Scotsman
Senior Member
It has been quite a long time since I have made a post - sometimes I get too busy, but with the way things are now, it is easier to slow down and refresh. Over the past two weeks I have been taking a good friend out on his first turkey hunts. We have been able to make it to the woods five different times. He has never turkey hunted prior to these hunts, and it was exciting to be able to get on birds each time that we have been able to go. On the first hunt we found four long-beards hanging out with twelve hens and seven jakes. We could not do anything with them but they were fun to watch and we made plans for those birds. The second hunt we moved within 150 yards of the roost and they gobbled like mad at everything. They did come in, but there were only three long-beards. Where was the fourth? I called to them once they got on the ground and they came on in to us. They crossed through a finger of trees roughly 20 yards from my friend but he did not shoot. He told me later that he wanted it done where we both would shoot one on the count of three. Sometimes it works out like that, most of the time, it does not.
We later found the fourth bird of that group, or what was left of him. Feathers scattered in an area that covered 20 square feet and a few cleaned up bones. We were pretty sure a coyote got that turkey.
We were certain of the roost area and like a couple of kids building a fort in the woods, we spent an hour or so creating a perfect setup 60 yards from where we thought they stayed the night. We slipped in undetected the next morning and were there 45 minutes before the gray sky of dawn. There were some birds gobbling on the ridge hundreds of yards away and then, one bird gobbled in our face! He flew down somewhere else and later joined up with two of his buddies and gobbled at us from a hillside a couple hundred yards away. They did not want to come see us. A couple more hunts and a few more encounters. We found three more long-beards and had close contact with more hens, but we could not get a bird to play the game.
This morning's hunt dawned very cool and very windy. We did not hear anything at our first set, so we wandered over to another spot and set up and called. Nothing. We drifted over to another spot. . .zilch. After a short discussion, I told Wes about a place on the property that we call the kill spot. This place is absolutely perfect. Over the past 18 years we have killed multiple birds there. Same tree. My oldest son has killed six there. Another friend has dropped three, and I have lowered four and called in a few more for other family and friends. So, we just had to go check it out.
One thing I must mention is that Wes is an incredibly talented wood worker and makes awesome American flags and turned bowls. As we started hunting this season, he said he wanted to try to make some turkey calls and asked if I would let him know if they were any good. The first one he turned out was beautiful, but the sound was not there. It was a slate over glass and as much as I wanted it to sound good, well, even he knew it was not there. Being one of those truly positive souls, he was not discouraged and over the next few days he kept coming up with various calls. He turned pots of oak, maple, cherry, and cedar and he tried different sound boards and surfaces. He used slate over glass, glass over copper, copper over slate, copper over glass. He was hooked on making a great looking and great sounding call. He brought six this morning! He has also been turning strikers from various woods, as well.
I made him a turkey sling last night and gave it to him this morning and he said he thought we were going to use it today. He should buy a lottery ticket! After the last set up, we quietly headed to the kill spot, and as we were slipping through the woods making our way to the little rise at the edge of the field, I spotted the fan of a strutting long-beard and I immediately dropped to the ground. I told Wes there was a gobbler with a couple other turkeys about 60 yards out. We belly crawled 20 feet to the kill spot tree with Wes up front. I hung back a short distance to call and scratch in the leaves. The turkeys were moving slowly to our left and had made their way down to 80 or 90 yards away from us. The big boy was strutting and blown up, and then it happened! The hens left him and he was all alone. He could not stand it! Puffed up and strutting to soft yelps and clucks on that cedar/copper call, we watched when he turned and committed. A few scratches in the leaves was too much for him and he made his way steadily up to us. He came within 14 yards and Wes lowered him!
Here is a sample of the flags that Wes makes.
Wes with the long-beard. That bird hit the ground and did not move! No flopping, flapping, nothing! A few wind-blown feathers and that was it.
Using the turkey sling.
Some of the calls Wes has made over the last few days. I used the top call in the photo which was cedar with copper over slate. Sounded great and smelled good, too!
