My son's first turkey

[Sumpnneedskillin]

Couple of weeks ago took my youngest son with me to request permission to hunt on a local landowners property.  We were told that he already had people coming on weekends but opening day was available and we could come out during the week.  So we jumped on it.  He told us where they roosted and which direction he saw them headed in the morning.  We went out one evening and say them come into the roost.

Yesterday we got about a 15 min late start, and they were already out of the roost.  We headed of across the stubble and got ahead of them.  Didn't have time to set up decoys as they were moving towards us.  Well they wound up turning and going off to our right.  We heard more gobbling in front of us so we waited.  We waited about 20 min with nothing happening so we started moving forward using wild rose bushes for cover.  We got to where we could see several toms and hens on one little rise.  We crawled up to some cover and waited.  Next thing you know here's a tom about 40 yds out.  He's fanned out strutting and gobbling.  I give a yelp and he stops.  I'm about 5 yds behing my son who is laying behind a rose bush.  I see his foot keep moving and the tom hangs up.  The tom then walks over the edge towards a bunch of scrub brush.  We sit for a bit and there's still some gobbling going on.  I get up and start working my way over to see if I can see the turkeys.  I bust 4 mule deer out of the scrub.  All of the sudden a dozen turkey fly across the canyon to the other side.  I am so pissed off because I blew it. 

So we head back along the canyon to see if we can catch up with the group that went past us.  We found a tom and 4 hens about 300 yds away.  They saw us so we sat and watched trying to figure out how to get across the finger of the canyon to get to them.  Finally they moved to where we could cut across the top and try and get ahead of them.  So over the side we go.  We get to a spot with some cover and listen.  We hear a little gobble.  We're ahead of them.  We sit for a bit and we hear another little gobble and it's further away.  So we move closer.  Nothing.  The next gobble comes from way down in the canyon bottom.  So we decide to climb out and head for home with plans on coming back to catch them as they head for the roost.

Holy $%@$@ don't try to keep up with a 16 yr old who plays football and baseball.  I thought I was going to die.  Climbing up that hill was like climbing up a ladder.  I finally had to cry uncle and take some breaks.  I'm huffing and puffing and my son is looking at me with a look of "are you going to survive".  He wasn't breathing hard and hadn't even broken a sweat!

So we go home, I take a nap and he works on homework.  We head back out about 4:00pm.

We get there and there is a tom and hen in the stubble across the canyon.  They see us and move away some but stay near where we first saw them.  We get set up and hang out for a while.  Two toms come out of the canyon and chase the first tom off.  Another hen appears out of the stubble from who knows where.  Then two more toms show up.  So there are 5 toms and 2 hens in the field across the canyon from us.  They are all strutting and milling about.  Then sun finally gets low enough to put most of the stubble field in the dusk shadow.  It was like someone turned on a switch.  The toms in the stubble started gobbling.  We hear a gobble come from the canyon below us.  We hear gobbles from over the hill to our left.  All of them are getting closer.  I had been doing some purrs and clucks but no yelps.  I finally heard a yelp from the left.  So I gave a yelp.  One of the toms across the canyon all of the sudden gets interested.  This goes on for about 5-10 min.  All of the sudden the interested tom flys across the canyon right at us.  About 2 min later here pops up a head just beyond the decoys.

I whispered to my son.  There's one out in front of the decoys.  He slowly brings the gun up trying to get it through the rose bush limbs.  I tell him to make sure he has a clean shot and don't shoot my decoy.  Meanwhile the tom is all fanned out an strutting.  He gets about 5 yds from the decoys and stops and goes into alert mode.  I tell my son take the shot if he's got it because it looks like the tom is going to run.  BOOM!!!! Flop - tom down!!!  He had an 8 inch beard and 1/2 inch spurs.

1st pic is the toms chasing the other tom off
2nd pic is towards the bottom of the canyon looking up towards the stubble field
The last pic is our set up

[Russ McDonald]

Awesome story and good job!!! 

[Bigluke1981]

Great story and great bird, Congrats!!!!

[johnr060]

Looks like dayton tucannon area? I'm heading there next week! Nice bird!

[BullMagnet76]

Great bird!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   

[carpsniperg2]

Congrats to him! Sounds like a great day in the field

[Sumpnneedskillin]

Looks like dayton tucannon area? I'm heading there next week! Nice bird!

Close, out in the breaks.

[turkey choke]

Congrats!  This is why I am getting into turkey hunting, so I can take my son out when he is older.  Can't wait!

[Machias]

Awesome, great job!!!

[turkeydancer]

 
Ya baby ... love to see the kids with birds ... patience and perservance trimph again.

[Wacenturion]

Congratulations to you and the young man.  Thanks for sharing that with us.

[BOWHUNTER45]

very nice... those Rios always give ya a run for your money ... dang nice birds ...congrats !!