A Day In The Woods With A Son    

 A gentleman that I have known for about a year now thanks to him listening to my podcast “Up North Journal”, has taken his first wild turkey!  Now that may not sound real exciting to some of you but the story that goes with it is what this post is all about!  He not only took his first turkey, but he did it while his son was with him in the woods for the first time in his young life!  What a way to share the joy of a first bird, by taking your son along and sharing the love for the great outdoors with him!  That is what it is all about!  Here is Tim’s story in his email to me:

     Well I finally have had success in getting a turkey.  Here is the Story.  Paul and I headed out this morning but got out there later than what I wanted to.  We got setup about 7:00 am out in the woods.  We setup the blind and the decoys then I made some calls on my box call and immediately got 3 different toms answer back but they were a long ways off.  After about half an hour they shut up completely.  Then at about 8:30 we had two hens come out and walk down the pipeline that we were hunting.  Once they went out of sight I gave a call and bam immediately a tom answered and he was right on top of us.  Then after about 10 minutes I could see him off in the brush about 65 yards and he stayed there walking around and strutting for 45 minutes to an hour but the whole time Paul couldn’t see him from where he was sitting in the blind.  I really wanted Paul to see him so I kept hoping that he would come closer.  Then he started coming towards us and I told Paul to sit very still because he is coming.  Then Paul got to see him strut right in front of us but I still didn’t have a shot.  I told Paul that when he pops his head out into the clearing of the pipeline I was going to shoot him.  Sure enough he popped his head out and I shot.  I dropped him in his tracks.  When Paul and I got up to go look at him another tom that I didn’t even know was there flew up into a tree and directly in front of us were three deer looking at us.  At first Paul was sad to see the bird die but I told him that was okay and good because I want him to have respect for the animals and I don’t want him to hunt just for the joy of killing something.  He even made a cross in the woods where the bird died and said he wanted it to die with dignity.  The hunt was picture perfect and the bird came out in the clearing right where I wanted them to, which never happens.  The best part was that I got share getting my first bird with Paul.  I have included some pictures of the hunt for you.

Tim

     I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a morning in the turkey woods, than to share it with a son who is out on his first trip into the woods with dad!  Tim you are doing it right my friend, great job and a truly great story!  I really liked the fact that the taking of the bird wasn’t the first thought on his mind, he wanted his boy to see the bird and see it he did.  What a show for a youngster to see, a full struting Tom right in front of him!  Wow!  This is one you and Paul are both sure to remember for the rest of your lives!