Squirrelhunter91 Posted October 5, 2005 Report Share Posted October 5, 2005 Today, Oct. 5th, 2005 I shot my first turkey. Here's how the story goes: This morning, we woke up at 6:00 AM and rode around the mountain on the quad. We were looking for some birds to bust up and then call them back in. Unfortunately we didn't see a single thing. Not a single turkey, not a single deer or nothing. Until we got near our cabin, we jumped 2 does that were bedded down in the field. We then went for breakfast at the diner... blah blah blah blah.... After breakfast, I asked my dad to take me up to a farm where the farmer, a buddy of ours asked me to go and kill some pigeons in his barn with my pellet gun. We go up there and as I am getting set up with my dad for some pigeons, which turned out to be rock doves or mourning doves, I hear the crows sounding off in the field above us. I then said to my dad, those crows sound a little ticked off at something. I get outside the barn, located the crows in the trees and then begin to scan the ridge... and then I see them, about 4 or 5 heads bobbing up and down pecking and scratching at the ground below them. TURKEYS!!!!! Before I could say to dad to go back to the house to get the shotguns, he was already buzzing down the road in the truck... I kept an eye on them and watched them. I watched two huge toms head in the opposite direction that the rest of the flock was going in. Whatever... Dad comes back with the shotguns and ammo... I load up, we both cross the barb wired fence and begin a stalk up the hill... I get to the top and see a bird, I lay the bead on the area where the head and feathers end/start, BOOM! My Mossberg 500 20 ga roared and down the bird went. The rest of the flock, which turned out to be about 20-30 birds, flew about twenty feet forward and then landed again. Except for two birds, one alive one and my bird that was flopping on the ground. I could have shot the second bird that didn't fly off, but I thought my dad was going to shoot at that one, which he did, but after he made sure that I wasn't going to shoot it. We were in a 2 bird area so we both could have filled two tags each, but we didn't. Anyway, my dad took a shot at the bird that didn't fly off and missed, that bird took off towards the direction of the rest of the flock, I went over to recover my bird and my dad ran past me to get to the rest of the flock. As I am standing on the bird's neck, I hear one more shot. Once I made sure my bird was dead, I started walking in the direction my dad went in. I then see him and ask if he got a bird, sure enough, he did. He shot a nice little hen and I got a jake. My jake had like little 1/8" spurs and NO BEARD AT ALL! I couldn't believe it. Not even a trace of a beard. I searched the entire chest, and found nothing. I don't think I shot it off... Most of my shot got him in the feathered part of the neck, but it got it done. 20 gauge, Federal 3" 1 5/16 of #5 shot. Now get this, as I go to reach for my backtags, I then found out that they weren't there! I jumped on the quad and rode the trails where we went earlier that morning, and then ran into surveyors who are surveying the land behind our property, who happened to pick up my tags. THANK GOD! I got back to the cabin, tagged the bird and then proceded to skin him out. Here are the pics: Dad's hen: My bird: Check out the spurs on my beast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huntn4bucks Posted October 6, 2005 Report Share Posted October 6, 2005 Re: My first turkey! Congrats to the both of you. You'll remember that day for a very long time. Nice job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrud Posted October 6, 2005 Report Share Posted October 6, 2005 Re: My first turkey! Congrats on the first turkey! You'll remember that hunt for a long time to come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanH Posted October 6, 2005 Report Share Posted October 6, 2005 Re: My first turkey! congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VermontHunter Posted October 6, 2005 Report Share Posted October 6, 2005 Re: My first turkey! CONGRATS to you and your dad,,Joe... Very nice birds indeed....a hunt for the memory book for sure... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeviShot Posted October 6, 2005 Report Share Posted October 6, 2005 Re: My first turkey! I killed my 1st bird with the very same load.Way to go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James7xChamp3 Posted October 6, 2005 Report Share Posted October 6, 2005 Re: My first turkey! Great job Joe! Real happy for ya! Nice story! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redbeard Posted October 6, 2005 Report Share Posted October 6, 2005 Re: My first turkey! Congratulations there squirrelhunter and to your Dad too. Memories of a lifetime right there. Way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Posted October 6, 2005 Report Share Posted October 6, 2005 Re: My first turkey! Congrats on the first bird, hope you have many more to come Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adjam5 Posted October 6, 2005 Report Share Posted October 6, 2005 Re: My first turkey! Thats my Boy!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
13littleones Posted October 6, 2005 Report Share Posted October 6, 2005 Re: My first turkey! Nice job on your first bird....congrats to both of ya// Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borch Posted October 6, 2005 Report Share Posted October 6, 2005 Re: My first turkey! Way to go!!!! Congrats on a very memorable hunt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydiehard Posted October 6, 2005 Report Share Posted October 6, 2005 Re: My first turkey! Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nut Posted October 6, 2005 Report Share Posted October 6, 2005 Re: My first turkey! Congrats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lostiniowa Posted October 6, 2005 Report Share Posted October 6, 2005 Re: My first turkey! congradulations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western NY bowhunter Posted October 6, 2005 Report Share Posted October 6, 2005 Re: My first turkey! Congrats Joe. I gotta wait until Oct. 22 to hunt turkey here in Region 8. I've been seeing lots of 'em around too . As for not finding a beard...I think that your bird is a hen (kinda hard to tell from the pics). The legs are really pink colored which in indicative of an older bird...fall poults have alot of melanin in there leg scales making them appear dark colored (kinda dark purplish). Hens also have that same little scale like spur like in your photo. Do you have the wings or any breast feathers off of it so you can tell for sure. Are the breast feathers buff tipped (hen) or do they have black bars (gobbler) on the tips? Anyways, good shooting and good luck on #2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirrelhunter91 Posted October 6, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2005 Re: My first turkey! western NY bowhunter, it was a jake for sure because of the waddles it had on it's neck. I'm positive of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6sixpoint_nobrows Posted October 6, 2005 Report Share Posted October 6, 2005 Re: My first turkey! good looking bird, the beard must have dry rotted off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun_300 Posted October 7, 2005 Report Share Posted October 7, 2005 Re: My first turkey! Congratulations Joe, and congrats to your dad as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakota Posted October 7, 2005 Report Share Posted October 7, 2005 Re: My first turkey! Congrats man! He looks like a real good bird. I'm a SD turkey hunter and have been for like four years and I havn't bagged my first bird yet. Awesome bird man! Keep hunting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maytom Posted October 7, 2005 Report Share Posted October 7, 2005 Re: My first turkey! Congrats on taking your first bird!! Hope that you take many more in your hunting career!! WTG!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NiteRunner Posted October 7, 2005 Report Share Posted October 7, 2005 Re: My first turkey! Congratulations! I took mine first with the same model gun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirrelhunter91 Posted October 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2005 Re: My first turkey! Thanks for all the replie folks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willfish03 Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 Re: My first turkey! nice job keep it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG_BUCK_1 Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 Re: My first turkey! congrats to the both of u Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.