Part-time hunter
Ten Pointer
My best buddy let me visit and turkey hunt for a few days last week. All the while telling me he's neither seen nor heard any birds and has none showing up on his game cams. I'm out the door at 6:30am Monday morning and I walk a few hundred yards up his driveway and blow my owl call. I thought I heard one but wasn't sure so I blow it again. This time I hear a nice gobble but it is the opposite way I was headed. I hustled around a big wheat field and started down a path that should take me around where I heard the gobble. As I go I stop and use my box call to find the bird but I hear nothing. I keep going and in a few minutes I hear a gobble but at what I do not know. I heard an owl call and he gobbled at it. Then I hear a woodpecker and he gobbles again. I'm pretty sure he's just over a rise so I leave the path and cut through the woods til I'm just below the top of it. I'll admit right now I was a bit nervous but the bird kept gobbling and it sounded like it was walking away then back in my direction. So I found a big tree, since I'm a big guy, and set up my turkey lounge chair and put my old hen decoy about ten yards in front of me and to my left. I settled in and got out my lil deuce slate and called a few times. The bird was gobbling at me, at the woodpecker and at something I couldn't hear. I called a few more times and suddenly it was quiet. I put the call down and put my 410 up on my knee pointed in the direction I thought he'd come. And he did come straight at me only about a minute later in full strut but not gobbling at all. At about 25 yards he saw my decoy and went straight for it. When he went behind a tree I ease the gun over and picked him up in the sight when he emerged on the other side. I knew if it got any closer it would probably see me so I took the shot. It knocked him backwards and he only flopped once before going still. After a few seconds to calm my racing heart I stepped off 18 paces to the bird and checked him out. He's no monster at around 19 pounds with a beard over 11 inches and 3/8 inch spurs but he was the first one I ever located on my own and called in close enough for a shot and made it. I know some of you may think its silly but this was the best turkey hunt of my life and I have my best bud to thank for introducing me to the sport and for mentoring me along the way. I feel like I've made him proud and that is something I can really appreciate. I will remember this one for a very long time.