This morning, my dad, my son (who is 12) and I had a hunt we won't soon forget. My dad, Tom Duvall, founded Perfection Turkey Calls in 1972 with his partner Jim Clay. He has since retired from the turkey call business but still manages to make a few calls every spring.
Daylight found the three of us set up next to a giant oak tree on one of the most beautiful farms in Virginia. We had several birds gobbling out in front of us in a thicket that bordered a pasture. We were just inside the thicket along a grassy road that winds into the thicket. After a few soft calls from my dad and I the birds were on the ground and coming. There were 4 hens, two longbeards in strut and two jakes following behind. My son, Jack, was in the middle of my dad and I as we watched the gobblers follow the hens up the road. The strutters were about 10 yards apart as Jack got on one of the longbeards at 20 yards. I told him not to shoot yet as the gobbler I was on had too many hens around him to get off a shot. My gobbler and his hens separated and I began the count of 1-2-shoot when Jack said he didn't have a shot. It was only a matter of seconds before all the birds melted into the thick stuff without a shot being fired. I should have let him take the shot when he had it but I was thinking this was a sure double. Once out of sight, we tried circling the birds but had no luck in getting a response. So we headed to the other side of the farm to try to get on birds that were gobbling good earlier.
We managed to get a distant gobble shortly after 8:00 a.m. We moved up to get into position and set up at the corner of a pasture and another thicket. The birds were now 125 yards out and coming. We were set up as before with dad on the left, Jack in the middle and I was on the right. I could soon see the birds coming down a small ridge about 75 yards out on dad's side. It took almost an hour of soft calling and scratching to get those birds into where dad could finally get a shot through the thick mess at 25 yards.
It was a hunt we won't soon forget and I told jack how fortunate he was to be able to turkey hunt with his granddad.
The bird weighed in at 21 1/4 pounds with a 10 inch beard and 1 3/8 inch spurs.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o306/RaspyD/IMG_1155_2_zps1f5a68a3.jpg) (http://s123.photobucket.com/user/RaspyD/media/IMG_1155_2_zps1f5a68a3.jpg.html)
Nice gobbler!! Congrats you guys!! Nothing like 3 generations together hunting, you don't see that often. Enjoy!! :icon_thumright:
nice! congrats
congrats what a memory :icon_thumright:
Congrats on an awesome bird & some great memories made.....
Congrats!!
Congrats on a great morning!! Great picture too!!
Great bird, congrats!
Congrats on a awesome bird... :icon_thumright:
great hunt
Awesome hunt and great memories! My son is the same age as yours and how I wish my dad was still alive to turkey hunt with us.
what a great picture and one to keep for the memories congrats.
Dont know what to say other than congrats on a Great hunt and A Fantastic Memory, like already said i too wosh my Dad was here to hunt with my son and I. Special memories for sure. !!!!