As most of you know this past weekend was New York's youth season prior to the start of the month long spring hunt. This year my son had the opportunity to go at it with me for two days. And did we use all two days to get it done! Saturday was just a god awful day. Cold, rainy, windy conditions made it tough. Not a whole lot of turkey activity. We did have a nice bird come in about mid morning. He came to our set at about 40 yards hard. All at once he locked up the brakes and decided that the two camo clad lumps at the bottom of the apple tree didn't belong there. He whirled around and did a fast 180 back out of there.
Sunday morning the front had pushed through and brought much better conditions. We had birds gobbling off the roost bright and early this morning. I may not be the best turkey hunter in the world but I believe that I can hold my own pretty dam well. Suffice to say that these birds have been nothing but skittish and wary for two days. Nothing came to the field off the roost today so we decided at 7:00 AM to take it to the birds. We started out on this little creek bottom and immediately got a tom to answer. We staked the hens and pulled up a big ol' maple tree to sit under. The bird came in real fast. He was to our left and 40 yards out. He looked at the decoys and started to come. For whatever reason he just continued straight and never stopped. Passed behind us at 20 feet and never provided a shot.
We had a couple of more encounters throughout the morning but nothing close. A little before 10:00 AM I decided to head back to my place and hunt two locations that have produced late in the mornings. We struck out from the truck and within 100 yards we are on birds. We went back and forth with the two toms and the hen for an hour and 20 minutes. I knew that those toms were not going to part ways with the hen. I told Zack we had one more card to play but we would have to hoof it pretty quick. We headed to an area I call the sand field. We walked a wet bottom into the middle of the field and threw out some yelps which were immediately responded to by a couple of jakes. We took a position in the hedgerow and started calling hoping that it might happen before the noon hour.
The jakes came out to our left and on the northwest side of the hedge. They were about 100 yards out. As soon as they came into the field I could tell they were nervous. I just couldn't pull them around the corner into the finger we were set up in. They went back into the wood lot to the north and continued to gobble. With time winding down I told Zack we had one final play and that was to move to out flank the jakes. At this point I didn't care if he harvested a full strutter or a jake. The kid put in a tremendous effort and I wanted him to be rewarded.
We just got to our feet and we hear a bird not 50 yards in front us sound the alert. He was in the brush so we couldn't tell what it was. So much for the final play. If it was going to happen it was going to happen right where we were. I set to making some gathering calls to calm the birds. A new gobble came from the unseen bird and then a fourth tom just to the north of him sounded off. We know had 4 toms in the immediate area and time was running out.
Watching the green finger of field I see the blue head and fan of a nice tom coming right towards us. I whispered in Zack's ear and got him on target. The safety came off and he leveled the sight on the birds head. He walked in at us in full strut and gobbling the whole way. I was just about to tell Zack to drop him when the bird bolted into the brush for no reason whatsoever.
He runs off a bit and gobbles some more. This fires up the other 3 birds and now all 4 are just singing one right after the other. The unseen bird now comes into the field 45 yards in front of us. He takes one look around and ducks right back into the brush that he just came out of. Now the strutter is coming back a second time! I told Zack that as soon as I think he is in range that he is going to take the shot. Well here he comes right back on the same track he was on the first time. At 35 yards I cut real hard and real loud. He breaks from his strut and picks up his head. I tell Zack to kill him. Nothing. No shot. Oh my god my mind is raising!
Zack's barrel caught a small vine and he couldn't bring it on target. The tom drops his head and keeps walking from our left to the right. Zack clears the vine and gets back on the bird. Again I cut and up comes the head. I told him to let it go. At the shot he rolls the tom and I run over and secure him. What a great shot from a kid using a 20 gauge at 35 yards on a really nice bird who has never taken any game animal in his life. The shot was made at 11:52! 8 minutes left in the day!
The beard measured 10.75 inches, the spurs were 7/8's each and he weighed in at 17 pounds. I have shot lots of turkeys through the years, but I can honestly say that not one of those birds compared to the joy that I saw in my son's face today. As a father to two of the greatest kids in the world I was yelling and whooping it up like a lunatic in that field. We hugged and high fived and carried on like a couple of fools for 15 minutes. Priceless memory made today.
