Her first Turkey...

[whiskey]

This morning, Saturday, March 26th, was the Tennessee youth turkey hunting weekend. I have been scouting the flock at our hunting lease for more than a month. I watched the birds go to roost on Thursday and then set up my blind to put Lana and I in good position for opening morning. Well, all night Thursday, I second guessed my placement. I decided to get up early and watch the flock come off roost Friday morning before work. After watching the birds I decided to move my blind again Friday evening.

We were set up across a long pasture from the birds' roost. I had the decoys out and us in the blind plenty early this morning. The birds were gobbling great on the roost and we could hear 3 distinct groups of toms gobbling in front of us. About 10 minutes to 7:00 the first birds came flying down in to the pasture. We had two small groups of hens pass in front of us and were listening to all the gobblers in front of us, but hadn't seen one yet. Then we hear gobbling behind us, at the top of the hill. Lana looked over her shoulder and could see two gobblers strutting at the top of the hill. I couldn't figure out how they had gotten behind us! Just then I looked across the pasture and saw two gobblers heading towards us from the front. Just behind the two toms was an army of hens, probably 40 or so.

The old boss hen, with a 5" beard, came trotting in ready to pounce my decoy. She was all ruffed up and dragging 5 sisters with her. That was all it took to pull those two longbeards in front of us over to the decoys. There was 2 year old and a 3 year old bird strutting together and the 3 year old was behind the younger bird. I was whispering to Lana, "Get ready, stay on him. I am going to bring him out of strut." I said calmly, "Hey Tom!" The 2 year old's head shot up and Lana hammered him.

17 yards out, 20ga Mossberg with Undertaker choke, 3" Hevi-Shot Magnum Blend and he never even flopped!

2 years old, 17 pounds, 8" beard and 7/8" spurs. I am one proud Dad!

[Mdunntn]

That's just awesome man Congrats

[DaveS]

Good job.....that's alot to be proud of!!

[ShaunM]

That's awesome! Can't wait till my little girl is old enough to get her first turkey.

[memphismason]

WOW, what a bird. She did awesome. Congrats man!

[cannonball]

Congratulations to you and your daughter. That is one awesome tom. Tell her to leave a few of those gobblers for me next weekend.

[roverboy]

Congratulations on her bird. I was afraid the cool weather would make it hard on the kids hunting this weekend. I thought the birds may not gobble much.

[gregintenn]

Great post! Because of the threat of rain, my son elected to sleep in this morning. He wants to give em a shot in the morning, however.

[Sidewinder]

Lana, great shot! Congratulations on your first Tom. You know you're to be congratulated too, for having such a great Dad! Not all dads take the time to teach their daughters how to fish and hunt. I'm sure you already know that. You're one lucky girl... and he's one lucky Dad.

[whiskey]

Congratulations on her bird. I was afraid the cool weather would make it hard on the kids hunting this weekend. I thought the birds may not gobble much.

I was worried about this too. I was so excited when a domestic rooster cock-a-doodle-do'd and the woods lit up with gobbles.

[Guest Jcochran88]

Great Job Whiskey! I bet you are more proud of that bird than any other bird you have ever taken.

[Chris]

Fantastic!

[CQB Elite]

That's awesome! I hope to one day set my girls up on a bird like that.

[KahrMan]

Very cool!!! Congrats on her first turkey!

[Guest TnRebel]

Did she call it in or did you call it for her ?

[Guest ORgunner]

Congrats to both of you, job well done. gobble gobble boom

[whiskey]

Did she call it in or did you call it for her ?

She doesn't call yet. Maybe next year. I didn't have to call much either on this hunt. Just a couple of purr/cluck runs. They just came our way like I had hoped.