My buddy Matt is usually out fishing during his free time this time of year, but we manage to hit the deer pretty hard every fall. He and I have only went turkey hunting once together. That was years ago and we got to hear some gobbling, but never sealed the deal for his first turkey.
Matt gave me a call last week and wanted to do some fishing, so I told him we should try for his first turkey early Saturday morning then hit some local ponds for bass. It's late season and I haven't heard anything the last couple times I've taken people, but you can't kill em at the house
![Cheesy :D](http://184.171.243.18/~shannonk/Forum/Smileys/classic/cheesy.gif)
Saturday morning we hit a few of my favorite spots with no luck, didn't hear a peep and only found a few hens tracks here and there. I knew one last spot where the timber had just been cut about a week ago and there were fresh tracks in there while the cutting was going on. We set up on top of a hill where we could see a couple hundred yards underneath the thinned pines. I put Matt ahead of me, so he could see more than I. After a bit of cutting and calling every few minutes, I was looking at some of my calls and Matt says "There's a Gobbler!!" I thought he was joking around as I eased my head up and didn't see anything. I said "Where?" and Matt says "Straight out front!" Then I caught some movement and 3 jakes broke out in the open. I knew they were jakes, but didn't say a word about it as the fever was setting in on Matt. When they got to around 60yds they went below a dip out of view and heading to our left, so I told Matt to swing around to the left and get ready. As soon as they topped the hill, they were about 35yds out, so I told him to take a fine bead on the lead bird and let him have it. He was shaking and breathing hard, so I told him to take it easy and calm down before the shot. Seconds later he smashed the lead bird and the other two shock gobbled
![Cheesy :D](http://184.171.243.18/~shannonk/Forum/Smileys/classic/cheesy.gif)
It would have been nice to get him on a fired up mature tom, but I don't think he could have gotten any more excited and that's what it's all about.
16lbs, 5-1/8" sprig, and 1/2" nubs. He's already talking about displaying the fan mount
![Cheesy :D](http://184.171.243.18/~shannonk/Forum/Smileys/classic/cheesy.gif)
Another hooked turkey hunter:
![](http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/Reloader01/Mattsfirstturkey2.jpg)
![](http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/Reloader01/Matts1stturkey.jpg)
Taken with one of my 3.5" 2oz NP #6 lead handloads.
Ya'll have a good one,
loder