SC Youth Turkey Hunt

CPiper

Senior Member
WOW, what a day!!

First of all … THANKS to Wayne Archie and Jeff Ward!!

Mr Wayne took my 7 year old son and Jeff guided my Daughter and I on our hunt.
We went to PHC for a turkey youth hunt. We had 21 youths show up to hunt these Piedmont PHC birds – Josh and Ashley drew numbers17 and 18.

KUDOS to PHC for such a great showing of hunting support for our youth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don’t know the entire story behind Josh’s hunt but will tell it as best as I can. 2 birds, a longbeard and a jake came to Wayne’s calling from the right rear. Wayne had to pick Josh up and twist him around so he could shoot. The bird(s) seen Josh raise his gun and it put them on alarm duty - the bird started weaving and bobbing his head around and Josh tried to follow the birds head with his gun barrel – I bet that was funny to watch, LOL – he missed, shot over the birds head.
Josh was pumped up and excited – he got to watch as the tom turkey strutted and gobbled and did his thing!!!

Not knowing PHC lands very well, I counted on Wayne to put us in a good area – he sent his right-hand man to guide us, Mr Jeff Ward.
Jeff took Ashley and I to a unit close to the camp, we parked and walked 300-400 yards and started setting up. We found an area to the side of a chuffa site, bordered by small pines – HARD to find a nice tree to set up on – we broke some limbs off and kinda made a blind – the fresh scent of pine was refreshing.
Jeff set up 10 yards behind Ashley and me; I layed down right beside Ashley, as I didn’t have a tree to lean up against.
By the time we got set up it was good light, around 56 degrees and a light wind was blowing and it was drizzling rain – no gobbles.
I did 2 sets of tree yelps with my box call – no response.
Then we heard 2 different birds gobble – one to our front and one to our rear – forget the one behind us, he hit the ground and a hen came and picked him up … the one to our front gobbled and I cluck/yelped at him, he gobbled. After a few minutes I clucked/yelped again and he responded fast!! I laid down my calls and waited. After about 10-15 minutes I hear feather on feather noise and I wisper to Ashley “be real still” and presto – she starts to hyperventilate, LOL!!
In a few minutes Jeff wispers “Curtis, there is a big bird to your right”. To my right would have been almost behind him, I was temporarily confused – IF I had figured it out sooner I may have had the chance to reposition Ashley … the bird was to our right, but more in front of us, kind of front right, hard for her to shoot right handed … I asked her “can you shoot that gun left handed?” He fast reply was “no”.
All of a sudden “GOBBLE” and he is right there … Ashley and I still cant see him, but he is CLOSE!!! I get my slate call and cluck/purr to him and GOOBLE, a thunderous gobble … then he started spittin and drummin, WOW!!
All of a sudden, there he is … right smack dab in front of us. He gets to within 6 steps of my boot. He is checkin me out, looking me hard from my boots to my hat as I laid there on the ground.
He rears back and flaps his wings and settles back down – folks Im telling ya, a BIG tom turkey, BIG!! A BIG mature boss tom, Id guess 20+lbs, a big thick neck that was painted red white, and blue and a big long beard I guessimate close to 12" long - right there a mere 6 steps from us, looking at us!! WOW!!
I look at Ashley and she is about to pass out – shallow heavy breathing, shaking ALL over, the cuffs of her pants were trembling, she is all tore up out of the frame. I am SO excited, Im shaking and smiling from ear to ear.
He hangs around and around and around … he feeds off a ways … Ashley raises and lowers her gun 4 times, she is nervous and says to me ”Daddy, Im scared!”.
She told me later that she was scared of missing – I am talking to her, reassuring her, trying to calm her down and help her relax – it aint helping much, LOL!!
I get her to reposition herself – we got away with it – bird did not spook.
I clucked/purred to him again – GOOBLE!!
After about 15 minutes, I get Ashley worked up to take the shot …. She raises her gun … I look and the end of Wayne’s 20ga double is moving ALL over the place - I almost KNEW she was gonna miss …. I walked her through the shot …. BOOM … bird takes to the air … sound like a jet helicoptor taking off, LOL!!
A clean miss …. The emotions and adrenelin run dry for my gal and she broke down and cried.

I could have cared less at that point about the miss – yea, I wish she could have walked back into camp with that stud bird, but that was not the priority. I am happy and glad to report, SHE IS HOOKED!!! I am SO gald I let her talk me into getting her turkey tags – this was a moment neither of my kids will forget.
Yea, I need to put in some more range time with them – but that still wont cure the “Turkey Fever”, she had it BAD!!!
Made me think … even old veteren hunters get all shook up, even old veteren hunters miss … man oh man, what a morning!!
A Classic Text Book Hunt – cept for the misses – and that was fine alright!!

I have a notion that as my kids grow and mature that are gonna be fairly dangerous to the deer and turkeys!!! YEHAW!!!!!!!

I also had the joy of being able to be the first person that called in a bird in front of Mr Jeff – he had never experienced that before – made it triple wonderful for me!!

Later on, Ashley Jeff and I caught some birds out in a field - 3 longbeards - I didnt have my calls handy so I just did my best mouth yelp - all 3 of them toms sounded off a gobble for us, at the same time.
All in all, the 3 of us seen 15+ birds, one of which was a bearded hen - the first one either 3 of us had ever seen. Covered up in birds!!
I LOVE this turkey and deer hunting stuff!!!!!!

Oh, and to keep this on topic of deer .... still seeing LOTS and LOTS of deer, even hard antlerd bucks that have not dropped their antlers yet.
Seen a whooper stud of a buck going to the hunt Sat AM; 200+lbs and a head FULL of antlers - bleached snow white and a big massive SC rack!! Amazing!!
 
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