Repaying a priceless gift
Repaying a priceless gift
I was 2 weeks old when I took my first pic with a big gobbler and my dad(my mom wasn't very happy) There is just something about the spring woods and thunderous gobble of a mature bird. I learned my way around the woods, stepping of every leaf and stick I could find (or so my dad says anyway), following my dad's every step. I tried to mimic his calls, I tried to watch how he acted with every situation those old wary gobblers could throw at him. I learned a lot hunting over years with him. I also learned that it’s not about the kill. It’s about the experience in Gods great creation, and it’s about the fellowship with good friends.
I took my first bird when I was 8 and have been hooked ever since. He always let me shoot first(unless I was asleep), and I've taken a many a bird sitting in front of him. Ove the years we started hunting apart but try our best to make a few together each year. Most of the time it turns out pretty good. We've doubled a few times and went to Texas a few years too.
The last couple years he's had trouble hearing and pinpointing birds. And it really aggravates him. Its cost him a few birds over the last 2 years and this year I could tell he wasn’t even showing any interest. He's not hard of hearing by any means but whatever frequency their gobble is, that’s where he’s having trouble. He uses game ears now and they are helping. I asked him Friday night if he was going and he said “I doubt it, I haven’t even got my vest out." I told him to dig it out and where to go(same public land he's hunted hard the last 2 years), and he said he may. Needless to say he went and heard a bird finally and he was pumped, it hung up on a creek and never came within 90yds. Needless to say that put a little spark back in him. Monday he got on another bird and he hung up about 100yds out. I called him Monday morning and asked how he did and told him I'd try to help out with him Tuesday.
Well this morning we got in the woods real early and made it to where the bird had hung up the morning before. It was still real dark when he gobbled about 70yds from us so we just hit the ground and set up in an old pine thicket. We heard him fly down and started drumming. We hit him with a few calls and he would gobble and drum. He wasn’t moving and then my heart sunk because I thought I could hear another hunter calling. I got a little louder with my calls and so did the other caller. Finally I realized it was a hen and she had gotten all railed up so I laid into her and she puffed her feathers up and came in on a string calling like crazy. Perfect set up but the old gobbler wouldn’t budge. Finally he started moving our way and when he got to about 80yds another bird come up the ridge out of nowhere right in our face. I said to myself please don’t be a jake and bust us, but when he hit about 20yds he hit an opening and I saw his beard swing, then I said to myself well that other bird will never make it here now and then BOOOOM the gobbler at 15yds rolls backwards. I was ecstatic that my dad had gotten a bird and one that I call into his lap. Well the ol bird flops around and then falls off the ridge we are on and it was straight down, seems to be like that with deer and turkeys.
We shook hands, he prayed for all we are grateful for, measured him( 1 1\8”spurs and 9.5”beard) and then we made the long walk back to the truck reliving the hunt over and over. It was a great morning and one hunt I am proud to have been a part of. So glad I listened and soaked up all I could all those years hunting with him and now it’s even more fun calling for him.
http://s465.photobucket.com/user/smmsstate/media/Mobile Uploads/6D0B3ED7-21D5-4CFB-9C35-675376B09725.jpg.html][/URL]
http://s465.photobucket.com/user/smmsstate/media/Mobile Uploads/6D118AB8-F093-461C-B2C6-F8FA241F1A8E.jpg.html][/URL]
http://s465.photobucket.com/user/smmsstate/media/Mobile Uploads/A804C574-B97C-4605-BAD4-E7592F2BD368.png.html][/URL]
I took my first bird when I was 8 and have been hooked ever since. He always let me shoot first(unless I was asleep), and I've taken a many a bird sitting in front of him. Ove the years we started hunting apart but try our best to make a few together each year. Most of the time it turns out pretty good. We've doubled a few times and went to Texas a few years too.
The last couple years he's had trouble hearing and pinpointing birds. And it really aggravates him. Its cost him a few birds over the last 2 years and this year I could tell he wasn’t even showing any interest. He's not hard of hearing by any means but whatever frequency their gobble is, that’s where he’s having trouble. He uses game ears now and they are helping. I asked him Friday night if he was going and he said “I doubt it, I haven’t even got my vest out." I told him to dig it out and where to go(same public land he's hunted hard the last 2 years), and he said he may. Needless to say he went and heard a bird finally and he was pumped, it hung up on a creek and never came within 90yds. Needless to say that put a little spark back in him. Monday he got on another bird and he hung up about 100yds out. I called him Monday morning and asked how he did and told him I'd try to help out with him Tuesday.
