Played a little afternoon hooky yesterday with my daughter. 5 gobblers have been running around this property together all spring. We watched them last year as jakes, and this year they were back again around March, always together. Landowner saw them often and I had them on camera several times, always together. We've tried hunting these birds several times this season and they just would not come off the side of the mountain - likely with hens. They would just stay about 4-500 yards up and gobble their brains out, and there is no good way to get up there with them. However, they showed up down in the fields almost every evening. Finally yesterday was the first day in VA that you can hunt the afternoons, so I grabbed my daughter and jumped in the blind at about 3:45. The landowner texts me a picture of the 5 gobblers on his camera at the other end of the property at 2:45, so I knew they weren't far, and I sorta fully expected to hear them fired up at the sound of my first call - but nothing. I called softly every 10 or 15 minutes, and more nothing. Around 5 o'clock, I pick up my wingbone and go to make another call, and my daughter says "there's a hen, there's 2 hens". I'm looking out of the front of the blind and I don't see anything. Then she says "there's a gobbler". I look over at her to see where she's looking, and she's looking across me at a little opening in the blind beside me I had opened to be able to peek out the side. I look over out of the hole and I see FIVE gobblers jogging by the blind 10 yards away headed straight for the decoys. After almost fainting, I scrambled to put my call away, get my facemask back up, get my gun, and get situated. I had turned my daughter's red dot off earlier since I assured her that we would have plenty of time to turn it back on, and there was no way a bird would just sneak in on us (oops). Apparently she had kept her cool, turned it back on, and was already up on the gun and ready while I was fumbling all around. The hens continue on and the 5 gobblers run up to the decoys and start pecking at the jake, and were so close together you could have killed all 5 with one shot. None go into strut, none will stand still, and none will separate, it's chaos. I'm trying to coach my daughter "ok get ready, the one on the right, no hold on, one on the left, oh no, hold on, now the right, now the left". This goes on for a lot longer than I wanted it to, and they just will not separate. Finally one of the bird putted and they all turned as if they were going to leave, and I thought it's now or never, and one of the birds stood still as the other 4 started walked away and as soon as there was about 2' of separation I said take that one, and she made an awesome shot as that bird had started to turn and walk away too. Hopes for a "double" ended quickly as all of the other 4 took flight and probably flew clean into the next county, but I didn't care, she got her bird and that was my main priority. I think the landowner was more excited than anybody to get the phone call yesterday, which was pretty cool. And as always, after a few hero pictures, we had to call everyone in my entire contact list and tell them the good news.
(https://i.ibb.co/W2xPpK8/Riley-Turkey.png) (https://ibb.co/ZMLY1T4)
(https://i.ibb.co/swpqn4Y/Riley-Spurs.png) (https://ibb.co/3N5c2bZ)
Awesome job twyatt! Great story and pictures. Congrats to your daughter, and double spurred Tom to go with a great hunt, hope Dad is ready to take trip to see Taxi!! Thats a special Tom.
Man that is fiat awesome! Glad you guys were able to share that memory together! And double spurs to boot!
Congrats!. That is great to see!
Awesome stuff my friend!!
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Yeah.............. we're drafting her on to the team next year. Yep. :you_rock:
Congrats to the both of you !!! Double spurs, even !!!
Thanks for all of the kind words. It was definitely a blast of a hunt and some great memories made. And I got a call today that there was a strutter back in the same field today at noon! I've never filled my 3rd VA tag but hoping this might be the year.
Man that is so awesome, and something you both will never forget. I'm sure you are a proud dad. Congrats to both of you!
She is turning into one heck of a little turkey hunting machine!!!!! Congrats again man! What a special hunt!
Good deal. Happy for you both!
Playing hooky to go hunt with Dad? SOOOOO worth it!! You're doin good things brother, and I love how excited she gets about turkey hunting!!! Congrats my man