Your first turkey hunt story.

[longbowdave1]

I'd like to hear your recollection of the first hunt.

In 2005, I decided to go on my first Spring Turkey hunt. This would also be my son's first time going on a hunt with me, he was 7ish. I bought a blind mainly to conceal his anticipated fidgiting, and allow him to move around a bit. We set up just in the woodline on a 400 acre cut corn field. I put out a hen decoy, and I think i just had a push button call. We settled in our chairs, and watched the sunrise through the windows of the blind. After less than an hour, 4 longbeards came out of the woodline about 350 yards out, and headed through the field making their way south, single file. I let out the worst sounding yelps you'll ever hear, and they all made a right turn toward us, and were coming in to the decoy! I told Mike in a nevous whisper, " Don't move. They're coming in". I don't know whos eyes were open wider, his or mine. I cocked the hammer on the Turkey Pardner, and at 30 yards, I pulled the trigger. The Tom folded, and lay flopping his wings. Then his three buddies, beat the daylights outa him. Disbelief, and high 5's were in order. Still the shortest, and best day of turkey hunting for me.

 

[Mattval]

Growing up in the hills of SE Oklahoma I started Turkey hunting with Daddy. He had never actually been turkey hunting but shot several while deer hunting. I had been reading about proper turkey hunting for years in Outdoor Life, Field and Stream and Peterson's Hunting. He new I wanted to go so he asked one of his buddies about it, bought an old call and off we went.
We did not see or hear a turkey all season. But oddly enough I was hooked. During the summer Mama bought me a cassette by Ben Rodgers Lee called Talkin' Turkey. That is were my turkey hunting education began. I am still looking for that cassette. I would like to hear Ol' Ben Lee's voice again.
I have hunted almost 30 years now and it never gets old. I love it more than deer hunting now. I have an extensive Turkey Hunting Library now that I start rereading every January.
I wish I had more time to hunt and study and learn about these creatures.

 

[Wayne D Davis]

My first Turkey hunt was around 1988. Not more than 5 miles south of me now . Me and 3 others deer hunted a area in Emerson close to pumpkin vine creek. We all saw turkeys regularly so I decided I was gonna get one. One spring morning I went and the woods were alive. I'm sure I heard 4 different gobblers. I started easing down a road bed that paralleled a creek. I spotted a few birds roughly 100 yards or so and figured I'd sneak up on them. To this day I don't know how I got so close before I shot but I closed the distance into directly opposite side of a large dead fall. I literally started crawling up to the tree and slowly peeked over and their they were. I put a bead on the first one I seen (glad it turned out to be a gobbler) and let the New England single shot sing with a dove round. That was as good a high as I've ever got.

 

[buckpasser]

I can still remember my Dad asking me if I wanted to go turkey hunting with him in the morning. I was maybe 4 or 5, and though I didn’t know exactly what it would be like I was pumped. So pumped in fact, I had trouble getting to sleep. It was equivalent to a Christmas Eve type anticipation.

In the morning I can still visualize the opossum we walked up on in the dark. We were on a black family’s farm that my great uncle had leased for deer hunting in Thomas County. Long before fly down time a Tom started talking on the far side of a field from us. In those days they sure seemed to get started earlier. Anyway, I was mesmerized to see that ol boy strutting after he pitched. Me and my dad got in behind some grape vines and started moving around the field to setup again, leaving my Dads friend behind. As we were slipping along, BOOM!!! We hustled back to see that Tom flopping in that fresh plowed field. All he needed was a little silence treatment. That was turkey lesson #1 for me. I ran out there to take a better look and caught a big clump of red dirt right in the eyeball! My first kill would happen several years later sitting by myself on an old powerline in Whigham GA, but I was ruined after hearing that first haunting gobble on the Ochlocknee River as a small child.

