Big AL is Bored Contest( Winner Chosen )

[zelmo1]

The rules are simple, send your best 1) youth 2) Veteran 3) First time hunter story and the best one will get a pot and striker from my newest batch. Winners choice of what I have. I will not judge these, my mother, wife and daughter will be the judges. They don't know anyone here by name or handle. The cutoff will be March 9th. The winner will be posted here and I will pm them as well. Remember, these are being judged by my 77 year old non hunting mother, wife that does turkey hunt and my 17 year old daughter that has killed a few birds in the past. just a hint, humor and or heartstrings will probably win. Good luck and God bless. Z

[Sir-diealot]

Mighty nice of you.

[zelmo1]

Thanks. I believe in giving back and these are the groups that I like to support. Z

[Tom007]

My god-sons first turkey hunt with me was a day I'll never forget. It poured at day break, we stayed in my truck till 8:00 am. As soon as the last drop fell, he looked at me and I said "Let's go". We walked up a logging road and came across very fresh scratches. I told him let's follow, we may catch up to them. His eyes lit up, and we walked. We stopped by some big oaks, I called and "Boom", he gobbled! I sat him down with my Scoped Benelli and told him put the gun up on your knee, finger on safety and get ready. I dropped back 50 yards and soft called. Here he comes. A few minutes later I see him put his head on the stock, click off the safety, Boom! I jumped up, went to him, put the gun in safe position and we walked over to this flopping bird. He looked at me with a scope-cut on his brow with a smile that says it all. I'll never forget this day. He is now an ardent turkey killer and makes his own calls.

[ScottTaulbee]

 
My son's first turkey last season. The stars aligned and the man that was manager over the farm we had been trapping over the winter gave us permission to try out there. A very rare occurrence in this part of the world. I was told that I had to work opening day of youth season after asking off a month prior and having it ok'd. They had let another team leader off and said I needed to be there. I get to work at 7am fuming. I walk in and my group leader asked why I was there and told me I wasn't needed for what they were doing, so I left, went home, grabbed the kids and we made our way to the blind I had set up for him. We got there around 9 am and we saw a gobbler in a field across a creek but he paid us no mind, that really lit the fire in Gunnar and he wanted to hunt the evening too. I took them back that evening and it wasn't long we saw three gobblers in that same field and they ran each other around and strutted and gobbled for probably 15 minutes before leaving. We moved the blind over there right before dark. The next morning Gunnar and my daughter Adalynn wanted to go and the youngest didn't. So we loaded up at 4:30 am and made a trip to get them some donuts before heading to the blind. I got the kids across the creek and in to the blind and went back to the truck to get the gun, decoys, and my vest. On the way back to the blind it was cracking gray light and I heard a gobble. I hurried to the blind, set the decoys and crawled in. It was cold, around 32° or 33°. As the woods came alive we had 6 gobblers gobbling all around us. None of them seemed interested enough to come in and eventually there was only one. About 200 or 250 yards to our right answering every call I made but he wasn't about to budge. Gunnar was getting tired and cold, it was around 7:30 or so at this point. He told me he wanted to leave and I told him, if he wanted to try to turkey hunt like Dad does, then we'd ditch the blind and make a move on him and that I was 98% certain that we could get that turkey. He was all for it but adalynn wanted to hang out in the blind. We make the trek across a low spot in the field and by the way he sounded he was on the other side of the creek. So I carried Gunnar over the creek and we find a downed log and get set up. After the turkey gobbled a couple more times, I figured out that he was actually behind us, in the field that we just crossed. So we spun around and I'm helping Gunnar hold the gun up and he's in my lap. It wasn't 3 seconds later I see the gobbler step out in the sunlight about 45 yards from us. At this point, I was the most nervous I have ever been on a gobbler. Gunnar had shot a lot from the tripod but never from my lap holding the gun. I knew how bad he wanted a turkey and I think I wanted it just as bad for him. It was my most important gobbler that I had ever encountered. Gunnar was falling apart as bad as me, I could feel his little heart beating out of his chest and his breathing sounded like if I tried to sprint 5 miles. That gobbler was on a bee line looking for us. He got to about 30 or 35 yards and gobbled straight in our face. I wanted him to get as close as possible but after a couple seconds he turned and started to walk to our left. He did the wing flip and I knew the jig was up. I asked Gunnar if he could see him and after what felt like five minutes of back of forth my nerves were shot. I told him he was about to leave and he said he could see him. I cutt hard on my mouth call and the gobbler threw his head up. I don't remember the exact conversation but I got out something along the lines of, "if you can see him in the dot shoo". And BOOM!!. The gun goes off. The gobbler hits the ground and while I'm giggling like a school girl and patting his back and telling him that he just got his first turkey, the gobbler jumps up and takes off running. We jump up and I grab Gunnar and run him across the creek and up the bank and we're maybe 60 yards from the gobbler at this point. I only brought 2 shells because I didn't figure we'd need more than that. The gobbler takes flight, goes maybe 30 yards and crashes in a bull doze pile. I reload the single shot and we take off running to the pile of debris. When we're maybe 30 yards from it, the gobbler flies out the other side back and back across the creek and hits a tree and crashes down. We run up to the creek bank, and the gobbler is laid low trying to hide. We put the finishing shot on him and a turkey hunter was born!. The gobbler is what I would consider a once in a lifetime bird by his size. He ate that turkey for lunch and supper for the next two days. We had to show it off to his papaw. Truly my most memorable hunt.

