# Textbook Turkey Hunt...Like the boys on TV



## ktowncamo (Aug 27, 2008)

I'm not a turkey hunter, but sometimes the little lessons from a few times in the field and those few tips you pick up on here and there come together just like it was meant to be...just like the boys on TV.

A couple of weeks back on one of my daily hikes with my new pup (black lab) I happened to hear a turkey gobble. I didn't want to bust it out of the area so I just let it be, content to listen from afar. I went back a couple of other times and it was still there. After being gone for the opener, I was anxious to get out and so I called my buddy Thursday night and just like duck hunting, it only took 10 seconds and we were on for a 5:30 pick up time that would put us at the trailhead by 5:45.

We hiked up a drainage crow calling every couple hundred yards...nothing. My buddy had to be to work by 8am sharp so just after 7 as we considered heading up the mountainside and then down an adjoining drainage, we both looked to the west and knew we both wanted to see what was on the other side. Yea, I know, you've done the same thing before. Seeing what's on the other side of a ridge is one of those pre-programmed things. Am I right or am I right?

Anyway, so I'm sure you know what happened next. I found my first elk shed on the top of the ridge, we looked into what looked like elk and turkey paradise, hit the crow call and bingo....gobble gobble.

He was headed downhill away from us, gobbling along the way. We dove off the ridge through steep brush into a flat of pines/aspen mix. My buddy had to get to work so we moved as quickly as we could to what seemed like a great spot - flat with a small ridge in front of us. As I put the decoys in the ground my buddy commented that he was too far down the canyon and likely wouldn't come back. "It's worth a try, let's do this" I said. I set up about 40 yards to the right of my buddy as he was right behind the decoys. I pulled out two slates, one on each leg as I sat against a tree, gun in one hand, strike in the other and called. "GOBBLE GOBBLE!" was the reply and he was on his way. I looked to my left and leaned forward to see my buddy looking my way, nodding his head, eyes as big as dinner plates.

At first I thought I was calling too much, so I went a little less often, mixing it up between the two slates to give the thought of more than one hen. I tossed in a few feeding prrrrrs as well. Then he appeared, gobble gobble all the way. Just as he started to pluck that nervous pluck, a woodpecker started in above me and it looked like he was less nervous. He moved back to the left and BOOOOOM!, turkey down as my buddy sealed the deal.

The best part of the whole morning was my buddy immediately standing up, pointing my direction saying, "That was freaking awesome! You are the man!" He came running over, high fived and then we basically grabbed the bird, I snapped a couple of photos and we started running to the truck so he didn't lose his job. He ended up 30 min late, but I think everything was just fine.




























If I get a turkey this season, it'll be icing on the cake. Calling in that big Tom (8" beard by the way) for my hunting buddy was as good as getting a turkey myself.


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

Well done!

And a very nice bird .....


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## InvaderZim (Sep 7, 2007)

That is an outstanding bird!


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

Very Cool! Tell him that will NEVER happen again as long as he lives...


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## stillhunterman (Feb 15, 2009)

Very, very awesome ktown! And what TEX said! ;-)


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

Wow and way cool! Congrats!


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