Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Tag Teaming Gobblers in the Strut Zone





  • Medalist Silk weight Base Layer Top

  • Medalist Cheyenne Shirt and Pants

  • Medalist Watchman Cap and Gloves

  • LaCrosse Locator Scent HD Boots

  • Joanie Haidle Mouth & Slate turkey calls

  • East Coast Gun Sales Mountain Hollow Box Call

  • Berretta Extrema 2 - 12 Gauge Shot gun

  • Winchester Supreme Turkey Shot Shells

  • Ameristep Intimidator blind

  • Turkey Skinz Decoy

  • Canon XHA-1 Hi Def Video Camera

  • Panasonic Lumix Digital Camera



Well, the season has only just begun and it has already proved thus far to be a good one. It all began about a month ago when Don and I started our scouting from afar. We found several areas with some really nice birds. Every day we would check the area out in the morning and evening either one of us or both of us. It did look promising.

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Scouting pictures; couple of long beards above and a bearded hen below.


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This year Jimmy decided to hunt with my brother Rex for the Youth Season opener. I was taking Madison Faith on the PA Youth hunt. So along with my areas to hunt we started scouting the area we were taking Madison for her hunt.  Madison practiced shooting her gun and was excited for her upcoming turkey hunt with us.


Madison practicing with her shotgun with her dad, Jim Faith.



The night prior Don was scouting the birds for Madison and watched every one of them cross the road from the location we were going to set up at and head up a base of the mountain over a thousand yards away from where we were to be hunting. Both of us were a little disheartened thinking all week the birds were right were they needed to be and the night before they decide to switch up for some reason.  All we could do is give it a try!

The morning of the Youth hunt we met Jim and Deb Faith along with Madison on location and headed into the blind, set up the Turkey Skinz decoy and waited. I have to admit it was a long morning.  All the gobbles we heard were across the road far away. We did hear a few hens by our location. We called off and on and saw birds distantly across the road in other fields. Finally the birds got closer. We saw them in the field right across the road and in plain site. Don took over the calling and gave out some loud calls and every bird stopped and lifted it’s head and ran into the fence row towards us. Within 15 minutes the birds were on our side of the road and we heard the thunder gobbles of a mature bird! Madison was shaking with excitement. The birds still wouldn’t show themselves over the hill.  Finally right before 9 AM we saw one. Actually we saw the tail fan of a gobbler right over the hill. Soft calling and he hung up at about 100 yards in the “Strut Zone”.  After about 20 minutes of excruciating anticipation, he finally decided to give the girl (decoy) down the field another look cause she sure sounded pretty. That is when Madison connected and dropped him in his tracks!  BIG TURKEY DOWN!  I don’t know who was more excited, Madison, or her parents Don and I! He was a dandy bird for her first one! About a 10 inch beard and one inch spurs. Her excitement was so great. It made us so happy for her to not only kill her first ever PA turkey. It was her FIRST big game animal in the United States. Madison has killed animals in Africa but never anything in the Mentor program back home.  It was a GREAT morning and Madison did a great job!  What a Team effort. I know Don and I had a blast with Jim, Deb and Madison. We hope to be able to all hunt together again in the future.


Madison above very proud of her big ol tom!



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Don, Madison and I with Madison's first turkey.


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Jim, Deb and Madison Faith and myself.



Youth day wasn’t as lucky for Jimmy. He went with my brother Rex and they saw a few again in the "Strut Zone" in a far end of the field, but couldn’t connect. He had a blast though and spent the remainder of his day fishing with his friend Cody, Rex and my dad.  Even though he didn’t bring home a bird I was proud of his outlook on hunting. How he had a great time and shared a memory with his Uncle! He is learning that hunting is often about the challenge. That’s part of it's lure.  Jimmy was happy to be able to witness gobblers in full strut. I know even if I don’t get to bag a bird, but can witness the beautiful animal in his “Strut Zone” in all his magnificence, is a site to behold and makes for a good day afield. So I was glad he was getting enjoyment out of the “experience”.

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Jimmy, right, his Uncle Rex center and Jimmy's friend Cody.



After the excitement of the Youth hunt and Madison getting her turkey I honestly wasn’t sure if it could get much better. I was ready for my turn though. I got a new East Coast Gun Sales Mountain Hollow box call, and Joanie Haidle mouth and slate calls. I was sounding good and couldn’t wait to see what a big tom thought.

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Some of my new turkey calls.


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Our opening day of spring gobbler was going to be a hot one. Don was headed to South Dakota with Jason, Arianna and her family to film. My dad kindly volunteered to give up his day of hunting to film my hunt. So dark and early we headed out to my spot.  Don and Jimmy had already set up the blind a couple days earlier so it was all ready for us. Dad and I got situated.  I opted not to use a decoy. I knew that there were some hens and jakes coming there and didn’t want to spook them in some way and ruin my chance at one of the big toms. Decoys work or they don’t. Plus, my previous experience in this location is NO decoy. These birds are old and wise and educated.  Every other time we used decoys there we got busted. Usually by a weary hen!  So I gambled with no decoy today in this spot. I think my dad thought I was nuts but went along with my decision.

