4/18/2007 First Turkey

Cheatham WMA is finally off my shxx-list. I finally killed something.

My first turkey. Shot it Wednesday 4/18 a little before 11am. It was about 60 degrees and drizzling.

I had spent the previous two hours in the truck scouting for a place to hunt - all of the places I had planned to go already had trucks parked at the access roads. I drove all the way to the bottom of the management area before giving up on these spots and ultimately going all the way back to the top.

Sidney Bluff road, where I spent a lot of time deer hunting, I knew had a food plot about a mile from the the main road (Pardue Road). I would have to walk because during turkey season Sidney Bluff road is closed.

As I parked I saw a turkey on Sidney Bluff, she scurried away at the sight of the truck. I thought it may be a good omen.

The drizzle was strong enough that I was wearing a rain coat over my hunting vest.

I was a little over a half mile in when I saw a large bird on the road, through the trees around the bend. I sat down on the road side and tried to make out whether it was a tom or not. I think it was a hen and it moved off into the woods on the east side of the road. Back on the west side of the road I could hear scratchings in the leaves. I was sure it was turkeys scratching for food. I moved to that side of the road and sat in the thick scrub for cover. There were no good sized trees to use as concealment, but there were many 3 to 6 inches in diameter.

I used my box call to make some very soft clucks similar to that of a feeding hen. This seemed to keep the birds moving in my direction and may have quickened their pace. Several minutes passed since I first heard them, but when the first bird came into sight she was maybe 25 to 30 yards away. I knew immediately she was a hen by the shape of her head. The second seemed more wary, which led me to think it was a tom. I couldn't raise binoculars for a good look as any movement at this point would have blown my cover. The hen stepped out on to the logging road and was looking for the maker of the clucks from earlier. She headed in my direction, but slowed because she knew something wasn't right. She started clucking moderately loud. By this time I had gotten a clear look at the other, his head was definitely the shape of a tom. He was much bigger than her. He was surely a legal bird, but just to be absolutely sure I strained to see his beard. The rule is, any "bearded" turkey. I wanted to used binoculars. Although I wasn't far from him, the light in the woods was shadowy and he was hard to see. I did make out what appeared to be a beard, albeit a small one. While my turkey hunting friend Wormy says he always passes on jakes, I decided this year if I got the opportunity to shoot a jake I would take it. This decision came after I passed on a jake last year only to be assured by the WMA manager Randy Cromer, that more jakes needed to be shot to manage the flock overall.

Both turkeys at this point were unsettled and with heads raised and necks stretched they were straining to figure out what was wrong. The low light was probably working in my favor now. There was no shot at this time as the brush and cover between us was pretty much keeping the tom out of sight. I know Dad doesn't like 3 & 1/2 shells, #5 shot, and quite frankly I wouldn't be using them if I wasn't too cheap to buy a box of 2 &3/4 inch shells. The 3.5's kick like hell. However, at the moment, I was glad to have them. This shot would be delivered through a tight window of opportunity with lots of twigs etc to distract it from it's agenda. I'd take every advantage- even if it came with a kick. To put their minds at ease I slowly reached for the box call sitting next to me and let out a few very soft clucks. This prompted them to move in a 45 degree angle towards me, I raised the camo 870 and picked the opening I would use. First she passed then he stepped into the opening. It was over. I shot. I saw her bolt. I couldn't see him anymore, which only concerned me slightly. I knew I wouldn't miss, but I sure wanted to see a dead turkey after this shot selection. I stood up and stepped in his direction and sure enough there he was. One shot, head and neck only. He was in fact a jake. 14lbs, 2.5 beard and spurs under one inch.

It was an awesome feeling to finally have harvested a turkey. I think I learned a lot from this experience.

A) When hunting a place as pressured as the Cheatham WMA, a gobbling tom flying down off the roost and running to a yelping hunter at sunup just ain't gonna happen. These birds are call shy. They are not gobbling - much. And certainly aren't going to be fooled into gobbling by the prompt of some random clucks, purrs or yelps.

b) This kill was probably 75% ambush and 25% calling. I will be more in tune to birds I see ambling around and birds I hear scratching for food. I will not be looking only for a gobbling tom.

c) Overall this hunt was not hard. It is just that I tried something I had done before - I had mostly been using the "cut and run" technique. I will obviously not rely on the "cut and run" so much in the future.

Willy was enthralled with the turkey. He helped me clean and has been playing turkey hunter ever since. Check out his camo boots and hunting hat.