Well this morning we got in the woods real early and made it to where the bird had hung up the morning before. It was still real dark when he gobbled about 70yds from us so we just hit the ground and set up in an old pine thicket. We heard him fly down and started drumming. We hit him with a few calls and he would gobble and drum. He wasn’t moving and then my heart sunk because I thought I could hear another hunter calling. I got a little louder with my calls and so did the other caller. Finally I realized it was a hen and she had gotten all railed up so I laid into her and she puffed her feathers up and came in on a string calling like crazy. Perfect set up but the old gobbler wouldn’t budge. Finally he started moving our way and when he got to about 80yds another bird come up the ridge out of nowhere right in our face. I said to myself please don’t be a jake and bust us, but when he hit about 20yds he hit an opening and I saw his beard swing, then I said to myself well that other bird will never make it here now and then BOOOOM the gobbler at 15yds rolls backwards. I was ecstatic that my dad had gotten a bird and one that I call into his lap. Well the ol bird flops around and then falls off the ridge we are on and it was straight down, seems to be like that with deer and turkeys.
We shook hands, he prayed for all we are grateful for, measured him( 1 1\8”spurs and 9.5”beard) and then we made the long walk back to the truck reliving the hunt over and over. It was a great morning and one hunt I am proud to have been a part of. So glad I listened and soaked up all I could all those years hunting with him and now it’s even more fun calling for him.
http://s465.photobucket.com/user/smmsstate/media/Mobile Uploads/6D0B3ED7-21D5-4CFB-9C35-675376B09725.jpg.html][/URL]
http://s465.photobucket.com/user/smmsstate/media/Mobile Uploads/6D118AB8-F093-461C-B2C6-F8FA241F1A8E.jpg.html][/URL]
http://s465.photobucket.com/user/smmsstate/media/Mobile Uploads/A804C574-B97C-4605-BAD4-E7592F2BD368.png.html][/URL]
HRCH Roux's Black River Wild Child MH (Coal)
High Cotton's Tootsie Roll
High Cotton's Tootsie Roll
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Re: Repaying a priceless gift
Great read, congrats on a good hunt with your Dad. Anytime spent in the woods is good, better when a bird makes the walk out with you.
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Re: Repaying a priceless gift
Congrats to you both. Enjoyed the story!
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Re: Repaying a priceless gift
Thanks so much for sharing this with us. My son is 9 now and this year has really got involved in turkey hunting after being successful the last few years with deer adn this year moving to ducks. I pray that one day he and I are able to swap roles and him guide me. Thanks again.
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Re: Repaying a priceless gift
What a great story! Treasure those times in the woods with your Dad.
- champcaller
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Re: Repaying a priceless gift
Awesome story y'all will never forget!
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Re: Repaying a priceless gift
That's a great story and congratulations to you and your Dad. That's the reason that it's so special to the chosen few. You just can't explain it to those that don't do it. My son is 32 now and we still get after them pretty good. I feel blessed to be able to get to do it still. I'm 57 and fortunately I can still here everything. Many of my hunting buds my age cannot hear drumming though. Saved a lot of old gobblers, I suppose.
Re: Repaying a priceless gift
Shoot, you call that a pine thicket? That's open woods where I hunt!
Great story. I do most of my hunting with my dad, even though we never turkey hunted much when I was a kid. I've also lost the frequency of a gobble and he can hear em from much further away than I can. Never been able to hear em drum. Between the duck blinds and all the time on skeet and clays ranges not taking care of my ears, I'm lucky I can hear em at all.
Congrats on the bird!
Great story. I do most of my hunting with my dad, even though we never turkey hunted much when I was a kid. I've also lost the frequency of a gobble and he can hear em from much further away than I can. Never been able to hear em drum. Between the duck blinds and all the time on skeet and clays ranges not taking care of my ears, I'm lucky I can hear em at all.
Congrats on the bird!
It's a bloody mary morning...
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Re: Repaying a priceless gift
Awesome. Thats what its all about. I plan on getting my father on his first this year once I find a willing 2 year old. His brother was a turkey slayer and died while turkey hunting so he never got into it. I hope to share a memory like this with him soon. Thanks for the story.
- msudawg8087
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Re: Repaying a priceless gift
good god stuff man!
"Sir, I never take a chance when shooting waterfowl...
I believe in hitting him very hard with big shot from a big gun....."
-Nash Buckingham
I believe in hitting him very hard with big shot from a big gun....."
-Nash Buckingham
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Re: Repaying a priceless gift
Never got the opportunity to enjoy the woods with my dad because he died when I was 7, BUT I can't wait to enjoy it with my two boys (6 and 1 yrs old) - Congrats on a good memory made
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Re: Repaying a priceless gift
Congrats on you guy's hunt! I know that will stick in your mind forever. Fortunately you guys can both relive it!
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Re: Repaying a priceless gift
Congrats Great story... Good pics
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