Your first time

[Will]

ever turkey hunting. I posted this topic a few years ago but we have some newer members since then and would like to hear the stories. My first time started when I was 14. I began hunting when I was 11 years old and only hunted squirrels. My confidence grew as did my firearm safety and my father mentioned me deer hunting the fall of the year I turned 14. The deal was that if I drew a doe permit for Western Maryland I could go deer hunting. During the same conversation he mentioned me going turkey hunting in the Fall when the season came in. I was lectured on how this would be my first time hunting on my own and the excitement grew even more. Turkey hunting was to be my test that I could hunt on my own should I draw the doe permit we previously discussed.

The day came when Fall turkey came in and away we went on a 2 hour ride to Green Ridge State Forest. Family and friends filled the van and the entire way we discussed tactics and locations we would hunt. I had never seen a Wild Turkey up close and only watched one fly from the roost on a previous hunt pursuing squirrels. Filled with anticipation we hunted that morning only to report that no one saw turkeys. Deer were plentiful as every indication by their behavior gave evidence the rut was on.

Since the morning hunt yielded no sign of turkey we changed locations thinking birds would be found as was the case in years past by my father and uncle. The trek was made up a creek bed that led me to a "Y" section of the creek that led to another hollow. My uncle and I separated with me at the base of a hill near the "Y" while he walked up hill to hunt the ridge top. Consisting of hardwoods it was clear that day I was covered in acorns by the immediate sightings of squirrels. About an hour into my hunt I hear a shot from the direction my uncle had walked. I'll never forget the sound of my first turkey as I had never heard one in the wild until this day. Shortly after the shot I hear what sounded like a deep bark of a dog. Not knowing and becoming more and more frustrated thinking a grouse hunters dog was nearing my location I was pleasantly surprised to see a gobbler making his way down the hill. You see while squirrel hunting you would occasionally see grouse hunters work these same bottoms which threw me off when I finally realized that bark was the course low yelp of a mature tom turkey.

Amazed at what I was seeing I'll never forget just prior to squeezing the trigger on the  Stevens double barrel 12 gauge the beard swinging as he walked down the hill. The trigger was squeezed and the shot was fired but because of the "shakes" it was very apparent I had missed when the bird began flying straight up into the air. What followed next is still what I'll never understand but when that shot was fired a hen turkey took flight from her location that was a mere 10 yards away. She took that flight and flew directly above my head and was so close I could have reached out and touched her. I was so amazed I never raised the gun to fire that second shot. I stood there motionless and in awe to only watch what turned out to be one of my life's obsession.....The Wild Turkey.

I would continue to hunt for turkeys every year thereafter and didn' t harvest my first until 5 years after that eventful hunt. My passion grew stronger as years passed and the lessons were learned but there will be nothing more special than that first Wild Turkey Hunt!

[MK M GOBL]

