For the past four years, I have gone out and attempted to take down a spring gobbler. It wasn’t until this spring that I succeeded in taking my first Tom. In Howard County, Missouri, opening morning could not have been more perfect. And so, my, “Turkey Tale” begins.
Getting up at 4:45 a.m. is generally difficult for me to do on any morning, but when it’s a morning where I know I’m headed to the woods, it’s not difficult for me to spring into action and start getting on my gear. This year, I bought all new hunting clothing from SHE Safari. I don’t care what the guys think … we not only want to blend in with the woods, we want to look stylish too!
After filling the backpack with the turkey hunting essentials (calls, tags, rain gear, coffee, etc.), my guide and I headed out the door and started our 10 minute walk to the woods. I also had the new Caldwell® DeadShot™ FieldPod slung over one shoulder (See my soon-to-be-released review in Gear Court for more detailed information on the FieldPod.). The moon was full and unbelievably bright, so bright in fact that we didn’t need a flashlight to help guide us to the blind. I wish I had taken a picture of the moon. It was so big and beautiful and the overall brightness was uplifting. Today was going to be a good hunt, I could just feel it. As we crossed the backside of the lake to head into the woods, the spring peepers were calling to their mates and off into the distance you could hear the whippoorwills singing their last songs before the sunrise. The wind was so calm and the temperature was perfect that I didn’t need layers upon layers of clothing.
All of a sudden, an owl hooted and almost immediately we heard a gobbler gobbling from the roost. It was only 5:15 a.m.. He’s not supposed to be awake yet!! The full moon probably made him think sunrise was fast approaching. We picked our pace up so we could quickly reach the blind. With the decoys in place, we situated ourselves inside the blind with our guns and gear and patiently waited for the sun to come up. For a couple of hours, Jim, my guide, would make some calls and several gobblers would respond but we had yet to see a bird.
Photo by Jim Gianladis.
Next thing we know, we’re surrounded by birds to the front and back of the blind. Even a couple does came out to say hello. Well, the two gobblers to the front of the blind saw the gobbler and two hens at the rear of our blind and quickly started to head his way. I had to react quickly because the two gobblers at the front would be out of shooting range at the pace they were going! I maneuvered the FieldPod, which thankfully turns quickly, in the direction of the two gobblers and BANG!! Bird down! I remember Jim and I looking at each other with big, exciting eyes and we both exclaimed, “You (or I) got him!” Needless to say, we were both excited.
We exited the blind and headed over to the bird to confirm he was dead, which he was, so I picked him up to turn him over to check out his beard and spurs. He was heavy!! After a couple of in-the-field photos, we headed back to the house to call in the bird and breast him out. He made an excellent Easter dinner! Bird Stats: 23-3/4 lbs., 9-3/4” Beard, 1-1/8” Spurs. I think he was big enough to win the department pool too! [May 9, 2011: Ed. Note – She won the department pool.]
Photo by Jim Gianladis.
This Retro WON, Turkey Tale, first appeared May 9, 2011.
The Women's Outdoor News, aka The WON, features news, reviews and stories about women who are shooting, hunting, fishing and actively engaging in outdoor adventure. This publication is for women, by women. View all posts by The WON
