Spring turkey season in Kentucky

[coyote101]

The farm I hunt is planted in winter wheat again this year. Seven hundred acres of knee to hip high wheat. All that area, and no place for turkeys to strut......except the cow pasture. So, the pasture it is.

I went out Monday morning, set up my blind, put out a couple of decoys, and waited for the turkeys to wake up. About sunrise they did. In a short time, I was watching several hens and gobblers working out in the pasture. Unfortunately, they weren't the least bit interested in my decoys, or superb calling. They would look my way from time to time, but never got close. This went on for a couple of hours and eventually the hens left the gobblers behind. By now they were a couple of hundred yards away with some rolling terrain between me and them and I thought I would be able to get out of the blind and try some reaping.

I had a reaping decoy in my truck, so I went back to the truck and got it. Then, keeping the terrain between me and them, and holding the decoy right in front of my face, I slowly walked toward the crest of the terrain until I could just see the gobblers. I knew they could only see the turkey fan and hoped it would make them mad enough to come and challenge the interloper. I would raise up and down and move along the back side of the terrain, trying to keep track of where they were as I moved. Eventually they couldn't stand it any more, and headed my way. By now I was standing in a bit of a ditch and the crest of the terrain was pretty close to me, so it took me by surprise when I raised up again and three of them were coming at me on a dead run. I barely had time to get the gun up and shot the closest one at fourteen yards, running at me, while still holding the decoy in my left hand.

My gobbler, shotgun, and the reaping decoy. I put a real turkey fan on it to make it look a bit more realistic.


That little single shot Winchester 20 gauge was my first shotgun. My parents gave it to me for Christmas about fifty years ago. I was using TSS, but any old lead load would have easily done the job at fourteen yards.


Pat

[nastygunz]

Awesome hunt!  Many years ago I used to joke around with my buddies about crawling out in the field with a decoy in front of us and now people are actually doing it and it works!  Even cooler that you got him with that heirloom shotgun 

[Hawks Feather]

Pat,

   I always enjoy seeing your turkeys and reading about your hunt and this one was one of the best.  Like Nasty said, it makes it even better with a shotgun that has special meaning.

[JohnP]

Pat, thank you for the pictures and the story.  If you ever get the urge for a Goulds c'mon down.

[KySongDog]

Great story, Pat! Congrats!

[HaMeR]

Way to go Pat!! Nice lookin turkey shooter ya got there! Dad has an old Ithaca I'd love to get ahold of in 20ga but I don't think I could get my Brothers fingers off it without taking a beating bad enough to hand it back!! 

Thats a fine lookin bird with a great story!! Season starts here around 6:05 in the morning!!

[Todd Rahm]

That’s awesome. Thanks for sharing.

[kyfuzzyface]

Congrats Pat Nice Bird and a great story 

[nastygunz]

 Speaking of TSS shot and turkey hunting I talked to the colonel today down at New Hampshire fish and game and he said allowing hunting turkeys with a .410 is stuck in the legislature and it won't make it for spring season but probably for next fall. Typical bureaucrats!

[Okanagan]

That’s awesome. Thanks for sharing.

Really enjoyed the read.  Great info on your stalk and how it played out.  Your style is impressive:  if they won't come to you then figure out how to go to them!

[weedwalker]

Congratulations Pat!!

Sent from my moto g power (XT2041DL) using Tapatalk

[FinsnFur]

Nicely done Pat. You never let us down with Spring turkey Pics