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My Daughters First... Jake

Cabin Fever

By Cabin Fever,
in Turkey Hunting

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Cabin Fever Mentor

Cabin Fever

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I wasn't gonna post, but seeing the pics again sure puts a proud smile on my face! Plus, thought a good story might give others a little "fix" until you can get out there yourselves! :biggrin:

 

We hunted the first day of the youth season, but didn't hear or see anything. Didn't have a whole lot of hope for the second day either. We were set up in a blind on top of a hill, in an apple orchard, where turkeys have sometimes been roosting on the wooded hillside below.

 

I owl hooted a few times just before daylight to see if I could get a gobbler to respond, to give us some hope. No response. I gave random calls from 5:40-6:45, but no answer. Didn't seem like there was a turkey around for miles! I tried to remain optimistic and told my daughter that just because they weren't gobbling, didn't mean that they weren't there. We were both discouraged, but I didn't want her to know how I felt...

 

At 6:45, we heard yelping coming from straight down over the ridge on the wooded hillside. She said, "Well yeah, but it's just a hen." I told her that it could be a hen with a gobbler in tow OR it could be a gobbler yelping, which I've seen/heard before. Everytime I called, it excitedly yelped back. It sounded like it was going to come up into the orchard to our right. All went silent for ~30 min. She was just sure the turkey kept walking out the hillside and wasn't going to come in, since it shut up. I told her how they come in silent sometimes, just to try to keep her hopes up. Finally, a jake appeared in the orchard ~80 yards to our right. He saw our decoys (jake and 2 hens) and heard my calling, but simply walked back down over the hill from where he came. WTH?? I called a few more times, but no response. Figured I would throw something at him that I've never really tried before, a fighting purr. Well, let me tell you, the hillside exploded with gobbles then! The next thing I know, we see 2 bright red heads looking over the hill at our decoys. Then, they went back down over the hill again!l!

 

They started gobbling like crazy, walking out the hillside, just over the ridge from us. I told my daughter that they were probably just circling the decoys. I told her where I expected them to top the ridge and where to point her gun. Sure enough, a few minutes later, they appeared 40 yards away! Unfortunately, after patterning her gun, I'm not comfortable with the pattern beyond 30 yards, so that is our limit.

 

The jakes strutted and gobbled their heads off in the wide open, from 40-45 yards for ~30 minutes! What a thrilling show for my daughter to witness!! They wanted to come in so bad, but I think my jake decoy, which was still bigger than them, was just intimidating them! I had a bobbing head head decoy that I have fishing line tied to, so I can tug on it a little for some movement. They would start in, then would hesitate, and turn around and walk off a little ways! Everytime they did this, I started purring and that would get them fired up again, gobbling like crazy and inching closer to the decoys! I bet we did this 10x, but they must have thought they were "turning the hens (decoys) on" with the purring they were doing! LOL

 

Finally, one jake cautiously took a few steps closer to the decoys. Must have been peer pressure, because the other one (more cautious), decided to follow. When they crossed the 30 yard line, I knew it was "go time" and told my daughter to that I would tell her when to shoot. At 25 yards, the more cautious one again started to back off and turned the other jake too. I told my daughter to shoot! She did and down he went at 8:10am!

 

That was such an exciting and suspenseful hunt! One we will never forget!! She missed a jake last year in the same spot, so this one sure built her confidence back up, gave her redemption, and reinforced the fact that you gotta have PATIENCE!!! LOL

 

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Cabin Fever Mentor

Cabin Fever

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Thanks! It was a special day, for sure!

 

Before yesterday, I had gone to camp (30min drive) every morning for 9 days, so I could be there at daylight to listen for gobbling and get a feel for our best plan of attack for youth season. I was dragging ass by yesterday! On the drive home, we were reflecting on the hunt. My daughter looked at me and thanked me for all the pre-dawn trips that I made and all preparation that I did, to make everything come together for her first turkey... Sure made me proud... GULP!!

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Cabin Fever Mentor

Cabin Fever

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The weekend before youth season, we were out scouting and checking trailcams. Part of the woods was flooded. I took an alternate path, so we wouldn't have to wade through the water. I kept hearing water sloshing behind me. I told her it was easier walking where I was, but she said it was more "fun" walking through the water! LOL  At one point, she was standing in front of me in water almost above her boots, hair in a pony tail, camo bibs, just staring out at the open woods in front of us. I just stood there and smiled thinking, "And her mother wanted to take her formal dress shopping today for a dance that is coming up!" Thats my girl!!!! :biggrin:

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