"My" first turkey wasn't even mine... So back in the day a buddy of mine had said that they had seen these turkeys where they deer hunted. We talked about it a bit and wanted to try this turkey hunting thing out so we headed out late that summer on a trip to scout for birds and knock on some doors. Once we got there and as we were scouting the area where they hunted for whitetail we seen all these scrapes in places that didn't make sense, next thing you know we bust up a flock of turkeys! So after talking with the landowner and getting permission to hunt there the for next spring, we did a little research and applied for our permits. Back at home we raised some of those bronze breasted farm birds, I started watching those birds to see how they interacted with each other, our hens could fly into the trees at night but the old tom didn't get off the ground but about 4ft. I actually learned a lot from those birds and they talked profusely, them hens were my teacher on cadence and rhythm, body language and more. From the time they woke up and did the tree talk to when they were talking to the old tom. I spent countless hours watching and learning from those barnyard birds, as we didn't have wild birds where I lived at that time.
We were as green as anyone could be and no one I knew turkey hunted or had ever been, so out to the local sports shop and I bought the "Truth About Turkey Hunting" Vol #1 it was the first year it was out (I have bought every one out since then too, been kind of a tradition. Year #27 is out for 2016). I watched that video like it was the bible and bought myself a slate call... really wished I would have kept that one, also had a mouth call from Primos that came with the tape then I bought a Red Wolfe's Gobble Shaker.  I practiced my calling with those hens and the old tom tirelessly, learned everything they were saying and when, made my guesses as to what they meant and learned what each sound was called. I got to see all this day to day what they did at different times and that interaction between those birds. So here comes spring and we have our approvals from the DNR, WI has a lottery system. My buddy bought a H.S. Redi Hen decoy with a moveable head, could just twist it to a different position.
We got up there a day early for a five day hunt to scout and talk with the land owner, she tells us about
them birds and how they come out in the back of the field every morning over there... So we go out and look and see sign, tracks, poop and a wing feather. Yup decision is made lets hunt here, this lead to lesson #1 turkeys do have really good eye sight, spooked a bird that first morning... WI season at that time closed at noon, and the rest of the day was uneventful. Day 2 we setup a little different and we are not having any luck, we see some birds and hear them but just not doing things right yet...Here we are on day number four and we have learned where those birds roosted and we are setup and are in sight of those birds, hens are a talking, toms are gobbling and this to me feels like home. I start with my tree talk, birds fly down and a tom breaks from the flock to my calling, must have been better than 20 birds together out there but this guy was liking my calling. We watched him strut and gobble his way in off the field and down a bit of the old logging road we were set up on, decoy was set a bit past us and as him came my buddy put him down! He was froze, white knuckled and speechless he didn't even get up, I jumped up as soon as I could see that bird go down, ran over and put my foot on him like I had seen and kept yelling to my buddy "Shawn we did it, We did it!"
I never did get a bird that first year, didn't matter we had success and a lot of lessons were learned during those early days. As I told my Dad the story of the hunt and it got him to want to try this turkey hunting. More than anything else my dad raised me on hunting and fishing and "Turkey Hunting" was the one thing I got to teach my dad about...called in his first bird for him too, since then Dad has passed on and I have some great memories and how much this has been a part of my life and still is, it's not about the kill... don't get me wrong still like to pull the trigger but it's about family, friends and those I share the hunt with.

Hoped you enjoyed the read

MK M GOBL

[Sir-diealot]

Well I recently found a receipt to a hotel I stayed in in Batavia NY for the NY NWTF convention in 98 so I know it was before that. I would say 95 or 96 would have been my first time turkey hunting. I would have been 35 or 36 I still have not got one.

[Gooserbat]

I was 14 when I killed my first one.  A Rio Tom off of Packsaddle WMA in Western OK.

[Kylongspur88]

I was 13. My dad doesnt hunt so a family friend took me. Within a half hour of sitting down three Tom's came in and I dropped one with an 870 in Greenleaf camo shooting a Winchester red hull in I think #4. I was ruined from there on...

[PSEoutlaw07]

 First year turkey hunting was 2011. Went to the NWTF in Nashville with friends with about 100 bucks in my pocket. Little did I know that was not enough, but it got me a vest and a Halloran double glass pot. First season I had no luck in killing a tom. Now I called in 2, but they came in silent and lets just say I messed that up.
2012- Second season, more prepared, and I still struggled because the birds just were not there. I basically gave up for about 2 weeks then went back late April. That morning I never heard a gobble or hens, so while walking back to the truck around 10am on an ol logging road I blew my Buckner crow call as loud as I could and I heard 2 fire off about 75 yards away. I ran, got setup in the closest cover I could find and clucked twice and then they gobbled probably about 35 yards away (yeah this was some thick pines) Finally I heard them spittin and drummin and shot the first one I seen. It turned out to be 3 longbeards together.
I struggled those first 2 years but I felt like it made me a better turkey hunter doing it on my own.
I'd just like to thank my buddies for getting me started in the greatest tradition ever known to man!

[Harty]

I started Turkey hunting in my 30s when  Turkeys were re established and permits were finally issued in Wisconsin. Headed west to Coon Valley( coulee country). Heard a bird gobble on the roost. Eased in on him. He pitched down about 35 yards from me and started strutting .at about 20 yards I thought my heart was going to burst through my chest. Managed to shoot him though. Got one the next year on opening too. Seemed pretty easy and started getting cocky. Then went on a drought. If something could go wrong it did. I started whining. My mentor and other turkey hunters  all just rolled their eyes and remarked get used to it,Turkey hunting is not easy. 30 years later it has become an addiction and passion.nothing like it.

