What another beautiful morning chasing turkeys! My second oldest Joshua was up to bat first after striking out last season. My oldest got his first bird three years ago, but he was still ok letting his brother try and get one before he tried to get one this season. We were set up in between two roosts, both about 3/10ths of a mile away. The north roost was quite big and they just went up on a hill and strutted around and hung out. I couldn't see the south group but it sounded like a few gobblers but they shut up right after fly down. My eyes were peeled on the north group for quite some time as a pair of males (I couldn't tell what they were from so far away) were starting to slowly make their way our direction. I happened to look behind us and there in the wheat about 150 yards was a gorgeous tom lit up in the sun and three hens feeding our way quite quickly. Joshua started shaking instantly when he saw them walking our way. He never gobbled but followed all three hens from behind, strutting about the whole way. He was absolutely beautiful as he was coming in, that will always be burned in my mind. They made their way through the cedar rows we were set up in only about 5 yards away. The hens went right to the decoys but the tom strayed out wide by himself and strutted, way close still though at a mere 12 yards. He was able to rest his gun on the blind window so he wouldn't get tired and as soon as he turned away I had him ready the gun with safety off. He turned back our way and I tried to get him to stick his head up by calling but Joshua just went ahead and blasted him haha. He was so happy and excited and his brother was so happy for him which was neat. We did go and execute a perfect sneak on the north group and had a single tom at 15 yards but Benjamin didn't pull the trigger for some reason and he ran off. There were another two toms at 25-30 yards that I told him to pick one out and shoot but his window to shoot was so small due the the flock being alerted. We backed out and we will try again another day with him.
(https://i.imgur.com/YqEf6qbh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/4GA2IZhh.jpg)
Now that's some smiles. Congrats to all, well done.
Congrats, well done!
Kid is going to tear his lips smiling. That is one HAPPY kid!
Great job to both of you. :turkey2:
Congratulations to the youngster. Great smile.
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Congratulations to all of you! I know you are all proud and rightfully so!
Well that's a good memory! Congrats.
Can't wait to make these memories. Congrats to y'all!
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Congratulations Joshua! :happy0064: Beautiful Tom, thanks for sharing Dad, great write up and pictures.
Congratulations, well done, beautiful bird!
Nice bird! Well done.
Congratulations to the young man on taking a beautiful gobbler!! Kudos to his brother for letting him have first chance too. Sounds and looks like a great hunt.
Congrats! :turkey2:
Congrats!
Outstanding!!! congrats young man and dad!!
Great job! Congrats to the young man, can't put a price on a smile like that.
Fantastic. Good work.
That dude is STOKED!! ;D
Thats awesome. Congratulations to you both
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We were blessed with another amazing hunt this morning! I didn't have a clue where any birds were going to be roosted so Benjamin and I slipped in early and waited to hear them wake up and then set up. It sounded like they were all down on the neighbors but then a gobbler let out about 300 yards away and we decided to set up right there. A couple coyotes came down into the bottom between us and the turkeys and started yipping barking constantly. They started a little before shooting light and went on nonstop for an hour. Needless to say as soon as the birds hit the ground they were gone. I got out of the blind to go run them off and they were just laying out in the wheat field and didn't want to leave even with me chasing them off. They didn't make it too far and started up again. We decided to leave the blind behind and still hunt the timber between us and the neighbors where it sounded like the main flock was. We got to the far end of the property and noticed they were starting to get fired up when I would call. We needed to start working our way back since I still had to work this morning and so I called as we walked back. The calling as we were leaving seemed to work as we had a gobbler strutting across the pasture coming right at us. Problem was it was time to get going but I figured being a few minutes late to work would be worth it. We got sat down and it didn't take long for that tom to come in. I thought he was going to come up this clearing in front of us but he came right through a cedar thicket. I saw his head bobbing through the branches at about 30 yards is all and turn around. He ended up going around us about 60 yards out and still strutting so I don't think we spooked him too bad. In that two minute span of that first tom coming in and leaving two more toms were coming across the pasture right for us. This time I had him facing that cedar thicket more and sure enough they came right up through it. Once they came out of it though there was a low hanging branch from the tree we were sitting under in his way. The first one got out of sight below a rise 20 yards out and the second one only had about 12 inches of head showing but he made a great shot on it and he was down. It is a beautiful bird that he is proud of and he found a nice whitetail shed on top of that. I was only 15 minutes late to work so no harm no foul on my end haha. I can't believe I'm lucky enough to be able to share my hunting passion with my kids!
(http://i.imgur.com/Iz3eVCmh.jpg) (https://imgur.com/Iz3eVCm)
Congrats to Benjamin and you dad, but dont tease "nice shed" without including in the picture...
Late to work? Come on man!!! You're a turkey hunter!
Congrats on making the right decision :happy0064:
Quote from: JeffC on April 27, 2023, 08:49:34 PM
Congrats to Benjamin and you dad, but dont tease "nice shed" without including in the picture...
I mean a nice 4 point whitetail shed for a kid to find haha, nothing huge.