After hunting Thursday and Friday of last week for quick hunts before work and not hearing a gobble, I surely heard Tom fired up Saturday when I was taking a junior hunter into the woods. We hunted hard all morning, and did not hear a single thing at first light. We worked around and from ridge to ridge and nothing. Only voice heard was that of a hen we saw pitch down from a tree and make some soft yelps on the ground. But when we got to a flat that I had really liked during pre-season scouting, EVERYTHING would change.

Have you ever heard 10 birds gobble at once? Me neither until 4/16/05 at about 8:37am, maybe you heard it in other states from here in grand ole Virginia! I'm telling you, it was unbelievable. I got us set up and placed the junior hunter on the front side of the tree for our setup and I sat on the back side doing some blind calling, and all of a sudden you could just hear animals come crashing through the woods. The junior hunter thought it might be deer, I thought it might be a pack of coyotes, we weren't sure what was going to happen when a group of about 7 jakes and 2 long beards came up on us and started gobbling. My young partner was about a basket case (as was I ) looking at the birds, and I could barely see through the corner of my eye all the jake heads bee-bopping along in the saplings about 30 yards away. They were all over and my partner was all contorted trying to see it all, I'm whispering the whole time, "try not to move so much, easy now, try and get ready when they are behind trees" and the long beards spook, but just then from the opposite side, 3 jakes pop up right in our face at 14 steps on the ridge top! My partner is now in a pretzel formation and has no chance at them (he has never gotten a spring bird and would be thrilled with a jake) so I whisper to tell him to spin when I say spin, and I give him the go when the birds drop down behind a huge stump and he gets ready, but is shaking so bad the jakes see him, leave, ......I call them back up, he is not comfortable taking the shot through a couple little branches (we have long talk latter about scatter gun, but I am overly pleased with his reasoning on clean kill selection), then they move off again, and I call one up again with soft purrs and scratching in the leaves (meanwhile the whole gang of gobblers off just off about 75 yards in the bottom now gobbling-blowing down trees, ripping articles of clothing off with high winds), the jake is about 25 yards away, but spooks again, moves back down away

Then two silent longbeards slip in from new direction right in front of me, I whisper to my vegetable partner that some long beards are coming in on top of me from behind him, he tells me to take one, and I do at 27 yards about 9:24am.

21lbs 8 oz
9.25" beard
1" spurs

Amazing hunt of my life and his. He is so pumped and hooked it is great. I was sad that he didn't take any shots, but he is more than thrilled to go again and I am more than happy to take him. Pretty sure he is hooked.


I got on some more birds at 11:15, but we ran out of time.

Good luck to everyone, sorry so long, but it was unbelievable.

way to go..now go get some trout...intersting that the birds are still in that kind of pack in mid APril...must be soem elevation to that place...great great story...if he is not hooked, then give up on him , it cannot get any bette r than that...how young does one have to be to qualify as a junior hunter to goi with you??? :>)

Good job Tburt Happy to hear you got one. Now help that young man get one. Sounds like maybe he lost his confidence a little. Maybe a trip to the range and some turkey targets will lock him back in and build his confidence.

Simply awesome. Haven't been around that many birds at one time in a long time. That surely was a great experience for your young partner. I salute him at his shot selection decision. Hard to overcome the adreneline rush and think logically. Keep after them and the opportunity will present itself again. Great job taking along the youngster!

Great job Todd.. It always good to take a young one out and have a sucessful morning.

Doug

Another awesome report. I'm glad to hear there's alot of gobblers this year looks like a rebound! good going!

Hey Todd, I just turned 12. Can I come hunt with you?

What a story - had me in the floor laughing because I know the feeling. Keep up the good work and keep hooking new hunters on this great sport.
Like GN said, it he's not an addict now, give up on him.
Great story.
BB

Yeah, I'm . . . 12 . . . too . . . Can I come??

Seriously, I agree: your young friend's decision to wait for a clean shot is very, very respectable. I commend him. There are plenty of adult hunters that don't respect these fine animals enough to make sure of a clean, solid kill shot. Way to go!

Besides, turkey hunting is all about just being there!

Thanks again fellas, and Peacemaker-I agree whole heartidly with you.