Photo Credit: Camron Stover / Hunting Gear Deals
If you were asked to describe the perfect turkey hunt it might look something like this…
You’re sitting on a bright green clover field with your decoys 20 yards away at first light. A thundering gobble rumbles from trees in the distance at first light. A few soft yelps and a long beard glides through the trees into your setup with bad intentions on his mind. As he breaks strut, he’s greeted with the business end of your barrel and the morning hunt comes to an exciting conclusion. After a few quick photos, you’re heading home for breakfast with the family.
What if I told you that’s not the perfect turkey hunt? Prior to yesterday, that’s exactly how I would have described the perfect turkey hunt. This was the scenario that ran through my mind months prior to the start of the Spring Gobbler season. Just like I described in the dream scenario above, Boston and I found ourselves tucked into a ground blind, decoys in place, and turkeys gobbling all around us. The morning symphony of gobbling turkeys greeted us as Jansen serenaded the longbeards with some of the best turkey talk you’ll ever hear.
With expectations high, nothing appeared in the green field and decisions were made to pursue the nearest group of gobblers in the distance. The closer we got, the louder the gobbles, and before long we had made it as close to the group as we could without being seen. Double and triple gobbles just out of sight left us in awe as the birds hung up and refused to close the distance. They must’ve had other plans for the morning because as quickly as it began, it was over and they continued on their journey.
We worked our way back in hopes of finding a longbeard for Boston before noon. Thankfully, Jansen’s keen eye caught a strutter in the distance and we hustled into position. The first call revealed something that we didn’t expect, two dogs and no turkeys. The dogs had beat us to the turkeys and they were nowhere to be found. Our disappointment soon faded as a distant gobble was heard on the ridge above us.
Boston worked hard to keep up as we rushed up the hill in hopes of cutting the bird off before it exited the property. A careful peak over the horizon revealed two longbeards in a position that would require a new tactic. Sitting on a field edge at daylight hadn’t worked, nor did running and gunning. In a last-ditch effort, the reaping fan was brought out. We crawled into position and watched a longbeard crest the horizon. Thankfully, he wasn’t alone and we would soon find ourselves face to face with a longbeard without a shot opportunity.
The gobbler was accompanied by a hen and we watched as he strutted out of range for what felt like an eternity. Eventually, he slipped into the wood line and my hopes of Boston getting a shot diminished. However, Jansen kept us grounded and the longbeard reappeared. The bird tested our patience as he slowly approached and inched closer but he stayed just out of range.
The hen soon followed and this would soon seal his fate. The longbeard never gobbled, he stayed silent and strutted his way closer one inch at a time. Finally, the moment that we’d waited 12 months for was here. Boston took the shot from the prone position and the gobbler dropped and flopped. A turkey hunter was born, full of adrenaline and excitement that was shared with Jansen and me as well.
So, what makes this the perfect turkey hunt?
The experience of killing your first turkey. The experience of watching your son kill his first turkey. Hearing more gobbles during the first hunt of the season than we did all of last year. Experiencing three different hunting techniques all aimed in pursuit of turkey. A lesson of patience and perseverance was taught through experience in a way that only hunting can provide. Because this was the perfect turkey hunt!
Special thanks to Jansen for doing all of the hard work on this hunt and helping to create memories that will last a lifetime. Also, if you’re looking for a lightweight turkey hunting gear list, check out our blog post: Run-and-Gun Turkey Hunting Gear List
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