Some Turkey Action

jode hillman

Well-known member
After a great youth day hunt with lots of Gobbles and birds in range ( my daughter missed though) the woods have been dead the past three days. Nothing when I scouted Sunday, Monday one far off gobble, and today no action in the usual spots. The field they have been using has been quiet, as was the logging cut We hunted youth day.

About a week ago while scouting I heard a single Gobbler from a small knob in a Cedar swamp. Not typical spring Gobbler habitat.

This morning , after doing nothing in the likely spots, I decided to walk by the swamp on the way home. I let out a few yelps on my box call and got an immediate response from this little knob. Unfortunately it is thick nasty stuff with only one way in, and out unless you can fly.

I wasn't confident he would leave his honey hole and there was no way to move closer. So I set up my decoy near the deer run that feeds the knob and called again; bang he gobbles right back. I went silent now figuring he knew where I was.

After about 10 minutes I get another gobble closer and coming from the access trail. He's moving but unsure exactly where the hen is.

At this point I switch over to a mouth call from a friend
( A Hannah Bannana call, made in memory of a friends young daughter who passed away suddenly last year, all money from the calls goes to Myocarditis research)

I proceed to cluck and purr..........he comes in on a string, all lit up white and blue. He seeing the decoy at 60 yards and starts to strut. This goes on for 20 or 30 seconds and I cluck and purr to get him moving again........... I let him get to 12 yards and killed him with a load of Heavyweight 7's from my daughter's 20 gauge youth gun.

Not my biggest but a nice bird.

22pds
1-1/8" spurs
10-1/4 beard

A couple pics from youth day............and also this morning.








 
Congrats on the bird Jode and congrats to your daughter in her youth hunt even though she missed. I'm sure she enjoyed seeing the birds respond to the call and your nice decoy. Having missed the shot will only make her appreciate connecting on the shot the next time even more and eventually she'll learn that making the shot is only a small part of the experience. Nice job!
 
Jode Very nice bird !! I just got back from a few days in the woods, will get some Washington picts up later.

Congrats

Fred
 
Nice work on the bird. Time in the woods with the young ones is something that you both will remember for a long time. Our seasons over down here. Been so busy with work. I only went once. They got a pass this year.
 
Thanks Guys, our season just started, so hopefully my daughter will have plenty of time left to tag one. Yes Steve, I made the decoy (+ the box call too).
 
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That was great, Jode. I sure liked the story that you wrote and I can see why the hunt meant so much. Excellent photos by the way.
Al
 
Congratulations Jode. That's a win - win experience for all but Mr. Gobbler. Keep at it, as I know your daughter will get another chance. As our winter was so bad, I look forward to hunting, but don't expect much other than a good time outdoors. See you in a couple weeks.
 
Very nice bird and it sounds like you are having a great time! Next week for me, I'm getting ready.
 
Very nice bird and it sounds like you are having a great time! Next week for me, I'm getting ready.

Thanks Tod and good Luck next week. You always seem to find a smart old Gobbler or two !
 
Nice hunt Jode. Tell her not to feel bad, I put sights on my gun too for turkey. I am pretty good hitting a bird on wing or a running rabbit, but am embarrassed by the number of times the goose blind has had a good laugh when I whiff on a wounded bird on the edge of the spread.

I'm heading out for the first time tomorrow morning. Good luck to your daughter.
 
Nice hunt Jode. Tell her not to feel bad, I put sights on my gun too for turkey. I am pretty good hitting a bird on wing or a running rabbit, but am embarrassed by the number of times the goose blind has had a good laugh when I whiff on a wounded bird on the edge of the spread.

I'm heading out for the first time tomorrow morning. Good luck to your daughter.


Thanks Jay, I will let her know. We are heading back out in the AM as well. Best of luck to you! Jode
 
Great story, congrats! Guess that 20ga knocks them dead like you suspected huh? Would be nice to reduce weight by a couple of lbs and carry a light gun like that.
How difficult is it to pack out a turkey along with a full body decoy on the "good" hunts? (btw, that's a "problem" worth having) I've always wondered the same thing for folks that use those big Dave Smith Decoys and Avian X unless they are field hunting and not having to cover much ground.
 
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