Hope everyone is doing well and congrats on the successes so far this season! GN has been after me for being somewhat absent around here, but just a lot going on with life in general. Watching Abby continue to grow up and sharing that with her. She's a junior in high school and committed over the winter to play softball at Ferrum College, so Mom and Dad are excited she will be close to home.

As Abby gets older, I have to coach her less and less... on the softball field and in the turkey woods. Never more apparent than opening morning of the season!

In years past, I can generally count on both hands the number of times I've carried a gun while I was taking Abby. I don't want that distraction nor the temptation to shoot a bird that might be getting away should something go awry. It's just easier to focus on her with me having a gun. Last year I carried the gun several times with her, and we both killed some birds together, but never an opportunity for a double. This year, as scouting days turned into the season, I really didn't like our chances, as I really hadn't seen two gobblers together. It was never really a goal anyway, but it was mentioned a time or two as the season inched closer.

Long story short, a gobbler that I had scouted seemed to be the most likely candidate for Abby on opening morning, so we setup on his home turf and waited. He didn't gobble close, but was one ridge over from us. With the foggy, wet morning there wasn't a lot of gobbling but he answered one series of calls and the next gobble was closer. We were setup with Abby facing down a logging road and I off to her right. She spotted a hen just barely visible in the road and we anxiously waited. In just a few minutes Abby said, "There he is!" Like I said, I don't have to coach her much anymore and true to form she slid her gun in position and readied for the shot. Just then she said "Another one! Let's kill them both!" Mind you, my gun in laying in the leaves beside me, but I was able to ease my gun up. I told Abby, you just kill one and I'll take a shot at the other if I can. She said "No, we can kill them both!" As the gobblers weaved and bounced around coming up the road, Abby was on her bird and I on mine. Abby said "Are you good?" I said "Yes!". I told her earlier not to count, to just let me know when she was going to shoot. Twice my gobbler was turned and not in place for a shot and she noticed, then, as they were shoulder to shoulder she said "You ready?" again, and then whispered "NOW!". The shots were almost simultaneous and both gobblers were down. A Daddy-Daughter Double. As many turkeys as I've killed and called in for others... this is the one I will remember most fondly! No words really...





I won't bore you with all the details of our most recent hunt, but suffice it to say that Abby played the right hand and took another beautiful gobbler, using the patience of Job and some tricks from her Old Man. And, not to be shown up by the kid, Old Man was able to pull off a classic mid-morning hunt as well.



And one for GN...

That's an outstanding report! Ole Billy Wagner went to Ferrum back in the day, flame throwing lefty. Nice job Abby and 3 toes

hmmmmm.....no wonder he showed up...with a report like that who wouldn't?

Good going guys , classic hunt for the double and couple of well executed single birds Couldn't get much better. Proud of both of you. They have checked the box on about everything except the much discussed plan of ABBY taking a bird with a softball, which may be next on the list.

GN He wanted to remind us that he is still the King of the board...LOL and Queen.
Congrats again man, Job Well Done.

I wanna be like Freddy when I grow up.. or maybe Abby

Congrats to you both.. special times.

Freddy,
Continue to enjoy it while you can (I have two grandsons now, 2 an 4, and am looking forward to that chapter).

That is awesome. Hope I can do something like that with my kids when they get old enough

Nice

That is a great story and you must be a super proud dad to have such a confident daughter. I’m hoping someday I’ll have memories like that w/ a nephew or son-in-law (don’t have kids of my own).

Freddy Congrats to you and Abby on the Double. That father daughter time is special. Congrats on two Nice Birds

Very nice indeed. Love to watch the two of you get after it in the spring.

What a special memory, congratulations Abby and Freddy. Great job Abby on calling the shots.

GN? Abby/turkey and softball, to funny or is it?


Earl