Report from this morning

[Eric Gregg]

Last week I was approached by a member of my congregation if I would be interested in helping he and his son get into turkey hunting. He told me that he had 800 acres that we could hunt all by ourselves, and I had to think about it (yeah right  ) and of course I was happy to.
We went out this morning and he brought along his 13 year old son. We got out to listen and nothing sounded off. We went to a great spot where he had heard gobbling a couple of days ago, so we set up and cold called. Nothing came in but a couple of poachers who we had to run off. So, I was kind of getting discouraged.

We regrouped and changed course and went to another spot. As we approached a bottom that was bisected by a creek, I used my locator call and also yelped with nothing answering. We no sooner entered the bottom and all of a sudden a gobble fired across the hollow from roughly 200 yds away. I decided to set up where we currently located as to push it any further would risk being seen. I set the dad behind us roughly 10 yds back, and me and the son sat against two trees that provided the best cover. The gobbler never really hammered back, but threw out gobbles every now and then. As I looked around I felt that a little hill directly 50 yds from our position would give us a better chance at a good shot, so we quietly slipped across the bottom and dug in next to a great big oak tree. The first yelp was followed up by a gobble. The look on that young man's face when he heard those gobbles was priceless. A few minutes later 4 hens ran into our position. They were almost lost kee keeing, and it was something to hear it live from the real source. We froze and 4 pair of the best eyes in the woods were 30 yards in front of us trying to find what they thought was a lost colleague of their flock. They walked away, but within a few minutes they had circled our position to end up on my left, and was located directly behind the son. "What ever you do, do not move" is what I told him. We were stuck against that tree and the only thing moving was our eyelids. Adrenaline rush!!!!!!
The dad is watching behind us, tucked between a growth of 4 elm trees. He is watching the hens and also watching his son and I as we are pinned down. Talk about a dad that was excited about his son getting in the midst of a bunch of turkeys.
We never got the gobbler to come in, and the hens were not really concerned about him at all. They seemed more worried about locating a potential lost hen than going to the gobbler or trying to cut him off from us.
This was a hunt that was awesome regardless of coming out with a bird on our back. Being able to introduce a young hunter to this addiction called turkey season was well worth it. And, not to mention I now get access to 800 acres of prime time turkey real estate.
Great Day

[gophert]

Great story Eric!  It just a matter of time with all that activity!

[Hooter]

That was too cool!!! Wish I would have been there to witness it too.

[FullChoke]

That sounded like a fantastic time! You will catch Mr. Loudmouth in a mood one day soon!

[surehuntsalot]

Some of the best turkey hunts that you will ever have, does not include a bird being killed.

[xarcher]

That is something you will never forget.  You will forget many of the birds you end up throwing over your shoulder but you will never forget that boy's face.  I had a similar event with my nephew about 10 years ago and remember it just like it was yesterday.  You are good man.  And no dummy for sacrificing your time to get access to 800 acres. 

[FullChoke]

Eric,

Are you still able to get after the birds on this property? I hope you can find one soon who is looking for love in all the wrong places and persuade him to "Go lieth down."  Oh, I kill me. 

[Eric Gregg]

I am slated to go on this place again this upcoming weekend. The problem is that in order for me to be able to go, I am acting as the guide. Any single tom that shows up the young boy is going to be first shooter. Hopefully we will be able to pull off a double.