teej89
Well-known member
When my fiancee and I first met she took up an interest in hunting and she's now become my full time hunting partner. Well since then I've seen the 3 biggest bucks I've ever seen on public land with her in the shooters seat (I could have shot but I had hopes they'd come within range for her). Then there was yesterday, she's never killed a turkey yet... I took her to some fields I've been hunting and killed my bird last week across the road. We got set up in this patch of woods that peninsulas out into this field. Bout 5:45 the commotion starts, birds gobbling hard behind us, I look over and there she is passed out as he's hammering away hahaha
Now this place has been hunted hard so this was more of an ambush than anything, I knew they came through this peninsula area but just hoped they wouldn't skirt too far out of range. With that in mind I didn't do any calling and left the decoys at home, on the weekends there's maybe a half dozen decoys in this field of different guys hunting, it's comical.
Back to the hunt, the bird hits the field about 6am (I have till about 9am to be in the office +/-). Immediately he's strutting and gobbling up a storm to our 9 o'clock but 125 yards out. More birds keep coming and eventually there's 11 birds out there. The hens start working towards us but skirt 75yds out and are at about our 11 o'clock when all the sudden they poke their heads up and act spooky and run back to the boys now 100yds out at our 9 o'clock.
For the next hour they hung out at our 9 o'clock just standing and feeding all bunched up. It was now 7:15 and I had to get ready to leave for work. No matter what we couldn't exit the field without spooking them so I figured I'd try something to get them moving. My first thought was to sneak through the swamp and try to get to the edge of the field but the best that would get us is within 60yds and that's too far. So I picked up my box call (been determined to kill a bird with it this spring) and did some very soft purrs and clucks and a three and four series yelps. Did this continuous for 5min and all of the sudden they all seemed to relax and the hens started moving back out in front with the gobblers in tow. The hens got to our 12 O'clock and I hear her go shoot they're going back, the gobblers turned and headed back to where they began. Now I'm peeking through the brush and I realize that they did go back to our nine but now they're coming along the woods line right to us. I tell her if there's a little brush in her way to shoot through it and they're coming, I hear "click" and see she took off her safety. Made me proud she thought of that! They're coming and I hear her whisper "oh I see him!" (she's about 5ft to my right and has a clear view). I see through the brush he's in range and give her a thumbs up but he won't stop walking. However there's 5 jakes behind him in a line so I'm like well if we don't get him there's more options. Now he's at my 1 oclock and her 12, she had to re position and broke a little twig in the process(which I knew had to go when we sat but I forgot to say anything). About 5 seconds later he stops and his head is perfectly upright at 35yds, I'm not sure if she can get a bead on him because of this tuft of brush. Now a jake is in our shooting lane too so I'm like oh maybe she'll swing on him, I'm watching the jake and I hear BOOM and the first gobbler that walked past drops like someone took the rug out from under him. I had my bow with me and probably coulda doubled up because the jakes all froze but instantly I was so excited. I immediately jumped to my feet, my calls and phone in my lap went flying into the air and at some point my hat came flying off my head. I didn't even realize my hat was off till we were actually out looking at the bird. Never was I so excited to kill a turkey in my life, maybe my first bird ever. Her little 20ga i bought her for her birthday last spring did the job!
We walk out and I was like you smoked em and she goes "man that felt good!" I said he never even twitched afterwards and she's like isn't that what's supposed to happen? I said yeah but it doesn't always happen. We get up to him, I'm shaking still and I have her pick him up and that when I realize he's a brute! Big ole double bearded gobbler with massive spurs... I've killed my fair share of gobblers but never have i killed a multi-beard nor one sporting hooks like this.
I feel I've opened a can of worms for always being outdone in the hunting world when it comes to animals and my future wife. I couldn't be more proud of her, she did so awesome!
Now this place has been hunted hard so this was more of an ambush than anything, I knew they came through this peninsula area but just hoped they wouldn't skirt too far out of range. With that in mind I didn't do any calling and left the decoys at home, on the weekends there's maybe a half dozen decoys in this field of different guys hunting, it's comical.
Back to the hunt, the bird hits the field about 6am (I have till about 9am to be in the office +/-). Immediately he's strutting and gobbling up a storm to our 9 o'clock but 125 yards out. More birds keep coming and eventually there's 11 birds out there. The hens start working towards us but skirt 75yds out and are at about our 11 o'clock when all the sudden they poke their heads up and act spooky and run back to the boys now 100yds out at our 9 o'clock.
For the next hour they hung out at our 9 o'clock just standing and feeding all bunched up. It was now 7:15 and I had to get ready to leave for work. No matter what we couldn't exit the field without spooking them so I figured I'd try something to get them moving. My first thought was to sneak through the swamp and try to get to the edge of the field but the best that would get us is within 60yds and that's too far. So I picked up my box call (been determined to kill a bird with it this spring) and did some very soft purrs and clucks and a three and four series yelps. Did this continuous for 5min and all of the sudden they all seemed to relax and the hens started moving back out in front with the gobblers in tow. The hens got to our 12 O'clock and I hear her go shoot they're going back, the gobblers turned and headed back to where they began. Now I'm peeking through the brush and I realize that they did go back to our nine but now they're coming along the woods line right to us. I tell her if there's a little brush in her way to shoot through it and they're coming, I hear "click" and see she took off her safety. Made me proud she thought of that! They're coming and I hear her whisper "oh I see him!" (she's about 5ft to my right and has a clear view). I see through the brush he's in range and give her a thumbs up but he won't stop walking. However there's 5 jakes behind him in a line so I'm like well if we don't get him there's more options. Now he's at my 1 oclock and her 12, she had to re position and broke a little twig in the process(which I knew had to go when we sat but I forgot to say anything). About 5 seconds later he stops and his head is perfectly upright at 35yds, I'm not sure if she can get a bead on him because of this tuft of brush. Now a jake is in our shooting lane too so I'm like oh maybe she'll swing on him, I'm watching the jake and I hear BOOM and the first gobbler that walked past drops like someone took the rug out from under him. I had my bow with me and probably coulda doubled up because the jakes all froze but instantly I was so excited. I immediately jumped to my feet, my calls and phone in my lap went flying into the air and at some point my hat came flying off my head. I didn't even realize my hat was off till we were actually out looking at the bird. Never was I so excited to kill a turkey in my life, maybe my first bird ever. Her little 20ga i bought her for her birthday last spring did the job!
We walk out and I was like you smoked em and she goes "man that felt good!" I said he never even twitched afterwards and she's like isn't that what's supposed to happen? I said yeah but it doesn't always happen. We get up to him, I'm shaking still and I have her pick him up and that when I realize he's a brute! Big ole double bearded gobbler with massive spurs... I've killed my fair share of gobblers but never have i killed a multi-beard nor one sporting hooks like this.
I feel I've opened a can of worms for always being outdone in the hunting world when it comes to animals and my future wife. I couldn't be more proud of her, she did so awesome!
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The more excited she is the better for you.
