Our season started the first day of the youth season with my brother taking his 7 yr old son out, my wife taking our 10 yr old nephew and me taking our 8 yr old daughter. Everyone went to diff. properties. With daughter and I in our blind and working a bird I get a text from the wife... "Ian shot a JAKE !!!" We were so excited for them both esp. knowing that this was Ian's first turkey and the first time my wife ever guided someone else on a hunt. She used a double reed mouth call and a slate that Lee custom made for her.
The hunter and his gobbler...
The hunter and his guide...
Daughter and I managed to call in 3 jakes and a longbeard and they put on a awesome show for her first time turkey hunting. Fighting and gobbling like crazy for 15 minutes. Then the shot came and she missed at 30 yds and she was super bummed but wanted to go the reg. first day. We went to the same spot and I called in the longbeard from the weekend before and she wouldn't shoot. Cried and said she was scared to miss again. She told me you shoot him daddy so I said ok. And at 31 yds daddy showed her how to miss and we got it all on video to boot !!!
Well after watching the video many times I figured something was wrong. I went and shot the gun and the red dot was off 5"-6" to the right at 15 yds! The paper told exactly what the video did.
So now the next weekend (May 9th Mother's Day weekend) and daughter doesn't want to go so I take the wife out. We manage to get in on a group of birds that consist of 1 hen, 2 jakes & 3 longbeards. After having to set up 3 diff. times on these birds I managed to get 2 of them into 25 yds with Lee's river cane yelper and his duecey double diaphram and she smoked a nice jake to continue her streak. She's shot a spring gobbler 8 yrs strait on Mother's day weekend since becoming a mother.
Bird and the calls he liked
The evening of May 13 I headed back to Potter for 6 days of solo hunting and a camp full of 4 other hunters. On the 14th our buddy who's first day ever turkey hunting was the day before struck out on his own with one of Lee's slate calls and called in a jake to 10 yds and rolled him!
Happy hunter and his bird
Then on the 15th another buddy ended his 7 yr quest for his first spring gobbler and tug a jake at 40 yds.
sorry I couldn't get the pic to turn.
Then after letting 2 of the other guys chase a longbeard for 3 days I scouted I went in to do some recon on the 18th. Watched him for a hr and knew where I needed to be the next morning. On the 19th I got in "danger close" at 415 am. and sat like a stone. At 520 he gobbles for the first time. After a couple yelps on the duecey double he hits the ground. I grab the slate and yelp 3 times. Minutes later he is at 25 yds. Closed him out at exactly 5:30 am. Monster of a bird. well over 20 lbs, 10" beard and 1" needle sharp spurs.
The call used
Then I make plans to kill the bird I worked for the first 3 days of my trip. Set up on a bench below him that he loved to go to after hitting the ground. The 20th comes and it 34 degrees, misting rain and windy as all get out. Get to my spot on the bench at 5 am. After a long chilly wait he finnally gobbles on the top at about 90 yds in the direction my gun is pointed. I watch as 3 hens walk the ridge from the east, west and south and he flys down as they get under him and he hits the ground with a gobble. At that time I hear wing beat behind me & hear it land within 4 feet of right should. I offer up a single cluck and he blasts a gobble towards me. Then out of nowhere this hen beside me at 6 feet blasts her own wierd gobble and I about jump out of my skin. He gobbles right back at her and comes down off the ridge running right down my gun barrel. The hen starts putting and cutting and moves in his direction. When he gets to 40 yds I close him out with a 3 1/2" load of #6 Winchester X-tended range at 6:09am. 9 1/2" beard and 3/4" spurs probably 17 lbs or so.
Then on Memorial Day my brother heads to the same ridge and he said it lights up with birds. He works the closest birds and sets up 3 diff times on this bird and kills him at 6:20am. after him making 100+ gobbles. 8 1/2" beard and ZERO spurs. Not even a bump where the spurs should be.
Then after dropping our wings off to Lee he calls me a week & half later and tells me he has surprise for my wife to remember her streak. Turns out he built a call from her birds wingbones that is something you should see in a jewelry store. The pics do it no justice. Truely a work of art.
So our crew started the 2015 season with 3 youth tags and 8 adult tags. Managed to fill 1 youth tag and 6 adult tags all using Lee's calls. Got to put out a special thanks to Lee a.k.a. SP BOSS for making some awesome calls and always coming up with a new call to challenge me to kill a bird with. And also for the gift to my wife for her 8 yr streak. Your the man brother !!!!
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