Story of the Hunt

On his third year hunting with a gun, my 12 year old son finally scored and how! Sunday, a rainy miserably hot, wet, humid day in North Georgia, he was about to give out after a two mile hike in and around the hills and fields searching for the big boy I'd chased all week.

When we eased up to one field, I spotted a hen feeding and we halted. Will then saw a strutting tom out further in the field and my heard jumped, the boss! Well, it turned out to be three of the six jakes I'd seen the day before. All three struttin' like big boys for the four hens feeding 10 yards in front of us. As I'm whispering to Will and turning his 12 gauge off his shoulder to rest on his toe, he asked "Do you want me to move over to this tree?" I said, "No, son we're gonna have to shoot these standing up" I had grand illusions of doubling up with my boys first wild turkey.

Well, a hen not five yards to our right, unbeknowst to me, either heard my heartbeat or us whispering and starting clucking. Well, the jakes couldn't stand that and marched up closer. Close enough to shoot. In my eyeline, their heads were covered by a cedar branch. I told Will they were close enough and if he had a clear shot, to ease his gun up SLOWLY! Well, boys, he did just that and as I whispered make sure there is nothing between your gun and the turkeys head, when BOOMYALL! I see turkey tail and Will's hollering I got one. I rushed up and said you got TWO! How about that! He was aiming for only one but one of the other two musta got too close right at the last second.

As I grabbed one up for the dead bird rodeo, I told Will to do the same and he was confused something fierce. He'd never seen me at this part of the game. That second bird wasn't good and dead and was doing the half wing and leg circle and Will was fixin' to blast him again. I holler NO and ran up and slung him over my shoulder. He passed into turkey heaven not long after that but only after he fanned my wet back with some powerful wing beats. Will said he bet that felt good on such a humid day.

Well, Will learned what hard work and persitence will pay off and we bound that moment like a father and son should. I couldn't have been prouder. The turks were alot heavier than the guns, so I toted the turks and Will toted my 10 gauge (twelve lbs) and his twelve all the way back to the truck some 2 miles away, and never complained once

Best part, Will wants to go turkey hunting in a real bad way now.

Oh, yeah. Being a veteran squirrel hunter, Will said "Turkey's are easy to shoot, they just stand there, not like squirrels. The hard part is finding them!" Ain't, that the truth boys. Will said my hand was trembling as I eased his gun off his shoulder and put it in his hands as we were standing there. I told him, you oughta see me when it's the boss out there in front.