Another picture of this beautiful turkey. The bird weighed 19 pounds and had a 9" beard. That is my old SxS in the picture. Wes said my gun looked much more awesome than his!
Just a couple more. Look at the gunstock and the turkey tail! This is my old gun - I use it for everything, but I did not use it on this bird. It just looks good right here!
The final shot. The first bird of many! I'm sure there are going to be quite a few more calls coming soon!
We later found the fourth bird of that group, or what was left of him. Feathers scattered in an area that covered 20 square feet and a few cleaned up bones. We were pretty sure a coyote got that turkey.
We were certain of the roost area and like a couple of kids building a fort in the woods, we spent an hour or so creating a perfect setup 60 yards from where we thought they stayed the night. We slipped in undetected the next morning and were there 45 minutes before the gray sky of dawn. There were some birds gobbling on the ridge hundreds of yards away and then, one bird gobbled in our face! He flew down somewhere else and later joined up with two of his buddies and gobbled at us from a hillside a couple hundred yards away. They did not want to come see us. A couple more hunts and a few more encounters. We found three more long-beards and had close contact with more hens, but we could not get a bird to play the game.
This morning's hunt dawned very cool and very windy. We did not hear anything at our first set, so we wandered over to another spot and set up and called. Nothing. We drifted over to another spot. . .zilch. After a short discussion, I told Wes about a place on the property that we call the kill spot. This place is absolutely perfect. Over the past 18 years we have killed multiple birds there. Same tree. My oldest son has killed six there. Another friend has dropped three, and I have lowered four and called in a few more for other family and friends. So, we just had to go check it out.
One thing I must mention is that Wes is an incredibly talented wood worker and makes awesome American flags and turned bowls. As we started hunting this season, he said he wanted to try to make some turkey calls and asked if I would let him know if they were any good. The first one he turned out was beautiful, but the sound was not there. It was a slate over glass and as much as I wanted it to sound good, well, even he knew it was not there. Being one of those truly positive souls, he was not discouraged and over the next few days he kept coming up with various calls. He turned pots of oak, maple, cherry, and cedar and he tried different sound boards and surfaces. He used slate over glass, glass over copper, copper over slate, copper over glass. He was hooked on making a great looking and great sounding call. He brought six this morning! He has also been turning strikers from various woods, as well.
I made him a turkey sling last night and gave it to him this morning and he said he thought we were going to use it today. He should buy a lottery ticket! After the last set up, we quietly headed to the kill spot, and as we were slipping through the woods making our way to the little rise at the edge of the field, I spotted the fan of a strutting long-beard and I immediately dropped to the ground. I told Wes there was a gobbler with a couple other turkeys about 60 yards out. We belly crawled 20 feet to the kill spot tree with Wes up front. I hung back a short distance to call and scratch in the leaves. The turkeys were moving slowly to our left and had made their way down to 80 or 90 yards away from us. The big boy was strutting and blown up, and then it happened! The hens left him and he was all alone. He could not stand it! Puffed up and strutting to soft yelps and clucks on that cedar/copper call, we watched when he turned and committed. A few scratches in the leaves was too much for him and he made his way steadily up to us. He came within 14 yards and Wes lowered him!
Here is a sample of the flags that Wes makes.
Wes with the long-beard. That bird hit the ground and did not move! No flopping, flapping, nothing! A few wind-blown feathers and that was it.
Using the turkey sling.
Some of the calls Wes has made over the last few days. I used the top call in the photo which was cedar with copper over slate. Sounded great and smelled good, too!
Another picture of this beautiful turkey. The bird weighed 19 pounds and had a 9" beard. That is my old SxS in the picture. Wes said my gun looked much more awesome than his!
Just a couple more. Look at the gunstock and the turkey tail! This is my old gun - I use it for everything, but I did not use it on this bird. It just looks good right here!
The final shot. The first bird of many! I'm sure there are going to be quite a few more calls coming soon!
Last edited:
