I have dedicated this year to getting my adult daughter a turkey-she has been my fishing buddy for years but now wanted to try turkey-year one was only 2 hunts. Every time she has gone with me, no gobbling, no activity. I started her on smaller farms I hunt to help her odds and to lessen the physical exertion at first as well. This year I took her on some hunts of a more classic style. Not a sound. Last year, there was opening weekend and one other day she could not go with me, and I killed birds on both those days that would have been easy for her. Both locations are heavily pressured by nearby places, so "saving" a bird was not likely to be successful.
Yesterday AM, it was all perfect. My nephew had scattered some jakes and toms the previous day when his dad killed one (that I put them on). This was on private. So I set up near where they had scattered and called sparingly. Sure enough, a jake shows. She gets her gun up and he is heading to us. He just kind of veers off a little and does not respond to calls, just feeds on by at 40 yards. Slam dunk shot for me, but behind some brush for her (she is shooting a 30 yard gun) and he never got clear enough for a comfortable shot. She did great, was patient and still. It will happen, but dang I feel bad for her. Also a little for me as I have hunted more in places she could kill at the cost of my hunting (no complaints, but time is now critical). If she had squeezed on that jake, my season would have been like winning the Superbowl, but due to time constraints she is done and Dad is not gonna get her one another year.
A little part of me is kinda glad though, as with many of her generation (she is 24), they want things fast and it will be good for her in the long run to work for it (not at all saying ALL of her generation by any means, some of the best hunters I know are her age). Just sucks as I really made that my number one goal this year. Oh well, I got 5 days left to kill one now, so wish me luck.
Oh yeah, she went on a nearby river afterwards on Sunday and was drifting along and had 2 gobblers hammering right on the bank. Sent me a video. Closed land. She did have a sense of humor about it though.
