Was able to make the spring turkey hunt with Dylan again after missing last year due to the COVID chaos. Was so great to come again in Spring when all the grass is green. The weather was perfect. We drove around in the early afternoon and tried to find some toms but no luck. We went back to the cabin and hung out for a while trying a little later in the afternoon. At one point I spotted some toms down a hill and we decided to try and lure them up to us. We set up behind a gray-white deadfall. It wasn’t the best cover but about the only thing available. I had a nice gun rest on one of the branches and Dylan sat nearby calling. Finally, we heard a faint gobble in answer. Then shortly after a much louder gobble and we knew they were coming. That is the most exciting point in a turkey hunt! We have a rubber hen decoy we put into the ground for the toms to focus on and I set up for a shot near it.

Soon two toms came into view but they looked too young. The first barely had a beard at all. Finally, as they neared the hen decoy they separated and I could see the other was a big tom. When he was sufficiently isolated I squeezed off the shot and he went down right there. The big 3.5″ magnum turkey load gives quite a kick and I managed to have my right hand punch my nose pretty good. No blood though just saw a few stars.

Dylan kept calling and I was able to pull my phone out and video. There were actually three toms. The other two kept walking to the right and I pan back to the hen decoy and you can see the wing of my tom fluttering still above it.

He turned out to be a big one, at least 20 pounds. Nice long beard. He made 3 batches of my favorite turkey salad recipe!