As you guys know i took Chuck on a deer hunt last year where he harvested his first deer. On that day i told him i would take him on his first turkey hunt and let me tell you he never let me forget it. His dad brought him an hour one way on opening morning of KY's youth season for a chance to harvest his first turkey. After a slow start to the morning i turned up the heat on the calling and was able to call 4 longbeards into 30yds and he missed. So we took him back to the house and let him shoot the gun a few times at 30yds and he was spot on both times so the conclusion came that nerves got the best of him.
Later that afternoon around three o'clock we headed back out, and once again we struck up a longbeard. After calling, getting an answer, and then the silence treatment thirty minutes later ol' big boy came in to 10yds putting on a show. Well i guess all the strutting, spitting, and drumming got the best of his nerves again because we had another swing and a miss.
On easter morning his dad brought him another hour back down only to be able to hunt a couple of hours due to church. I had roosted some birds the previous evening and was hoping for a quick hunt. At daylight the birds hit the ground and went in the opposite direction then i had intended. We ended up moving on down the ridge to setup on some other birds only to have a coyote come in and ruin the whole set up.
With time dwindling down and only an hour to go i decided to ride by a farm i had permission to hunt to see if i could get one to answer a locater call. While coming around the curve i could see a bird standing on the back ridge all alone. After parking and rushing to get to the ridge i got Chuck situated in a fence line and eased out to setup the decoy. I took a few more steps and peeked over the ridge and the lone gobbler was strutting his stuff about 130yds towards the bottom. I snuck back to the fence line and started calling with no answer, after doing two or three little sequences and 15 minutes later the bird topped over the break of the ridge and was coming straight for the decoy strutting his stuff. When the bird got to 25 yds i was going to bring him out of strut but Chuck never gave him a chance, at the crack of the gun Chuck had killed his first turkey. After a few high fives and hugs his dad who was standing behind the milk parlor watching the whole show came and joined in on the celebration.
I have never had a better expierience or seen a dad be so proud of his boy. And to have meet this young man he has taught me alot more than i could have ever taught him. I would say this is an expierience i believe he will always remember and i know it is something i will never forget. Sorry for such a long story but this boy gave me one of the most frustrating and exciting weekends i have ever had in the woods.
Tell me these dont look like to proud pups: 23lbs, 1.25in hooks and a 10in beard
(http://i1026.photobucket.com/albums/y329/biscuit071/2012-04-08_09-53-41_252.jpg)
Chuck, congratulations on the turkey. I am sure that you will remember it for many, many years.
Biscuit, thanks for taking a kid hunting and starting him on a life time of enjoyment.
Jerry
:yoyo: Awesome Job Chuck...Thats a great Bird
Way to go Chuck! :yoyo: :yoyo: Congratulations on your first turkey. :congrats: :congrats: Blake you are the man! :bowingsmilie: :bowingsmilie:
Pat
WOW :bowingsmilie: :yoyo:
Great Story and proud pics!
Great story! Congrats to Chuck! That's a great thing ya did, Blake. ;yes;
:highclap: SWEET!! Good job Chuck!
You both got more out of that then your prepared to describe. :congrats: Nice Job Blake.
Chuck if your reading this, congratulations on a nice bird. You done good son! :wink:
Great story. It's not supposed to come easy everytime. Makes you appreciate it! :highclap: Great job guys!
Nice Job Chuck!!!!!!!!!! :highclap: :highclap:
:highclap: nice TOM chuck
Congratulations Chuck!!!!!! Way to go Biscuit!! I can see from the smile how proud you & his Dad were of Chuck!! You all done good & that is a story worth framing along side that picture!!!! :yoyo: :yoyo:
Congrats to both of you. Sounds like there were plenty of highs and lows - glad it ended with a high. And it was great to see his dad got to share in it. I'm sure they've relived it a thousand times already!