 

[XIronheadX]

My first 2 or 3 hunts I was totally green. There more than likely wasn't a turkey within 20 or 30 miles, but I didn't know any better. Fast forward to the late 80's, in my mid 20's. After a day of driving 10" spikes in trees building deer stands, I decided to wander off with my Lynch box, and a Rem. 1100 with a modified choke(my rabbit gun). I cleaned me out a spot next to a monsterous Longleaf pine that late April day. Fully intending to take a nap. Laying flat on my back I'd crank out a few notes each time I'd wake up. Then it happened. That thunderous gobble about an hour before dark. I slid up against that big tree thinking it was off to my right. My sleepiness turned into a pounding heart. After a few minutes I heard something behind me. I figured it was a deer and it was about to ruin my hunt. I peeked around that tree just in time to see my first glimpse of a wild turkey. It came out from behind some saplings in full strut and red, white, and blue. What seemed like forever, took 10 or so minutes for him to work his way past and out in front of me at 20 yards for the shot with a load of #6's. I won't ever forget what I saw. I was hooked for life. And I won't forget my cousins 4 yr old nephew running all over the camp telling him I killed a big chicken.

 

[six]

First turkey hunt was very successful, even though no shot was fired. Hunting with my Dad we did see a couple deer and a group of hogs. Come to think of it, I don't think I have ever had an unsuccessful hunt. My #1 goal is to always enjoy myself.

My first turkey kill was a rush I'll never forget. Sitting in my Dads lap it was a one shot one kill deal. It was a fall hen in South Florida.

My first spring longbeard came 2 years later. Again, sitting with my Dad. That hunt went a little different. It was a one shot followed by a 10 minute wrestling match which I finally won, but felt like I had lost. The only reason I say I won is because I was the sole survivor. But I felt the agony of a beat down. A grown Osceola gobbler can be a very formable oponent for an 8 year old boy, especially when the only witness was giggling the whole time. Man, I'd love to get to relive that day!

 

[Twiggbuster]

Me and my brother took a shot at it in Hancock around 96. We got on a powerline after walking around the woods for an hour.
Got in open and hit a cheap ole box call.
One thundered off 75 yards in the woods.
We freaked and didn’t know what to do next so we just dropped down and called more.
Never occurred that he was on his way to us.
We moved a couple times and never heard it again. Told y’all earlier I didn’t know what I was doing ?

 

[hambone76]

Macon County, Georgia. April of 1993. my late Cousin and I were set up on a field edge working a solo bird that was on the other side across from us. I finally coaxed him in to gun range and dropped him-he was a Jake, but he was a World Record bird to the 17 year old young man who just got him. As the bird flopped around in the field, I noticed another bird had stepped into view and was looking our way. I guess the commotion of my jake flopping and its wings flapping got his attention. I told my cousin to sit tight and I began to do fighting purrs on my mouth call. The other bird came in running and my cousin dropped that one right on top of my bird. Both were our first birds ever.

The picture is in bad shape and it is the only one I have of them. Forgive me for the poor quality. I’m on the left.

 

[Twiggbuster]

^ that photo couldn't be more perfect.
Lot of character there.

 

[hambone76]

^ that photo couldn't be more perfect.
Lot of character there.

Thanks, a memory of days long past and a hunting partner who I would give anything to share just one more hunt with.

 

[spurrs and racks]

I was 8 years old, Lowndes county Alabama, followed behind my daddy to the crest of Rock Hill. At that time it was Union Camp land. We made the crest about 3 in the afternoon. My daddy and I set up at the base of a large oak tree, he handed me his Lynch Box, and I started scratching on it. I had a watch and daddy told me about every 20 to 30 mins give it a yelp. I needed lots of practice and I am sure he would stop that racket I was making an hour or two before fly up time.


Well, I never noticed daddy was not paying me any mind, and about my third or fourth yelping I saw something move to my right. It was a turkey, and a gobbler! I eased that box call down and when he stepped behind a tree I raised up my 20 ga. single shot. He stepped out from behind that tree and I placed the bead on his head and sent that load of lead downstream. That thing hit the ground and started floppin!

I ran as fast as I could, grabbed it and the fight was on for what seemed like 10 mins. I had that bird by one leg and he was beating me to death with his wings. I looked around for daddy and he was sitting down wide eyed, and it was at that moment I realized he had been sleeping again. As loud as I could I said " you gonna sit there and watch this thing beat me to death are you gonna help me!"

He got up , run over, grabbed it from me and I got my first lesson on how to properly stretch a turkey neck. He looked at me and just started laughing. he said" I guess we ain't gotta stay till fly up time now".