I have to give my son some serious adoration for this hunt. He busted his ass for 2 days and not once complained for the miles we walked, the cold we endured, the missed opportunities, the rain or getting up at 4:00 AM to get the job done. Step for step he marched beside me and earned his trophy. I cannot be any prouder of how hard this young man worked. To be rewarded with 8 minutes left just made it that much sweeter.
Check out this smile just after he got his tom! Kind of say's it all in his face!
Sunday morning the front had pushed through and brought much better conditions. We had birds gobbling off the roost bright and early this morning. I may not be the best turkey hunter in the world but I believe that I can hold my own pretty dam well. Suffice to say that these birds have been nothing but skittish and wary for two days. Nothing came to the field off the roost today so we decided at 7:00 AM to take it to the birds. We started out on this little creek bottom and immediately got a tom to answer. We staked the hens and pulled up a big ol' maple tree to sit under. The bird came in real fast. He was to our left and 40 yards out. He looked at the decoys and started to come. For whatever reason he just continued straight and never stopped. Passed behind us at 20 feet and never provided a shot.
We had a couple of more encounters throughout the morning but nothing close. A little before 10:00 AM I decided to head back to my place and hunt two locations that have produced late in the mornings. We struck out from the truck and within 100 yards we are on birds. We went back and forth with the two toms and the hen for an hour and 20 minutes. I knew that those toms were not going to part ways with the hen. I told Zack we had one more card to play but we would have to hoof it pretty quick. We headed to an area I call the sand field. We walked a wet bottom into the middle of the field and threw out some yelps which were immediately responded to by a couple of jakes. We took a position in the hedgerow and started calling hoping that it might happen before the noon hour.
The jakes came out to our left and on the northwest side of the hedge. They were about 100 yards out. As soon as they came into the field I could tell they were nervous. I just couldn't pull them around the corner into the finger we were set up in. They went back into the wood lot to the north and continued to gobble. With time winding down I told Zack we had one final play and that was to move to out flank the jakes. At this point I didn't care if he harvested a full strutter or a jake. The kid put in a tremendous effort and I wanted him to be rewarded.
We just got to our feet and we hear a bird not 50 yards in front us sound the alert. He was in the brush so we couldn't tell what it was. So much for the final play. If it was going to happen it was going to happen right where we were. I set to making some gathering calls to calm the birds. A new gobble came from the unseen bird and then a fourth tom just to the north of him sounded off. We know had 4 toms in the immediate area and time was running out.
Watching the green finger of field I see the blue head and fan of a nice tom coming right towards us. I whispered in Zack's ear and got him on target. The safety came off and he leveled the sight on the birds head. He walked in at us in full strut and gobbling the whole way. I was just about to tell Zack to drop him when the bird bolted into the brush for no reason whatsoever.
He runs off a bit and gobbles some more. This fires up the other 3 birds and now all 4 are just singing one right after the other. The unseen bird now comes into the field 45 yards in front of us. He takes one look around and ducks right back into the brush that he just came out of. Now the strutter is coming back a second time! I told Zack that as soon as I think he is in range that he is going to take the shot. Well here he comes right back on the same track he was on the first time. At 35 yards I cut real hard and real loud. He breaks from his strut and picks up his head. I tell Zack to kill him. Nothing. No shot. Oh my god my mind is raising!
Zack's barrel caught a small vine and he couldn't bring it on target. The tom drops his head and keeps walking from our left to the right. Zack clears the vine and gets back on the bird. Again I cut and up comes the head. I told him to let it go. At the shot he rolls the tom and I run over and secure him. What a great shot from a kid using a 20 gauge at 35 yards on a really nice bird who has never taken any game animal in his life. The shot was made at 11:52! 8 minutes left in the day!
The beard measured 10.75 inches, the spurs were 7/8's each and he weighed in at 17 pounds. I have shot lots of turkeys through the years, but I can honestly say that not one of those birds compared to the joy that I saw in my son's face today. As a father to two of the greatest kids in the world I was yelling and whooping it up like a lunatic in that field. We hugged and high fived and carried on like a couple of fools for 15 minutes. Priceless memory made today.
I have to give my son some serious adoration for this hunt. He busted his ass for 2 days and not once complained for the miles we walked, the cold we endured, the missed opportunities, the rain or getting up at 4:00 AM to get the job done. Step for step he marched beside me and earned his trophy. I cannot be any prouder of how hard this young man worked. To be rewarded with 8 minutes left just made it that much sweeter.
Check out this smile just after he got his tom! Kind of say's it all in his face!
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