Opening morning Double/Wifes First Hunt and Kill.

[HogBiologist]

Opening Morning was a BLAST.  My wife has never been turkey hunting before.  She has never even heard a turkey gobble (except the penned birds at the cypress zoo).  I went Friday afternoon to listen for a bird going to roost.  I actually heard 2 fly up, but they did not gobble.  This was the same area that 2 days before I had gone at daylight and heard 3 birds.  She had her camo shirt and pants that were nothing special.  They were just realtree cheapo camo.  I was wearing a realtree shirt that was Wal-Mart bought and real faded.  My pants were old Army BDU's.   I was going to let her use regular 2.75 inch low brass #6 shot, but ended up getting her some Hevi-Shot Hevi13, 2.75 inch 1.5 oz #6 shot.  We had a plan going in.  She was going to use my Rem 870 with a Mad Calls Super Max .675, 28" barrel, and the HS #6.  I was going to use my NEF Pardner 12 gauge 3" single shot with modified choke.  My Fed HW #7's shoot good patterns out of it.  Gotta love the Flight Control Wad.  Well 4:30 am came early.  The coffee pot was set on auto.  We got up and got dressed.  Coffee was done and we waited on Nana to get here by 5 AM.  When she arrived we loaded the truck and were off.  We left early to beat the crowds, since this was public land.  We got to the spot fairly early.  I figured on the National Forest in this area there would be a lot of competition.  We got out of the truck and made our way to the spot.  We went to the fallen log and sat down.  It was about 6:30 and we sat and waited on the sun rise.  About 6:55 we heard a gobble coming from where I had heard the 2 birds fly up the night before.  It was across the creek from where we were but it was too far to shoot.  We hopped across the creek and sat up against a tree that looked good.  When we found the spot I knew it and said to myself those turkeys will die out in that flat there.  The wife and I sat down.  I faced here into the big opening and myself toward the opening between the thicket and the creek.  I pulled out my mouth call and called a little.  No response.  I pulled out my slate.  No response.  I then pulled out my wing and did a fly down sequence.  I was getting down and out.  Then I pulled out my Glass over Slate 2 sided (glass on top, slate on underside) call Custom Made By Brian Warner of Heirloom Game Calls.  The turkeys loved it.  3 answered.  I hit it again, 4 answered.  They were on the ground and within a hundred yards.  They were headed to us.  Both our hearts were in overdrive.  She kept looking at me saying calm down (though she was just as excited as I).  We sat there as they were coming.  Them my wife said "I can see them".  She could see three birds in strut out at about 60 yards. I would call and she watched them gobble.  She watched them for about 5 minutes.  They needed to come left, but started to go back right.  They came out into an opening where I could see them at about 50 yards.  There were 3 in my sight, but too far and too thick.  I watched them strut and gobble.  I was excited.  I finally got aggressive on the slate side and they started to move away to the left.  I figure there was an obstruction that hung them up.  They went around it and started to come to us.  While they were out of sight I told my wife it was OK to get the spider off her barrel which she was having issues with.  They reappeared closer in front of us.  The fans had looked full but when they got closer I could see they were jakes.  The first one popped out, then 2 then 3, followed by 4&5.  We stopped counting then, there may have been 6.  The first one crossed an opening and I told my wife they were in range.  The second stopped in the opening and I think he either saw me move my hand or heard me talk to her.  He stopped and leaned back and cocked that head back in a rubber neck way, as if to say WTH?.  I said shoot.  She said I can't see through the scope.  I said pull the gun to your shoulder and lean forward.  BOOM!  He dropped like a sack of hammers.  The first bird flew up and landed a few feet back, bird 3 started to walk directly away.  The others left ASAP.  She thought she missed, I said no.  She said I am going to rack another.  I said wait, I got a shot.  I didn't want her to move and scare the birds.  BOOM!  My bird drops.  She said she missed.  I said he is right there, rack another shell.  I stood up and pointed to her bird.  I saw mine and he was down, but his head was up.  I grabbed my gun and went out to him and finished him off.  He was not going anywhere since both legs, a wing and his back was broke.  I just felt it better to quickly finish him rather than stomp his head.  I picked up mine and hers and came back to the tree.  I was on cloud 9 with excitement.  She was in shock that she hit the bird.  It was setting in she had killed her first bird.  I grabbed my range finder and went back to where hers was.  30 yards.  Nice!  Then I went to where mine was.  45 yards.  Grossly misjudged, but knew my capabilities.  It was 10 minutes to 8 when we packed up after tagging and started the walk back out.  2 Birds are heavy in a vest.  She carried "her" gun and I mine.  On the walk back I looked at my beautiful wife/hunting partner.  My only words to her were "Turkey hunting is not that easy"!  
Final stats:
Wifes bird:
12.5 lbs, Nub spurs, 4 3/8" Beard


My Bird:
16.5 lbs, Nub Spurs, 4" Beard

[hookedspur]

  GREAT HUNT Congratulations to both

[bowhunter84]

 

[njdevilsb]

That's great.  Congrats to you both.

[MDbowman]

Great story!! Congrats!

[timbrhuntr]

Congrats !

[trkycaller]

Awesome!!

[FLGobstopper]

Congrats to you both!

[turkey slayer]

Congrats!

[Limbstrutter]

Congrats to you both!

Right on !!!!!   

[FttFttVroom!]

 

[BOFF]

What a hunt!!

Hope you two are able to do it again!! Better thank Nana for the opportunity. 


God Bless,
David B.

[JVA54]

   Congrats!!   

[boggszilla]

WTG 

[alloutdoors]

Congrats on a fine double!