Happy's Hunt Log

[Happy]

So for a little more backstory on the miss:
The last day of youth season was the only decent day. The boy decided he wanted to go where he had missed last year on his last hunt. Its a bit of a hike but typically there are birds in the area. We were running about 15 minutes behind and were still 300 yards from where we wanted to be when the first gobbles were heard. I told the boy we needed to move fast and to get his facemask and gloves on while we walked. Of course he forgot his gloves at the truck so I gave him mine and we hustled towards the birds. I knew exactly where they were roosted, but with daylight increasing there was no good way to get on the same side of the powerline without getting picked off. We got as close as I dared to push it and finding a good tree for my boy, I pointed him to it and looked for a good tree of my own about 20 yards behind him.
Once we were settled in I started listening to the turkeys. It sounded like at least 2 gobblers with hens and jakes mixed in. They were still on the roost, but with all that competition ii went for broke. As soon as I heard the first turkey on the ground, I started into them with a pot call, mouth call, and trumpet. we had a yelping, cutting, and gobbling frenzy going on down below us and it wasn't long before we had hens and jakes peeling off and coming to check us out. The gobblers were staying put with the main flock but they were still responding. 

[Happy]

We had multiple hens and Jakes swing by, standing in the powerline, looking and running their mouths before finally working off. I finally got one of the subordinate gobblers to break and I was slightly above my boy so I could see the white head coming through the high grass on the other side. He walked right into the middle of the powerline and stood there for what seemed like eternity. he would gobble and strut, looking hard in my direction. I braced myself waiting for the shot as he was at about 40 yards from my boy. Nothing was happening. Finally, he broke strut and started heading straight at me. He made it about 2 steps into the woods on our side when the gun cracked. The gobbler just came to attention very quickly, looked confused for a second and then decided to get out of Dodge. Turns out that the gobbler was directly behind a tree for my boy while he was in the powerline and as soon as he gave him an open shot, it was turned loose. I think that with his bobbing head, at 27 steps and a tight choke, it was a clean miss. We double checked for about 45 minutes but nothing was found and the turkey seemed to be perfectly fine on his exit. It was a good lesson on keeping ones cool under pressure and then picking the right opportunity to finish the job when the opportunity presents itself. He was crushed, no matter how much I assured him that he would get another shot.

[Happy]

I think we had two more hunts in really bad conditions before the opportunity arose. We finally had a decent day in the forecast for the next morning so I told the boy to be ready to go. We were up at 3:30am and walking into our starting point with just enough light to see our way. He had picked a spot that he really liked to hunt. He has killed several gobblers and a decent buck here, so I think he just wanted something that he had confidence in. As we walked in, I noticed fresh scratching in the faint light. I pointed it out to the boy and mentioned that they may have already passed through yesterday evening and be roosted on the backside of the ridge. We still got settled in where we wanted to be, about 150 yards from where they normally roost if in the area. Daylight brought silence. There wasn't a peep heard for the first hour. I didn't call and we just sat listening, hoping something would sound off within earshot. Nothing was happening so I got up and told the boy I was going to walk away a bit and call. He was just to stand up and listen. I walked away about 50 yards and hit my wingbone, I thought I heard a faint gobble and looked back at the boy, and he gave me a weird look. "Gobble?" I asked. He shrugged and said "I heard something but don't know what it was". I hit the call again and heard the same thing. We were still unsure so I suggested we get closer to  the top of the ridge and hopefully figure it out and get a direction. As soon as I got on top, I started cutting with a mouth call and the response was unmistakable. He was on the backside of the ridge and another set of calls made it certain that he was ready to die. I started moving quickly towards him, eyeballing the terrain and and found what I was looking for. The boy doesn't move as fast or as quiet so he was a little bit behind me. I also was not carrying a gun as I never do when he is with me. I like to concentrate on him and make every hunt about him only. The gobbler was still approaching and was within 200 yards when I motioned to a tree about 25 yards in front of me. It would give him a really good field of fire but I wouldn't be able to see a darned thing but maybe him from were I sat.