[Happy]

We were both in high school, had known each other for a while and one day she.... wait wrong first time!

[ARjtk]

I was ten years old. My dad work me up "early". We hoped in his Chevy and drove to one of his friends properties. I remember taking a few steps from the truck and flushing a big covey of quail. Scared me to death. We walked down a field edge and he said stop and listen. This was the first time I've ever heard a turkey gobble. The bird was roosted maybe 100 yards across the holler and he was gobbling good. My dad sat me down a few yards down the hill in front of him. Dad made a few soft yelps on a pot call and the bird cut him off with a gobble. He pitched past us into the field. I turned to look and dad was motioning me to crawl to him. Dad was leaning against a giant oak. I crawled on my hands and knees up to dad. He said lean around this tree and shoot him. When I poked my little head around the tree the gobbler was standing tall. I raised up dads 12ga and squeezed the trigger. The next thing I knew I was on my back. Dad grabbed the gun and said go stand on his head. I remember the power of the bird nearly lifting me off the ground when he flopped. It was the most exciting thing I had ever experienced. I was hooked from then on.

[Will]

We were both in high school, had known each other for a while and one day she.... wait wrong first time!

Hahahahaha I was waiting for this one!

[zelmo1]

May 3rd, 2001 in NH opening day. I had camo, push pin and HS Strut triple glass calls. 3.5" #4's Winchester supremes. Bird gobbled when the farmer started his tractor and I called, use interpretation, for 2 hours. He gobbled the whole time. I finally stopped and walked away calling then hid for an ambush. It finally worked. 18 pound super jake. I was 12 feet tall and a professional turkey hunter now . 10k $ later, It has become my second love to my family. I have gotten their first turkey, all jakes, for my son, youngest daughter and wife, it was a double on their first hunt. Now it's all gravy . I am blessed

[Spitten and drummen]

I started in 1979. Had a bunch of national forrest all to myself way back then. Took me until my 3rd season to finally get all the stars line up and kill one. I was 12 years old when i pulled the trigger. My dad worked in the oil field and was a pumper. He made rounds checking wells and put over a 100 miles a day on his truck and most was in the woods. I would ride with him when i was out of school. He would drop me off wherever i wanted to go and go make his rounds. Usually it would take a few hours in a area . He would give me a time to meet back where he dropped me off or at a location where he would be through the woods. Man oh man those were the days.

[ddturkeyhunter]

My first one took me three years to figure them out. 2002 was the year and MN had a five day season and only five hunters in that zone at that time. Turns out there was two other groups of turkey hunters besides me on this one 40 acre WMA. But I was in the farthest corner from the road that could be hunted. It was double sweet to get him when so may other people had the same Idea as to where to hunt. He was at twelve yards before I could pull the trigger, lucky I didn't take his neck off.

[SteelerFan]

Somewhere around 1978, started hunting turkeys in the fall season of West Virginia. Hiking the ridges in search of flocks of birds. My father and I busted up a flock one day and he killed a jake. The birds had scattered, so I set off out the ridge with my trusty peg slate. My father gave me his gun, since it was a 3" mag (mine was 2 3/4 only).

I set up against a big oak, and started calling. Moments later, a bird answered and started coming my way. My hands were shaking so bad, I wasn't sure if I could actually make a series of yelps without screwing it up. I managed to make sounds that were "close enough" and the lonely hen answered and came walking to me. She walked behind a large tree, and I adjusted the gun... when she stepped out, I put the bead of the Remington Wingmaster Magnum on the turkey and let lose the 3" magnum load of #4's! The bird flopped and started rolling down the mountain. Naturally, I did what I thought I had to do... and shot AGAIN! (thankfully missed! lol). I retrieved that 12 lb hen, and was the proudest hunter in the woods!

Went off to college, and discovered the "spring season" in 1984. I've needed counseling ever since... "Hello, my name is Jeff... and I'm a gobble-holic"

[guesswho]

My first turkey was in 1966 with my Dad.   First long beard was in 1968, also with
my Dad.   Both in South Central Florida.