I don't know if that was my fist one but it was real close.

Thanks daddy, I really miss you.

 

[mguthrie]

Opening morning around 1996 me,my brother and a buddy got to our lease a couple hours after sunrise. Got to an open ridge top where there was always turkey sign. My buddy hit a lynch 101 and a bird gobbled 100 yards away. All 3 of us were amazed. He called again and gobbled closer we scattered about 30 yards apart and the bird walked right up to my buddy and he rolled it. Bird had an 11" and 7" beards and 1 1/4" spurs. None of us has killed a bird that big since. I killed my first on my lease in johnson county on the oconee river bottoms. Called him away from his hens. He had a 10" beard and 1" spurs

 

[six]

First blood turkey hunt. December, 1965, Avon Park Bombing Range, Florida. I was hunting and camping with my parents. Back then when you when hunting, that usually meant deer, hog or turkey, whichever you happened upon first. My Mom and Dad were always partial to turkeys though, but we wouldn't pass on the other two either.

We were riding around in the jeep one afternoon in an area known as Burnt Hammock on the Kissimmee river spoils. We rounded the curve and there were several turkeys under a huge live oak either feeding or shading. My Dad sped up and they went airborne in different directions. That night back at camp my Dad and I cut several big Palm fronds and put in the jeep, I had no idea why, just doing what Dad said. We ate supper and Dad was talking about going to try and kill one of those turkeys the next morning. At bed time me and my Dad had to cut more Palm fronds because I wound up burning the others in the camp fire.

The next morning we got up early and got dressed. Blue jeans, flannel shirts and our hunting hats, which were just brown ball caps. Dad had me grab an extra. We drove back to burnt hammock and parked the jeep and walked to another live oak that was close to where the turkeys were. This tree was on the edge of the palmettos which gave us a good cover in the back. He put the palm fronds in front of us in a half circle, making a good hiding spot. He also put the extra ball cap on a stick not far from our hiding spot, bill tilted down. He said that was in case anyone came around the curve they would see it and know we were there. At daylight one of the turkeys started, yawk, yawk yawk. I knew what it was from hearing them before. It did it several times, then went quiet. After what seemed like hours to me, we heard another noise. I asked Dad, what is that? He said a turkey. I moved a little tighter to him because I had heard turkeys before, and that wasn't a turkey. Probably a bear or panther. Dad started calling on his PS Olt scratch call. The bear started making noise again, but then followed it up with a yawk yawk yawk. Now I was confused. I thought that turkey is really close to that bear. Dad called on his call and I hear the same response. I look to our left and am startled for a moment, I thought I saw a turkey, but it turns out to be the hat Dad put on a stick to alert people that we were there, not sure of the real purpose, Dad would yank your chain every chance he got. Kee kee kee, Yawk yawk yawk, back to reality. Now I'm convinced that Dad was telling the truth about it being a turkey, I had just never heard one Kee kee. I don't even think they called it kee keeing. I remember them talking about turkeys whistling, I'm guessing whistling was what I now know as kee keeing.

Shortly after that we hear another turkey not far from us yelping. Perfect, we have one behind us calling and one straight to our right. The one behind us is closer but in the palmettos. It's not long and we could hear the fronds behind us making a noise as something is slipping in towards the road. Just a minute or so passes and a turkey steps out of the palmettos onto the sandy road to our right. Kee kee kee, yawk yawk yawk. Now I know for a fact that what I thought was a bear or some other man eating critter was indeed a turkey. By now my whole body is quivering from nerves.

In my mind the turkey looked like it was a hundred yards away, in reality it was probably 25-30 yards. Dad eases up his 12 gauge winchester 37 and points it down the road towards the turkey that was standing there with its head up. I still have the vision of that red hed, and that little beard sticking out. I had no idea though whether it was a boy or girl. Then I hear the little click, and then a couple seconds later, booom! A turkey hunter was born!

Dad is 91 now. And to this day when we talk about that hunt, and I ask him about the hat, he tells me with a smile on his face that the hat he put out bill tilted down was for people and not turkeys. Still looked like a feeding turkey in my mind.