I have had the opportunity to take some nice turkeys and have called up birds for first timers on three occasions but this morning takes the cake. I had been trying for a number of years to call one for my dad, but things just never worked out as far as the turkeys cooperating or our schedules. This time it was different.
Yesterday afternoon he met me at my grandparents farm and He came in all exited "theres a gobbler struttin in the field", he was with a hen and my dad said well we could sneak through the woods and shoot him with the 270, I quickly said no we'll get as close as we can and try to call him up and use the model 12, long story short the bird folded his wings and left at the first yelp, i had messed with him and another bird that morning both shutting up at the first yelp only to hear em gobble far away.
That evening we roosted a bird about 300 yards from the house its hard to sleep when your beds that close to a tom on the eve of the final day. We got up and set up on him early bumping one bird on the way in, and this gobbler put on a show he must of gobbled 50 times on the roost and finally at 615 i saw him fly down, just a few minutes later i could here him struttin and saw my dad throw up the shotgun like an old pro- i thought i would explode in anticipation of the shot. I cutt a few times hoping to stop the bird even though i couldnt see him and he gobbled twice then boooom. My dad had finally got a bird, 17.5 lbs 11" beard 3/4 spurs. My dad shot him in the same spot his daddy had taken me on my first hunt as a little boy.
You really want a bird to put on a show for a first timer and this one cooperated to my surprise so late in the season, I could hammer him with calls and he just kept on gobbling, he strutted in, and gobbled up close all in the majic of dark lateseason hardwoods. We heard two more birds walking out and he was fired up saying lets go get em you still have a tag, i told him lets leave em for seed, but really those birds wouldnt work anyways and i had the memory to close this season. Because the experience cant be reduced to words that is what makes it so special to be a part of a first timer, and so much more when its your old man. my dad looked across the tabel at breakfast and said how glad he was now that he didnt shoot his first with a rifle. I think theres one more turkey hunter now.

I've given up trying to figure out how to put a picture on here but if anybody can tell me i would appreciate it.[/url]

That's such a cool story. Congrats on a great hunt.

Congrdas TW.
That was a treasured hunt for you and your dad.
GS...

Hey TW,
That is definitely one to remember.
GREAT HUNT!!!
I never got to do that for my Dad.

barry

Not having a Dad that hunts and always wanting a Dad that hunted, I admired and read with a twinge of jealousy your story. It'll be a memory that will never fade. Congrats to the both of you on a game well played.

great memory

Congrats... great hunt... great story!