By Bill Evans, Tionesta, PennsylvaniaThis was probably the most exciting hunt of my life!! And it was over before most people get out of bed. I should probably tell you a little about my previous experiences with my son Tanner before I start. Our first turkey hunt together was the first day of spring gobbler in 2007 and Tanner was 10 years old at the time. We set up in a likely spot at 5:00 as we listened to 3 different woodcock go through their spring mating ritual. I enjoyed sharing that moment with Tanner as that experience was never afforded to me. As we sat there patiently waiting we began to hear toms gobble from different directions. While this was occurring my temperature was beginning to rise. I was running a fever and I don’t mean “Gobbler Fever” either. I was fading in and out of consciousness while I drank one of the sodas that I had brought along for later in the day. My head continued to spin like I was Dorothy in her home as she was heading towards the land of the little people. I finally conceded and asked Tanner if it was okay that we packed it up and headed home. Tanner handled it like a real trooper and said “yes.” The next time Tanner and I shared the turkey woods together was in a Double Bull blind with Tanner’s sister Arianna and Tom Neumann from Penn’s Woods Calls. We spent two days together and never had a gobbler within 75 yards, but this experience will stay in our memories as one of our greatest.
The last time together in 2007 was the last day of the season. We had set up in a new location of my old stomping grounds. As we sat there waiting for the sun to rise, we heard 7 different toms from different directions. The tom that we were targeting went silent as soon as he hit the ground, but I could tell that he was nearby. My brother Gary sat in a fencerow about a hundred yards away and enjoyed the show. This gobbler was in a slight depression about 50 yards in front of us. How he got there without me spying him is beyond me. If you looked from the side you could not detect the depression it was that slight. Anyway, each time I called he would fan out and go into full strut. Each time I went silent he would head back to his hen. Gary watched this show for 3 hours as Tanner and I patiently sat clueless, blindly calling to gobblers that we knew were there. Where exactly we did not know. Turkey 1, Bill and Tanner 0. Home field advantage Tom Turkey!
The 2008 season first found us together in that same Double Bull with our dear friend Tom Neumann. Tanner patiently waited as his sister passed on 2 respectable 6” jakes. More on this later. The second day of our hunt in Export, PA found Tanner sharing the woods with Greg Neumann. Again no gobblers within range, but Tanner did eat Greg’s “Gob Cake” and helped make calls at the shop with Greg as Tom, Arianna, and I were watching a bearded hen. Sorry about the cake Greg! The following Saturday I shot my first gobbler and Tanner was itching to squeeze the trigger. The next Saturday found Tanner and me hunting with my good friends Todd Gruber and Andy Traister. As we listened to a couple of toms above us on the hill I spied something approaching from our left. A hen came to investigate our decoys and walked within 5 steps of where Tanner and I sat. She stopped and stared right into Tanner’s and my souls. Later we moved to another location and predicted the direction in which the gobbler would approach. You can only guess what happened next. That’s right he came another direction and let out his best gobble within 10 yards of Todd’s ear as Todd couldn’t turn and Todd couldn’t shoot. Andy watched the whole thing as his tag was already filled. Incredible morning and incredible memories to share and bring up during those awkward teen moments.
Anyway, back to the original story. We went where I usually go, though I haven't hunted it since the opening Saturday. Tanner, my friend Todd, and I got there at 5:00 and it was already too light. I could tell that there was no way that we could get to where I wanted , so we skirted the area and I kept checking the woodlot to see if any were roosted there. I thought I saw one, but he probably saw us too! Needless to say if it was one he wasn't going to do any talking. We finally set up, and started to hear some gobbling in the next valley. I told Todd that we weren't going to get them to come that far, we better make a move. We walked up to the place where I originally wanted to get to; our plan of attack was just going to be different than I had planned. They continued to gobble in the next valley. We set up a decoy and settled in. They were hot, but we didn't know how hot. Once we started calling we could tell that they were coming. As best as I could tell they were in the lower part of the field with a fence row between their field and ours with a nice woodlot to our left. I've been told by a lot of people who have hunted this place with me, that this is probably one of the toughest places to hunt that they have ever hunted. That's good in that a lot of the other people who think it's a great place, get frustrated and hunt turkeys someplace else. I've never got one myself, but have called gobblers in for others.