[Happy]

After we got settled I gave a couple yelps and the gobbler sounded off about 150 yards from us and slightly to our left. I could jut see a little bit of the right side of my by and noticed that he adjusted a little that way. After a few minutes I called again and he was in the same spot. Going silent we waited and didn't hear a peep for a good 15 minutes. I slowly got up and sneaked over to sit beside my boy. I explained to him that I thought the gobbler had called up a hen and was busy with her or someone had tried to sneak in and got busted. I told him we would sit for a bit and see what developed. We were just sitting and whispering for a while when he suddenly sounded off again. Right where we had last heard him. I just grinned at the boy and whispered "game on" as I got up and snuck back to my original position. He hit the calls well and then went quiet at about that 80 yard mark. I knew what was going on and went quiet as well. I made some turkey sounds but not calls if you know what I mean. I sat waiting, my eyes glued to my boy. I didn't see him move an inch, I knew that gobbler had to be right there in front of him but I couldn't see a thing from where I sat. That's when I heard that sound most of us know and love. The familiar phhht...... vroooom. I was just moving my eyes off of my boy and to his right when the gun cracked. I always jump a little, even when I expect it. I didn't notice him shifting to cover his right but somehow he had done it. I sat there for a few and watched him get up and slowly walk over the lip of the hill. He didn't even look back back at his old man. Giving him a few, I got up and walked over. When I got to him, he was standing with his foot on a fine 3 year old+ gobblers head. He just grinned as I walked up and said "you'd think by now I'd be used to this, look at my leg". I looked, and his leg was shaking like a leaf. Apparently the gobbler had popped into view at about 30 yards to the right of where he was expecting it. He said he slowly lowered his head to the stock and when he strutted behind a tree he made his move, he waited till the gobbler came out of strut and raised his head for the shot. He dead-centered this one too. It was the best gobbler that we killed locally, it weighed in around 17lb's and some change. This winter was hard on them and it shows on the number of gobblers as well as the weights. My boy had redemption though and honestly, it was the high point of my season. Lord knows that I love to hunt these gobblers like nothing else, but I will take a day like that over any of the gobblers that I have killed.

[TrackeySauresRex]

Luv this one WTG on a great hunt! Congrats young man 

[GobbleNut]

   Great recounts, Nick! I, too, remember those days with the kids...although it has been quite a few years since they were that age.  Good stuff, buddy!

[JeffC]

Congrats to the young hunter, hopefully you 2 get one more year to hunt together before he kicks you to the side. Great write up, congrats to both of you on another great season.

[zelmo1]

Great way to end the season bro, congrats to you all. Z

[Happy]

Thanks fellas. Now just surviving the next three seasons while actually planning spring 2026 begins.

[eggshell]

Good season Nick. It seems like I never even turkey hunted this spring. I hunted two days in Ohio, one for myself ( 30 minutes in I killed ) and one with a buddy. A total of six in Ky. and 1 of those was just two hrs (killed) and 4 others were just half days. So I hunted a total of something like 3 days, but 7 trips. Waiting for fall now. I am afraid we'll eventually lose our fall season, there's a lot of lobbying to do away with it. The fall kill is very small in Ohio, usually less than 10% of the spring kill. My county averages about a dozen birds killed each fall and around 300-400 spring gobblers, yet the spring hunters are screaming to close the fall.

[Happy]

Good season Nick. It seems like I never even turkey hunted this spring. I hunted two days in Ohio, one for myself ( 30 minutes in I killed ) and one with a buddy. A total of six in Ky. and 1 of those was just two hrs (killed) and 4 others were just half days. So I hunted a total of something like 3 days, but 7 trips. Waiting for fall now. I am afraid we'll eventually lose our fall season, there's a lot of lobbying to do away with it. The fall kill is very small in Ohio, usually less than 10% of the spring kill. My county averages about a dozen birds killed each fall and around 300-400 spring gobblers, yet the spring hunters are screaming to close the fall.

That sucks to hear Eggshell. Hopefully, you get to keep it. I know a few guys who prefer fall hunting to spring. Personally, I think a fall season has minimal effect.