He hunted a few times during the fall and took a hen while hunting with my dad and myself also. And has asked for a turkey hunting birthday party next month, all he asked for a new camo shotgun, and turkey calls. In the 18 total minutes it took for that hunt to transpire, my first born son became my turkey hunting partner. And he had a proud sister back at the blind.


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[TrackeySauresRex]

This photo is of an old friend who I miss dearly as we were working a Tom one season.
     

  This one is about a long-time hunter who couldn't shoot a turkey for beans. I used to refer to him as the worst turkey hunter of all time. I made it my mission to get the job done.... And it took some years. I can tell you all the times he almost had one, but we'd run out of pages. And there were a bunch.
  One spring, myself and my son who was 16 at the time were heading to the northern part of the state to do a little turkey hunting. This had been planned for a couple of weeks and we were waiting on the weather to break. In the weeks prior to this hunt, I was coaching my son at the time who was a pretty good turkey hunter for his age. I explained to my son, "under no circumstances are you to shoot a turkey if we get one going".  He understood and agreed. (Reluctantly) lol!
  So we head out for the long two-hour drive. Arriving at dark in my friend's driveway, we all exchanged hugs, happy to see each other. We chatted a good bit over coffee and he tells me there is a decent population of turkeys this season. The weather was cool and crisp with no wind. The woods were still pretty much opened with not a lot of growth. The northern part of the state is mountainous and rolling hills.
  It's now game time. As light starts to increase we start walking up the ridge and across. We are quiet as the leaves are still damp from the previous rain earlier in the week. We are pausing frequently and waiting for the birds to sound off and they never do. We sat for a half hour close by each other and waited and still zero gobbling. It was looking to be an uneventful day. My buddy says we should try and continue further on up the ridge as he leads the way. Me and my son are a little further back and I whisper to him again, "if it happens let Jimmy shoot." "Yea,Yea,Yea, ok Dad." He truly was sincere. We are walking and decide to take a little break and crank on the box call a little. Then it happens GrrrrrrOBBleOBBle! But he's a good ways off. We huddle and try to talk up a game plan. My buddy, the most impatient turkey hunter of all time, wants to chase after him immediately. lol! I calm him down, tell him to relax. We wait 5 minutes, I hit the box call again. GrrrrrrObbleOBBle!! He definitely had cut the gap and I'm certain he's on the way. He still wants to go after him lol! So I sit the two down together and they had some cover, it was a great set up. I explained to both, "I'm going to drop back a good ways and call in back of you." So using the terrain I'm walking, calling softly and scratching the leaves as I'm walking away. The Tom was going nuts. I sit and don't say a peep. It gets really quiet. I start to think the bird had other plans. I break out the box and cut and the bird starts to explode, double and triple gobbling. He has now crested the ridge and I see him in full fan lit up. This is perfect it's going to happen. BOOOOOOM! What a great moment this was. As I'm examining the situation from a distance, I watch my son safe his gun off and empty it. He walks over to the Tom and throws him over his shoulder.
    I'm thinking what just happened??? My son shot the bird. So now I have to act happy lololol!
On the way out, my son whispered to me, "As soon as you left Jimmy told me to shoot the bird." A day I will cherish forever. 




Not far off the Appalachian trail. A day I will cherish forever. 
If I'm lucky to win give it to one of the tots. Thank you for the opportunity.
.

[Meleagris gallopavo]

My son was 14 and had just torn his ACL in his first junior high football game (spring game).  As you'd imagine we all were devastated.  After his surgery he was on crutches for awhile and he couldn't do much.  One Saturday we were sitting at home and I said "lets go turkey hunting".  My son was kinda negative about it, him being on crutches and all, but it was good to just get out of the house.  I decided on a spot where several people had seen a big gobbler in a field.  It was REALLY windy, and he knew I didn't like hunting on windy days so he said we should forget about it and just go home.  My son is very stubborn, and when he's convinced something is a bad idea you can't really convince him otherwise.  So after some arguing, he reluctantly agreed to let me set him up to try and kill a turkey.  We had to walk a bit, and since he was on crutches I had to carry his gun and everything else.  I set him up on the edge of the field where he could see both ways fairly well, and I set up decoys about 25 yards out in the field in front of him.  I could tell he wasn't in a great mood and he looked at his phone most of the time, thinking this was just a big waste of time.  It didn't help that the wind was really blowing the decoys back and forth, which he thought made things even worse.  I called some and waited.  About 15 minutes after we sat down the big gobbler and a jake came right in.  He didn't see them of course because he was mad and on his phone.   I somehow got his attention (can't remember right now, may have texted him) and he raised his head and his eyes got big!  He was able to get the gun up unnoticed and shot the gobbler in the head, dead.  To say he was happy and excited is an understatement!  This wasn't his first turkey, but the circumstances made it special.  I used this experience as a teachable moment in how good things are possible even though everything's not optimal.  Trying your best is the key...

