Two buddies, two days, two birds...

[IndianaHunter]

Pictures tell the story!!

Mt hunting buddy Tim Steadman took this bird opening day! Tim took his bird with a classic decoy set up. This big Tom could not resist busting in on the Jake in a full strut. Tim made him pay for that mistake.




I took mine with Tim's help on day two... Mine however was a different story. Tim and I took off from camp right at daybreak and spot-called our way into an area we call the “back 40”. About 2/3's of the way there we hooked up on a Tom that was interested in our calls and closed the distance quickly. We moved into position and I got setup in the branches of a large dead-fall and waited for him to show. Tim continued to call from behind me and to the right so bird #1 would pass by and present me with an easy left-handed shot. But before the bird we were hunting could show himself, a second bird gobbled and moved in to my left...

This is where the story gets good!

My setup on bird #1 was so I could get a shot from the right side of this dead-fall. Being left handed any shot from the left side of the area was impossible. So guess where bird # 2 came in from? Yep, right up the trunk of that big old tree just left of center so I had no chance at a shot without being detected. With his head down and tail up at about 10’ working through the branches of my makeshift blind I moved to get shot right handed…To all you right handed people, try shouldering your gun to your left shoulder, remove the safety and aim.

Well he busted me and took of running to my left and back over my shoulder. I was able to stand, turn on him while shouldering my gun, figure out which one of my eyes to use to take aim, remove the safety and fire. 32 paces away lay my first turkey… Right-handed head shot at 30 yards…..

That was my first bird!!! That’s why the great big smile



For my success that day I was allowed to wear the coveted “strand of spurs” for the day!

[E.T.]

IndianaHunter

Nicely done for your first bird and enjoyed following your hunt. One thing for sure these birds seem to do the unexpected more often then not and can leave a hunter frustrated when they are busted and wanting to come back for more lessons of humility or get even.
Also they seem to test an individual if they have ambidextrous traits or not. ;D


Ed

[whyohe]

nice job and good story.

[ozark]

Nice job indianaHunter. It is great fun and the unexpected makes turkey hunting that much more exciting. It is the favorite type of hunting for many and that includes me. I think it is the fact that our calling influences their behavior. Good pictures.