Tell us about the first time.

[FullChoke]

It was so exciting, you couldn't catch your breath, you didn't really know what in the world you were doing and you felt that you were completely out-classed, but by a miraculous alignment of the planets that glorious day it still happened and when it was done, you jumped up, fist pumped the air and hollered "That's what I'm talking about!" You then ran over and plopped a boot on their neck so they couldn't get away.  You all know exactly what I'm talking about.

Tell us about your first turkey.

FullChoke

[FullChoke]

On the way to the area that I wanted to hunt that morning, it started raining, but I had read that turkeys would still gobble in the rain, so I just kept walking. Just as I was about to crest a ridge, a gobbler hammered on the roost out in the middle of a clearcut on the other side of the ridge. I eased up to the top and slipped in behind a treetop on the edge of a log loading area and started calling occasionally. After the rain had stopped, I watched him sail off the roost over to my left. He made his way to the same road that I was sitting on but was down the way and stood right there demanding that this hen come to him. I just kept clucking and yelping 5 times like it said in the instructions that came with the box call. After about 45 minutes, the big gobbler and a jake walk into the log loading area where I was. I had to carefully set the call down, get my hands on the gun and wait for the right moment to get the gun up. He walked over in front of me at a distance of about 30 yards and faced straight away stretching his neck to try and find that pesky tease that he knew was right here. I moved right then, got the bead on him and pulled the trigger. I jumped up and went scrambling and sliding over slick, wet, logs and limbs and stood over him with the gun pointed at him. The realization swept over me like a hot blast of wind, and I heard a voice in my head say "He's not getting up."  I stood out there on that ridgetop, all by myself, on that crisp Mississippi morning with the sun breaking through the departing clouds and lost my damned mind hollering for 5 straight minutes at the top of my lungs! I still have not gotten over that feeling from 38 years ago.

He weighed 16 pounds 4 ounces, had 1" spurs and a 9.25" beard. I used the only turkey call that I had, a Lynch's Jenny one sided box call.

The next most fantastic moment that morning came when I got back to my grandfather's house and caught up with him on his way out to pick strawberries in his garden. I acted dejected as I slumped up to him. He wanted me to come tell him all about how badly I had messed up that morning. I walked right up close to him, lifted my eyes and quietly said, "16 pounds, 4 ounces". There was a flash of confusion on his face, then a blast of surprise, he threw the bucket he was carrying straight up in the air and took off on a dead run to the front porch, beating me easily. We danced around like two happy idiots. My grandfather was my hunting mentor, taking me under his wing and teaching me good ethics, woodsmanship and how to love the outdoor world. I still miss him terribly to this day.

FullChoke

[surehuntsalot]

it was a beautiful spring morning,a friend had invited me down to Jeff Davis county to hunt with him on his Grandparents land.I had been hunting for 3 years without any luck,my buddy told me this was a sure thing,I knew better than that.My partner put me on the edge of a clover field and told me to stay there,he was going to a hardwood bottom on the other side of a cut over.Daylight was coming on so I was getting ready to do some hooting to see what was going to happen,all of a sudden birds started gobbling on the other side of the field off in the woods.I could hear 2 different birds and my heart was racing,I set up under a tree on the edge of the little field and waited just a little,then I did a flydown cackle and some soft yelps,the birds gobbled at my calling,I thought that was the greatest thing in the world.The birds flew down into the woods at the edge of the field and gobbled several more times getting me all worked up,I kept telling myself not to call to much,the birds answered several more times but would not come out of the wood line.I was scared to move so I sat there,the birds got quite,I figured they were" henned up" and the hunt was about a bust again,but I kept sitting and calling ever so often.I knew 2 birds were in the area,but I almost had a heart attack when after 2-21/2 hours later 4 birds come walking out into the field just across from me,I couldn't move,breath or think straight.I called to them and they never even acted like they noticed my calling as they moved away from me to the far end of the field.I was trying to decide what to do when out of the corner of my eye,I saw something movein the woods beside me,it was a 5th gobbler sneaking in to the party without being announced.I had done quit breathing by now,somehow I managed to get the gun up as he went behind a tree and shot him at 35 or so yds.I could not believe that I had just killed my first bird,I went to get up to go to him and fell flat on my face,combination of exciement  and legs asleep I guess,finally I ran out into the field and was standing over my trophy a 18lb 9-1/2"  turkey that was mine.
that was 34 years ago and I can still remember that like yesterday.

[gophert]

Well, my first kill was not real dramatic.  I grew up with a bunch of deer hunters and no body really turkey hunted.  My uncle started turkey hunting some and one day at his house he gave me a Primos True double mouth call and said "go figure it out".  That was pretty much the instruction I got.  I went a few times with him that season, but never even came close to killing a bird.  I realized that if I was going to kill one, I was going to have to do it on my own.  I started renting every primos turkey hunting video I could find.  This was back when the Truth 1 was new.  I got permission to hunt on a 40 acre piece of property right across from my house. It had a couple gobbling birds on it, but they seemed to always be henned up.  One afternoon after school I decided just to go sit down in a little draw that connected 2 large fields.  I got comfortable and let the turkey woods have it.  I bet most of my yelps sounded like dogs barking and most of sweet clucks sounded like a putt from hell.  Regardless of how they sounded that hot afternoon, I soon had 4 jakes appear 20 yards right in  front of me.  At least I knew to have my gun up at all times, thanks to the primos videos.  A few seconds later, I was hooked for a lifetime.  Thank goodness for desperate jakes that come to any type of calling.  It had a 6" beard and I still have it today where it hangs right next to my daughter's first turkey beard.  I can still remember that sunny afternoon.  Even though it has been 20 years since I have lived in MS, I could take you right back to that tree where I was sitting.  I sure do miss those days where there was no responsibility and all I had to do was hunt....and yes I was cool even with the VW bug with the airbrush name tag on the front. 

 

[jarbo03]

Great stories fellas.  Mine was 16 or so years ago. Dad and I went hunting cause we saw a few turkeys during deer season. Had no idea what we were doing, just sat quietly next to a tree. On my first day I took my furst bird, a hen with a 8" beard at 15 yards. What a rush, that is what started the sickness.

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