Triumphs in Turkey Hunting for the Next Generation

AmmoLand ^ | May 5, 2023 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

Turkeys were talking on the first two days of the hunt, responding to calls issued from a well-camouflaged blind. None were coming in close enough to be within shotgun range or to be visible.

It was the last day for the six-year-old to hunt, Sunday morning on April 23, 2023. He was going back home, a hundred miles away, after church. There were a few hours from dawn to getting ready for church. Church started at 10:00 a.m.

The frost was thick on the roofs of the vehicles parked in the drive in front of the 50-year-old house. This correspondent wished them a good hunt as they drove off to the blind, in the dark, three miles away. It was a good spot. A nice tom had been taken by the landowner, a cousin, a few days previously.  The turkeys were not answering calls on Sunday morning.

Grandpa made an executive decision and decided to go to the birds.

The pair drove toward the old hunting shack in the woods. It was across the river and two miles into the woods. A heavy snow drift still blocked the unimproved road. They parked the old F150 pick-up and walked back, tiptoeing and stopping every hundred yards or so to use a homemade turkey wing bone call.  The old logging road wound in and out among the trees and rolling terrain of the sand, gravel, and boulder ridge of the esker left over from the last ice age.

They heard an answer. A few moments later, a big tom was seen, strutting and turning with the showy fan tail fully displayed, in silhouette, over a hundred yards away at the top of the ridge. Grandpa let out a cluck.

The tom was interested. It slowly started moving toward the pair while strutting and displaying.

[marktwain]

A big Turkey after a three day hunt with a six year old grandson.

[marktwain]

The Grandpa, Turkey, and Grandson from the article.

[Sacajaweau]

My son in law brought one to his camp last weekend. I remember them flying down from the trees when I visited.

I can picture their cabin surrounded by Turkeys...He never knows when to stop. lol

[waterhill]

Thunderchicken!

[mabarker1]

Nice sized Tom.

For those that aren’t aware, Turkey’s have incredible eyesight. They can see 270° without moving their head and a slight move of the head allows them to have a 360° scan of their surroundings. Also hyper sensitive to seeing movement. Damned smart birds.

Ben Franklin nominated the Turkey to be the National Bird. If he’d won that vote would we be eating Bald Eagle ?

[gundog]

Not smart. Wary.

[Carriage Hill]

A Bald Eagle Pannini on Rye might be good...

[bantam]

Awesome!!!!!!
That’s no jake! Congrats!

[mabarker1]

With Hanover Pretzels and a cold Yuengling ?

[Carriage Hill]

That’d make the meal complete.

[mabarker1]

Ok, either way a tough hunt.

[mabarker1]

👍

[gundog]

Yeah. I’m hoping that they get a foothold up in the hills.

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

Sacajaweau :" I can picture their cabin surrounded by Turkeys...He never knows when to stop. lol "

My son got mentored into spring turkey hunting this year by an experienced turkey hunter
He called me yesterday to say that he just harvested a "double-bearded" tom turkey in Genesee county (Western NYS),
and he is especially proud since it was the first time he went out independently, without his mentor.
His mentor said that based on the worn down spurs, that this tom had been around for a while, and the "double beard" is a rarity.
Now, he is talking about visiting family in Mass. to see if he can hunt there also with out-of-state tags;
so, yes, once you get the 'bug' for Spring turkey hunting, it knows no bounds !

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

tik :" Now, he is talking about visiting family in Mass. to see if he can hunt there also with out-of-state tags"

Now he is planning on going to visit family and get his Mass. tags,
and maybe bring along a cousin or two.
He has the "bug" badly !
This year was his first year for Spring tom, and will be looking forward for Fall turkey.

[gundog]

Can he do a Boston accent on a turkey call?

[PJ-Comix]

I would love to smoke a wild turkey as well as make turkey gravy from it. I want to compare it to farm raised domestic turkey.

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

gundog :" Can he do a Boston accent on a turkey call? "

I doubt it because only 'Southies' from Boston can understand other 'Southies'
They seem to have a dialect all their own which prevents even Google from doing a simultaneous translation
Turkey hunting is an acquired skill, and calling in the birds is another skill all in itself
You have to have both skills in order to be successful
otherwise you are just wasting your time in the field, it seems.

[gundog]

Looks like electronic calls are illegal for hunting in MA.

I’m curious if I’ll be able to locate a turkey this spring. I got a response to the bluetooth speaker, last spring. I’m hoping that their numbers increase.