[Moore]

This is about my first mentor hunt I did with the NWTF. I met the young hunter Logan, and his dad Troy at one of our chapter meetings. I was able to get Logan a few call that was donated to me by some call makers I new for this hunt. He thought that was pretty neat he got his own calls. The day of the hunt it was forecasted that ran would be rolling in. I met Logan and his dad at the local gas station and they all pilled into my vehicle. We got the piece of property where  I hunted. we got our gear together and load up and I told Logan to go head and load his gun and chamber a round and to make sure his safety. His dad ask if I was sure I let him know it will be fine plus we don't want to make the extra noise. His dad then asks why don't you have any rain gear on. I said, I don't plan to be here that long. We set up between the river where the birds were roosted and the field. They were gobbling on the limb, but when they hit the ground they shut up and I believed they had hens, so we went to the field and setup on a broken up wood line. The field was only 30yds wide from the broken up wood line to the main woods where I first setup. I made a few calls then nothing. I turn to Logan and ask, well do you want to continue to sit here a little longer or should we get back to the main woods. He looked at his dad looking for guidance to how he should answer, that's when I said Logan this is your hunt you will need to make the decision. what I think we should is get back in the main woods and head north until I reach the end of the property and I will call every once and while. Logan said that is what he wanted to do, so we got maybe 30yds in the main woods and I decided to cutt and long beard just fired off. I turn quicky to them and said they are close find a place to setup. The bird were  I would guess between 60-80 yds away. Logan didn't even sat down he kneeled behind a fork tree and had between the fork. lol that tree was five to six inches in diameter, not the best setup at all. his dad I thought was sitting next to him, when I dash behind a hug oak facing the opposite direction. where I was setup I couldn't see anything because my back was facing the birds and Logan. I started to call the tom, he was gobbling back and start to make his way to us from what I could tell as he gobbled. I yelped some more and his gobble was getting closer. I started to Cutt at him and  He gobbled and it was getting closer. I'm thinking Logan is going to get this bird and all of a sudden When I called to him he was leaving. I called again and he was getting further away from the sound of his gobble. I'm thinking oh no, I got more aggressive with my calling I started to cutt at him hard and then went to a few excited yelps. He fired back at me, I hit him again with more cutting and exciting yelps he fires back and its closer. I then I cutt back at him and fired off again, I got him this time he is coming in I'm thinking Logan has to see this bird. I don't dare look to see what going on. I yelped at him and he sounds so close I could almost fell this  birds gobble as he coming closer, and again I Cutt he fires back at me. He sounds like he is on top of us and then I hear BOOM. I'm like please Logan I hope you didn't miss. I look around the tree, and here is Logan and his dad Troy jumped up and were hugging and Troy said he got him. I was so relieved because I would have felt so bad for Logan if he would have missed. Logan is on cloud nine, and turns and says Man that was awesome Those birds, I interrupted him  two birds? Logan said yeah it was two toms. They were coming in and all of sudden they stopped and start walking away. Then you started to call even more and you made them come back I saw them gobbling  and they were  so close I pulled the trigger and he just dropped. I said to Logan and Troy that is awesome I couldn't see anything because my back was turned I was calling based what I was hearing. I asked Troy where did you sit. He told me he didn't he laid down flat because there wasn't much time and didn't want to mess Logan up. I told them this was the best turkey hunt ever for me and the best one I never got to watch. we took some picture, after the picture his dad offered to buy breakfast. As we get sat down to order at the restaurant the sky's open up and starts to pour. Troy turns to me and said, well Shawn you were right you not being there that long didn't need the rain jacket. We had a good laugh. I showed him how to breast out his bird and I took the wing bones of this bird. I asked friend of mine if could make a wingbone call for me for Logan's first hunt. I talked to mutual friend of mine to do some wood burning. Till this day that was the best wingbone call I have ever seen. When the call was completed I drove to their home and presented the call to him with the year he bagged his first call. At the time of this hunt in 2012 Logan was 16 and has bagged a bird every year except for one since our first hunt together. 

[zelmo1]

Winner is Scott/Gunnar Taulbee. The girls loved all the stories but the pic of the little man was the clincher. Congrats to everyone. Z

[ScottTaulbee]

Thank you all!. Gunnar is gonna love the call!
He's ramping up for it!.


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[TrackeySauresRex]

Winner is Scott/Gunnar Taulbee. The girls loved all the stories but the pic of the little man was the clincher. Congrats to everyone. Z

Congrats to the winner! WTG young Mann and thank's to Z and the judges for the chance 

[Moore]

  Congrats ScottTaulbee, it was a great story

[ScottTaulbee]

Congrats ScottTaulbee, it was a great story

It was an incredible hunt, he's beyond ready for this season


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[Lcmacd 58]

That's awesome....all good reads