After years of being together, I've finally gotten Ragan to get her Hunters Safety credentials. We planned a turkey hunt in Idaho , but they closed the out of State turkey tags. We went twice, her in tow, to unsuccessful hunts. Gobbles , but no commitment.
This morning we went to the ranch. Like I've said before. It's a sit and call place. .... 3 1/2 hrs of sit and call .... nothing.
We rolled up, and to be honest... I was disappointed. Her first hunt, and zip for motivation. I had hoped for the vocal birds I've heard all week. Nothing. Not one bird... even wayyyyy off.
As we were walking out, I said , let me run the call here. I don't think birds on the lower part of the property can hear us from where we were set up.
One run of the glass call and he cut me off. Crap. Now what. Dressed in black, we've been hunting a blind. Birds on the move. Closer now. Cut the distance, I can hear him with out my amplifier ear muffs.
I told her.... let's go. Up the hill...Got to get away from the horse corals, it's my personal word to the owner.... never shoot close to the horses.
Both sucking wind, I get her set up next to a big oak tree. Gobble is fainter, but he's on the move.
Told her to point at the trail we were on, he'll walk up there. No sooner had I said that that he gobbles hard right, she shoots left handed. Then I see his head. " don't move, he's right off your right side".
He's on the move again, getting closer, and will be at about ten yards when he comes from behind a huge oak... I tell her to swing when he's behind the oak. He comes out at about ten yards. I tell her, "shoot him".
Swing and a miss.
He starts to make a get away... I reload the single shot, and hand it back to her. Tell her, if he stops to shoot again....
he stopped and looked back at 30 yards.... she rolled him.
The ups and downs of turkey hunting can happen in a matter of moments. I'm glad he looked back. Sometimes the turkey gods look down on us. I'm a happy guy!
10" beard.
1" spurs and 18#
Great first bird. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200430/8b5f5095fdda9956b452669a5f4ace69.jpg)
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Congrats to both of you!! Glad Ragan got her first bird. If you could hear him without your amplifier muffs, he was close!! I've got bad hearing and your's is worse than mine. I guess all those years in the FD did a number on our ears.
Sent from deep in the woods where the critters roam.
You guys are on a roll. Awesome stuff. And I have never ever, ever heard of a bird stopping after being shot at....you guys got lucky!
I think it was the mini gun.... he came close cus he wasn't scared of no pop gun... then thought he'd out run it when he was at 30!
Beard was cut by shot. Think she pulled the shot when he when he was close. It was all off hand because she was positioned to where I thought he was going to walk up the trail. Hind sight, he came right to where I had called from on the trail, then walked across the trail and up the hill. My next call brought him side hill. If we were hunting any place else, I'd never have moved from my first calling location. Amazing how they can hone in on a call, and walk to it from 250 yards away.
There is a window of time during the Season when the gobblers are still ready to breed, and the hens are sitting. It's that time I feel like a turkey hunter that's got it figured out.... all the way til the next time a henned up, lock jawed, strutter hangs up...
Ya gotta enjoy the both times. Hunt enough, you'll get a full helping of both.
Congratulations. Great story, thanks for sharing!!! :turkey2:
Quote from: Mountainburd on April 30, 2020, 08:10:36 PM
You guys are on a roll. Awesome stuff. And I have never ever, ever heard of a bird stopping after being shot at....you guys got lucky!
I've heard of it, and experienced it while hunting with a friend who missed. But most of the time they fly out of town.
Sent from deep in the woods where the critters roam.
Without a doubt Doug!! It's amazing how good turkeys can hear. Not only do they have incredibly good hearing, but they can precisely pinpoint where a call comes from.
Sent from deep in the woods where the critters roam.
A big Congrats to Ragan on her first Gobbler. Way to go you 2. :firefighter:
Awesome WTG Ragan :happy0064:
Nice! Wtg!
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Congratulations!