enthralled totally has Tom fever. I whisper to him to just enjoy it and relax. The Tom is coming toward our decoy and has a few steps to clear a tree and is at about 15yds. No clear shot. All of a sudden he goes on alert then turns and runs as a black flash of lab comes around the corner. My daughter decided to let the dogs out. I’m super bummed and pissed. My son…. He can’t stop grinning and talking about how cool it was. Of course he’s bummed but he loved the show that Turkey gave. Hook set for sure.
Fast forward this morning I awake and step out on back patio with coffee in hand and the gobbles are ripping back on the river tree line. I awake him and with some hot chocolate promises in a thermos convince him to get up and we sneak out to the blind in the dark. We have three hens come through, deer l, ducks, geese everything but a Tom.
This evening I stop my boat deck project early as it’s about the same time as the Tom came through two days ago. We get out to the blind. It’s blowing 20 straight at us toward the house. I know calls are not going to carry in this so I’m wrenching on that diaphragm trying to be as loud as I can. Nothing for 1.5 hours. Then I look to my right and see one Turkey, no two throw the binos up and here they come from several properties over I stop at 16 hens then I see a couple bigger birds got to be Tom’s. I get him ready gun propped up. They all come in and start killing in front of the decoy. Finally the Tom’s get there but it is a mess of birds he can’t pick out a shot. Finally a Tom gets jittery probably from a dad whispering loudly at his son to pick one. The one on left his heads up, he swings over he puts his head down turns away feeding. I’m the one on right his heads up take him. Which one dad? The one on right with head up. The anticipation is killing me. Bang, Blouch, however you say it. That 20 rings and the Tom instantly is flopping on the ground. He is amiss with emotion “dad is it dead did I get him, ouch my shoulder hurts”. Yeah bud you got him good. I shouldnt say it starts as his hunting journey has started at age 4 when I got a bear with him in tow and multiple duck hunts. But this is different this is him doing it and me watching. A whole new chapter and I can’t wait to see where it leads.
