First Turkey! Ka-Pow

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

Due to my work still being cRaZy, 65-70hrs week, I didnt know if I would be able to hunt or not this year. Last year I drew the tag and couldnt get the time off to hunt so I turned the tag back in and got my points back. This year I decided to give it a try on the weekends and possibly sneek off and hunt a morning or two before work.

Anywho, opening morning Saturday was TERRIBLE. TONS of guys surounding the roost trees, people chasing birds jump shooting them on the wing etc etc, crazy. Add on top of that we are stll having heavy snow.

This morning I had a new strategy, Sleep in. Let the morons do their thing and then head up after they give up :D. So we slept in then went for a drive and found some birds around 11:30 this morning through the spotting scope about a mile away on a STEEP nasty ridge. My wife dropped me off on a higher ridge 1 canyon over. I worked my way down a treacherous slippery and steep slope and back up the other side in about 8" of snow. As I was about to crest the ridge, approx 200 yards from where i estimated the birds to be, I was surprised by a Tom sneaking through the sagebrush 30 yards ahead of me. I quickly threw up my gun, and got a shot off. Being surprised and way out of breath I shot just behind him. The next shot put the hurt on him but he wasnt giving up yet, He got in the air and went out of sight just ahead of me. I rushed up over the hill to find him standing maybe 30 yards from where I had hit him. He was on his feet (barely) but I could tell he was hit good as he was pretty shakey. I took careful aim and he dropped at the shot.

Nice Tom, not a bruiser but still a great bird. 9" beard on him. This was my first ever Turkey.

The funny part to this story is I got the bird and headed directly down the mountain to the nearest road. Wife and boy picked me up and we went home. A few minutes later 2 police cars showed up. Some idiot called the police saying I had shot a turkey right off the road. The cops were really cool and totally pro-hunting. After I told where I hunted and where I shot the bird at, they called up the "idiot" back who then admitted they hadnt actually seen me shoot there, they just saw me with the bird getting into my truck and assumed I had shot it right then .

The cops told me dont sweat it, it was perfectly legal when and where I killed it. They then congratulated me on it and went on asking me lots of questions about hunting and other things. The female officer asked if she could pick it up and hold it which I did LOL. Pretty cool cops.

Fairly amusing... I'm glad I got one, but now I gotta figure out how to get one for my wife. I'll try and post a picture later.

-DallanC

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 8:23 pm Post subject: Re: First Turkey! Ka-Pow

Congrats Dallan! Our turkey season started yesterday. Today a turkey came waltzing across the rifle range at about 30 yards without a care in the world, totally ignoring the three of us who were shooting ARs. Guess he'd read the NC hunting regulations that prohibit hunting on Sundays...

Vince · Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 11:25 pm Post subject: Re: First Turkey! Ka-Pow

Well done Dallan...guess I know what you had for tea last night mate. Very Happy

A turkey for SWMBO should be fairly easy now you know the ridge where they roost...just keep a weather eye out for the nutcases who are hell bent on getting something regardless of safety or commonsense.

Punkin...we have the same problem with kangaroos on our range...both ranges actually...the rifle range and the shotgun range. They know they are safe.

Cheers, Vince

shrpshtrjoe · Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 3:11 am Post subject: Re: First Turkey! Ka-Pow

Congrats !!

slimjim · Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 5:37 am Post subject: Re: First Turkey! Ka-Pow

Pumpkinslinger wrote:

Guess he'd read the NC hunting regulations that prohibit hunting on Sundays...

Really!?!? That's have the hunting time available for a lot of us. Isn't there a club rule that doesn't allow any shooter to endanger any critter on the property?

Bushmaster · Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 6:53 am Post subject: Re: First Turkey! Ka-Pow

Eeee-Haawww...And the hunt is on.

Good job Dallan.

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

I know gobbler hunting is old hat for alot of you eastern guys. Out here however they are relatively new. We never had them growing up and its only been through extensive transplanting that bird populations are increasing.

This hunt, early spring is draw only still. They now have some over the counter tags but thats for a later hunt well past breeding season. Oddly the turkeys dont seem to be callable here, they get up on hillsides where they can see for miles. The best strategy it seems here is to locate some via the spottnig scope, figure out where they are headed, then move to intercept. I'd much rather spend my time lounging in a blind with a call and some decoys out, than hiking a couple miles through the snow. Ah well it worked anyway Very Happy

My wife still has a tag as well, she will get to hunt during the days for the next 2 weeks. With that much time she should be able to stumble into something (I had her within 20 yards of 10 hens yesterday but no toms / jakes were with the hens).

Picture:

-DallanC

Bushmaster · Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 9:51 am Post subject: Re: First Turkey! Ka-Pow

Very nice...!

Whoops...Gettin' a bit gray about the chops aren't we....

cbsweeney · Member Joined: Jun 18, 2010 Posts: 197 Location: New York

Nice Job Dallan!
Our season starts May 1st. I can't wait to get out there!

Ominivision1 · Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 12:22 pm Post subject: Re: First Turkey! Ka-Pow

Congrats Dallan,

44marty · Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 2:01 pm Post subject: Re: First Turkey! Ka-Pow

NICE job, Dallan. The turkeys here have been making a fool of me the last two seasons. Same problem as Punkin - they only seem to come around on Sundays (no hunting here either).

jeh7mmmag · Member Joined: Dec 24, 2006 Posts: 223 Location: DFW, TX.

Congratulation on the thunder chicken. That boy's smile is as big as the bird is. Cheers and thank for the picture. and story.

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 2:35 pm Post subject: Re: First Turkey! Ka-Pow

Slim, the Sunday thing is one of the old "blue laws" that hasn't been changed yet. There are many folks here working on that. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_law)

Actually I don't think there is a club rule about hunting/shooting critters but as far as I know no one does on club property. I've seen a number of turkeys crossing the range at different times and everyone just waits for them to move on. There are deer tracks there too but I've never seen them when folks were shooting.

English Mike · Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 2:43 pm Post subject: Re: First Turkey! Ka-Pow

Congratulations on your first bird Dallan.

The only time I've seen turkeys "on the hoof" so to speak, has been when I've had an elk tag & a .300WSM up in Colorado - had them walk past within 5yds of where I was laid up.

slimjim · Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 6:26 pm Post subject: Re: First Turkey! Ka-Pow

jeh7mmmag, I've been to the Lex several times! T-2s, A-4s, A-7s, Boy Scout "camp" over in her new Corpus Cristi home. LSO kept ragging on me for landing on 16 Left! When were you aboard?