At 5:45 AM we heard the first gobbles. We looked at each other and grinned.  About 2 minutes later rang out 2 shots where I watched the birds headed to roost the night before. A few minutes later 3 more across the road on another ridge.  We looked at each other with the same look. Oh great! Someone shot birds out of the roost. We knew this could put a whole new twist into the pattern we had figured out for all these birds.  After carefully watching from a distance and filming these birds, trail cameras, you name it for a whole month,  I felt pretty confident in how Don and I patterned these birds. They roosted in one field at the far end.  They would feed through the field into a middle field then cut up into an adjacent field into the timber and a creek.  We decided to try and intercept them in the middle field where the routinely came out on the same path EVERYDAY to feed and pass through.  So thus is hunting….everything can change in a second or one gun shot.  But dad and I still had our hopes up.

The next time I looked at my watch is was 6:20 AM and finally another gobble. This time I could tell he was on the ground. I called a little and he gobbled and gobbled and gobbled and gobbled, but one field over until 7:30 AM.  Then…dad said, “Is he going away from us now?”  I agreed, it sounded further away. So I called a little louder and heard nothing.  Tried the raspy Beard Buster mouth call from Joanie and he cut me off. Then he double gobbled, triple gobbled. He was hot!  I gave a few soft yelps, and purrs then got quiet. Let him come look for me.  I only heard one other gobble. BUT, it was closer. I used the slate call real soft with a purr and then stopped.  Another couple minutes went by and we heard nothing. I wasn’t sure if he turned away or was coming. Then I hear hen yelps. I knew the gobbler wasn’t coming because he was with hens. So I did some soft calls hoping the hens would come take a look. I did a few putts and then a hen yelped back . I knew they were coming and would be looking for the hen making the noise.  So I got quiet…come on over girls.... bring the boys!   Just then, dad taps my arm I look to my left and there were the hens, followed by the jakes.  The excitement was mounting!  The jakes came out and they were a little skittish so I knew then the big boys weren’t far behind.  Dad taps my leg again this was our sign he had them on camera. The rest was up to me.  The “Strutters” had arrived. The dominant bird, who Don and I called “white wing” because his wing tips were so much lighter white than any other bird in the fields we were scouting,  was the last to appear. The one long beard came into view and then “white wing” came out into full strut.

I watched a couple seconds waiting to get a good shot. He went full strut again, came out of strut and lifted his pretty blue head for a perfect target.  That’s when I seized the opportunity and dropped him. The hens ran right and the other long beard ran back to the left.  But the jakes stood around like, “Hey what’s going on?”  Well dad had only ever shot one other turkey in all his life. So I quickly asked “Dad do want to shoot one of those jakes?” He replied with a quick “Yeah ok!” So I handed over my shotgun and looked down at the camera still running. Another shot ran out and dad had a bird down!  A DOUBLE!!!!  And on film! We high fived and were so pumped!!!   We TAGGED TEAMED THE OL’TOM’s!   Still the jakes wouldn’t leave and they were calling to the hens. We watched as one jake hopped on and pecked at dad’s bird down. Just enjoying the sites and taking it all in!!!  We left the remaining birds quietly leave on their own and then went out to retrieve our gobblers.


Video of my turkey


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My dad with his gobbler shot on opening day.


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With my opening day gobbler.


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My gobbler was about 20 pounds and had inch spurs and a 9 ¾ inch beard. Dad’s bird had a 4 ¼ inch beard and weighed about 14 pounds. But the real trophy of the day was the memory dad and I just created together. All the years hunting together we never shot a big game animal at the same time. How cool was this. We were just so excited we both got birds, had a great morning in the blinds together, laughs shared and the memory also preserved on film to relive over and over.

Soon after text messages and phone calls, I learned Jimmy had missed a big one but was laughing about! Our good friend Bob Miller had scored a big bird and my sister-in-laws brother Mark got his first turkey that morning.  What a season opener!

I thank God everyday for my parents and for them getting me involved in the outdoors. Because of them I am able to enjoy all that nature provides and I am forever thankful for that! Thanks so much mom and dad!  I've added yet another great memory shared with my dad, Don and my friends the Faith’s in this sport we love so much!

I hope if you haven’t downed your bird yet you will by season end. If not enjoy every trip afield!  I’ll be helping Jimmy get his bird and probably filming for Don’s hunts. Good luck and be safe!

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Dad and I with our "Double" '09 spring gobblers.