Back to the story, they kept coming. I was expecting Jakes, but really didn't know what was coming. Though you don’t know, I saw 11 different gobblers there during the youth Saturday. At one point it sounded as if they were leaving us, and I began to think that a hen was taking them away. I was just getting ready to pack it up and make another move when I heard them come closer. I'm guessing the fence row might have been too thick where they originally tried to cross. They first showed themselves less than 100 yards to our right, big birds, but that is all I could tell. The one went into strut immediately after coming through the fencerow. The other stayed put and stared in our direction. I thought I could tell a difference in the length of the first one’s tail feathers, but I couldn’t understand why the other wasn't making a move if they were both just big jakes. The strutter kept showing himself and then he would disappear on the other side of the hill. He probably did this for about a half an hour, but kept coming closer. Tanner, was sitting between my legs as I helped him hold the gun on the gobbler, or where he would show up next, the entire time. This will come into play later. Anyhow, that's a long time to hold a gun up. At one point he was about 40 yards or less from us, but all we could see was most of his head and fan as he was almost to the peak of the hill. I whispered into Tanner’s ear that if he comes a few more feet we'll take him as I eased the safety off. Any guesses what happened next? Yea, he turned and went back down over the hill gobbling, double and triple gobbling the entire time. We could hear him coming closer than going away but working his way to our left. The first one was still in the original spot about a hundred yards away. Yes, he was still staring at us. The strutter, or what we believe was another gobbler finally showed themselves at the top of the hill to our left. He stayed in full strut for what seemed like hours, but was probably closer to just a couple of minutes. At this point we had been holding the gun in preparation for close to, or an hour. I noticed that the gobbler kept falling every two or three steps and I thought maybe he was injured, then I found out that he kept stepping on his beard and tripping. I think I also noticed rhinestone studs on his 3” spurs. Ok I might be exaggerating a little.
I whispered to Tanner to line up and take him. He said he couldn't. I asked why not, he said he couldn't. "Why?" He said he couldn't lower the gun. Again "Why?" "Come on Tanner line up and squeeze." Finally the gobbler let out a gobble and stretched his neck. "Squueeeeeeeeeeeeeze!"
Well he left. We did get him to stop at about 60 yards, but he was gone.
Remember when I said that I was helping Tanner hold up the gun. I was just resting my hand under the forearm, but Tanner said he couldn't push the gun down. Either I had super human strength because of the adrenaline pumping through my veins, or I'm a lot stronger than I thought. Todd said I subconsciously held it up so Tanner wouldn't shoot one bigger than mine. Maybe we were all experiencing "Gobbler Fever!" If Tanner had "Gobbler Fever!" he earned it. This was the bird of a lifetime. I think an older bird chased off the 2 year old strutter to get to the hen. I couldn't even see the bottom of his beard because of the height of the grass. An adult man who has shot numerous gobblers could, and probably would, have blown that one! Imagine what an 11 year old was going through.
Tanner was bummed, and "Good ol' Dad" blew another one for him. Remember it was only a couple of weeks ago that I wouldn't let Tanner shoot at 2 nice Jakes until his sister Arianna shot. That’s a whole story in itself. Anyway, I kept reassuring him that it was ok and maybe next week he'll talk to me again.
Anyway those gobbler's, Tanner, and I have an appointment for next Saturday. I think the results may be different. We're all a lot smarter than before.
I forgot to mention that the gobbler was 21 steps from where we sat, and standing at the brink of the hill with only the sky as a backdrop.
Needless to say Saturday had come and gone without Mr. Turkey never showing himself again. Tom Turkey 2, Bill and Tanner still 0.
My father never took me turkey hunting for numerous reasons and most of my greatest memories have occurred since having children, and I just thank God that I can share so many memories with my children. Successful or not my kids have character and have many great experiences to come!
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