re: In Honor of Turkey Season

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Warcameagle....

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YES!

Last night I reread the tenth legion with exactly one too many bourbons, and managed to make it into the woods with about 10 mins to spare before first light. I never plan to give up deer hunting, I’ve even associated with known dog runners, but if I ever have to pick it it’ll be easy. Nothing on this earth compares to listening to the woods wake up on a clear calm spring morning and hearing a gobbler fire off.

I came to turkey hunting late. I knew there were turkeys on our land but only deer hunted. One of my partners turkey hunted with his brother in law and his stories got me interested. So I borrowed a pan call from him and tried to learn a basic yelp before going out for the first time.

That first time was a cold Saturday before Easter. I went to the part of the property where I had seen turkeys the most while deer hunting well before dawn and hunkered against a tree. Just had my regular shot gun and some number five hi brass, a camo coat and hat, and the borrowed pot call. Turkey vest, turkey gun, face mask, and turkey seat were far in the future if at all. When the first crows cawed, one gobbled and I did my best to melt into the tree. Then another sounded off, then another. I got so flummoxed and excited I was scared to call. When I finally did, at least three, maybe more, gobbled. This was a cold clear morning and I could hear the closest one almost coughing at the end of a double or triple gobble. I’m sure I probably just annoyed them but they gobbled and then gobbled some more. I realized that I probably wasn’t hidden well and slunk even lower and completely shut up.

I’d like to end this story with a gunshot and a tom flopping but that would be bs. I sat there with my heart racing as the gobbles gradually tapered off and didn’t see a turkey that morning. But I was hooked. That was over thirty years ago. It was two seasons later that I finally got one. I gradually added all the gear and more calls of various types than necessary and now when I deer hunt I’m spending most of the time scoping out where I want to for turkeys in the spring.