My wife Tricia and I took Sarah to the Sam Lester and Friends Youth Hunt Outreach Turkey Hunt near Heber Springs, AR this past weekend for her first turkey hunt. We left the house around noon Friday, we picked up my buddy Jake and his daughter Paris, and headed out. We arrived at Lindsey's Resort and got settled in for Saturday's hunt.
Saturday morning we were up at 04:00 and on the way to meet Dillon, a young man that was going to show us the property that we were going to be hunting. We headed to a property that is known as "The Hammerland". We stopped the trucks on a high point that would allow us to hear birds from a long ways off. As day started to break we could hear a bird gobbling to the south of us a long ways off, then one started gobbling north east of us that was closer.
Here we are listening early in the morning.(the flash made it appear darker than it really was)
We drove around to the ridge that the bird was on. As we stepped out of the truck he gobbled, and was not very far! Dillon showed us a 4-wheeler trail that would take us closer, as we slipped down the trail I couldn't believe how thick the woods were, he said that the woods would open up the farther we got in there. I told him and Tricia to stay on the trail and that Sarah and I would slip through the thicket. I decided to leave my vest, Sarah's call bag, and even our seat cushions with them on the trail, so we woudln't make any extra noise.
Sarah and I slipped in the thicket as close as I dared get to the gobbler, I found a small opening and we set up. I sat down and had Sarah sitting between my legs. I called and he gobbled again! I could feel Sarah shaking, I asked what was wrong? She said, "I think I'm a little nervous." I told her that I was too, and that it would be alright. I told her to take a few deep breaths and she calmed right down!
Before long I could tell that he was getting close, gobbling just out of sight to our left. I got quiet and was expecting to see him coming up the hill any minute, then all of a sudden he gobbles to our right! I look over and can see him heading our way! He got about 25yds away but we never had a shot. He gobbled, strutted, and drummed for 5 - 10 min the eased back down the hill the way he came. I called again and he gobbled back to our left, I could tell he was coming again and we got ready for a shot, but again he got to within 20 yards, but no shot from the way he came! He slipped back down the hill and stopped about 40 yards and stood there strutting, drumming, and gobbling at everything I thew at him for 45 minutes!!! I told Sarah that I was going to let him walk off, and once he did we would reposition and I thought he would come in.
He finally walked back down the hill, we retreated to the 4-wheeler trail and Dillon said he knew a way we could get to some open timber! We headed that way, but he heard us walking and started gobbling and heading our way!
We sat up on the edge of the 4 wheeler trail and started to call. As we were repositioning I got Sarah's Hook's Cuttn Crystal out and put it in my pocket. Once we sat down I called and he gobbled about 125 yds out! I pulled out her call and handed it to her. Sarah started yelping on it and he cut her off!!! We put the call down and got ready, after a few minutes I called and he gobbled in the same place again. A few minutes later I handed Sarah her call, and she let out some beautiful yelps, and once again he cut her off, but this time he was only about 50-60 yards out! We sat the call down and she got ready for a shot again. Less than a minute passed and he stepped into the 4-wheeler trail! He was about 30-35 yards, plenty in range for her 20ga 3" shooting #6 Hevi-Shot! I told her to shoot when she was ready, she took aim and as she was aiming he clucked and took a step. I told her to shoot before he left, she said, " I can't yet Daddy." I told her to shoot when she could. I could feel her moving the gun getting it perfectly on him and soon she took the shot! His head slapped backwards and he went down in a heap!! I jumped up and ran down there to make sure he didn't go anywhere, but there was no need, she jellied his head good!!! I started whooping and hollering, I couldn't contain!!
Sarah's bird weighed 18#10oz, has a 9 1/8" beard, and has 3/4" spurs! She had the most precious smile when she came running down to him! The only way to describe it was like Headcrusher put it "PRICELESS"
I would like to thank Headcrusher for making such great calls! Sarah actually won the Hook's Cuttn Crystal at a calling contest a few weeks ago, and has been practicing with it almost daily since to call up her first bird with it!
Thank you to Sam Lester and Friends for putting on such a GREAT hunt!!
Here are some pics from the weekend
Sarah and I
Sarah and Tricia
Getting ready to head to the truck(I didn't make her carry him
)
celebrating a successful hunt back at the resort
Sam Lester, Sarah, and I
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