Holly
It was a chilly, April morning in 2016 when we got ready to go hunt. As soon as my brother and niece arrived, we loaded up then headed out. The sun was coming up when we got out there so my husband started calling to try and locate the birds. We slowly made our way down to the bottoms where we figured they’d be. Once we heard that first gobble it was game on because they were close.
In a nearby field we find two gobblers hanging with their hens. One of them was strutting his stuff so he wasn’t leaving them females. My husband changed tactics and began to get the lead hen mad with his calls. It wasn’t long before she started coming our way and of course he followed.
Tagging a Gobbling Turkey
They were coming on my side, so it was up to me to make the shot. I raised my 20 gauge to my shoulder and got ready. As the hens came in, there was no sign of that tom. Right then I heard a close gobble more to my left. That’s when I seen the top of his fan over the ridge. I had to move quickly to get my gun repositioned. My heart was beating so fast and adrenalin was racing wild when I seen him coming over that ridge. The moment I saw his head clearly, I aimed and pulled the trigger.
I was in so much shock that I completely forgot the possibility of them flying away. I snapped out of it when my husband yelled, “Get Him” and ran past us to jump on it. Since it was the first gobbler I ever shot, I guess I would forget that part.
After he finally stopped flopping, I threw him over my shoulder to get him in better lighting to really check him out. He was a stunning 19-20 pound gobbler with a blue head, red and white stripped neck and a nice 10 inch beard. He had an amazing full fan and sharp 1 1/2 inch spurs. His coloration was beyond incredible. I was filled with so much excitement and emotions from it all.
We all admired him a bit longer before heading back to the truck. The long walk back all I could think about was how blessed and thankful I was to harvest such an amazing bird. It was truly a memorable hunt getting to share it with my brother, niece, and wonderful husband.
