Your 1st turkey story

[kygobbler]

I was wondering how did everything go when you got your first turkey or your first gobbler. For me it was 8 yrs ago and the first time I tried to kill a turkey. I went out to my dads little mini farm (18 acres) and was asking him if he has seen any turkeys out there. While we were talking 2 hens walked out into the field and I was like cool we are in for business. After watching them for 30 mins my dad left and forunately the hens stayed in the field and was slowly working their way towards me. Then 2 big gobblers entered the field and got inbetween me and the hens and started strutting. Well as soon as I saw them I started yelping on a slate call since that was all I knew what to do. Ok, I tried to make the best yelp call I could make since I just bought the call the day before. They gobbled in return but stayed with the hens and was within 75 yards. For the next 1 1/2 hrs I lost and found these birds within a 5 acre lot that had just enough roll to it that you couldn't see the birds at times. A couple of times I climbed on top of a old combine to see where they were. But everytime I would yelp the gobblers would answer but would not come to me. So I decided to try and belly crawl over a gravel road and thru a barb wire fence to get closer to them in a open field and my only advantage was the roll of the field. After crawling 30 yds and seting up against a tree that could only hide a snake I gave one more yelp to see where they were and they gobbled and started coming towards me. They rised up over the roll just enough where all I could see was down to the bottom of their neck and they spotted me. It was now or never and I was pissed and said to myself "someone is going home happy either me or the gobblers". When I pulled the trigger and saw the bird flapping I can not put in words how happy and shocked I was at killing my first bird. He had a 10" beard and 3/4" spurs. To this day I haven't had a bird that had me so pissed and excited at the same time but that got me hook, line and sinker. I can't wait to hear some of ya's stories.

[kenturkey89]

Great post kygobbler.

My first successful harvest of a turkey came on Easter Sunday of 2003. I wasn't going to hunt, originally, but I decided I'd go out for just a couple of hours and get back in time for church. I went with a buddy of mine who did all of the calling for me and we heard a couple of birds off in the distance but we never could tempt one to coming in. After sitting there looking off to my left I heard my buddy tell me there was a bird out in the decoys. I turned around to see a jake in full strut, prancing around like he was the baddest bird on the whole entire farm. I put the bead from my 20ga. Mossberg 500 pump on the base of his neck and flattened him at 20 yards. I've never been so happy to sling 15 pounds over my back in all my life! He had a 5" beard and I have that hanging on my wall along with his fan. It was a very special hunt and a very special Easter Sunday for me...definitely one I'll never forget!

[kygobbler]

Nice one and its funny how you never forget all the details of the hunt to that first gobbler.