AIRASSAULT
PMA Member
This morning was a chilly 38 degrees when we left the house, but, I knew with a calm/sunny day in the forcast after a day of high winds, the birds would be gobbling like crazy!
My girlfriend (Katie) has never hunted a day in her life, and as a matter of fact, just got her Hunter's Safety completed a few weeks ago. She has only put 5 or 6 rounds through a shotgun and that was at a turkey target placed at 30 yards a couple weeks ago to familiarize her with the situation.
We headed out to a place only a 1/4 mile from home that my neighbor gave us permission on and I had scouted it out not too long ago with great success.
We set up at the same tree I sat when scouting and on that day I had two longbeards drop from the roost and land about 20 yards away.
The overwhelming noise that some local geese were making was enough to stir up a gobble from a big cotton wood directly behind us, and soon, 4 different Tom's were going crazy. I rarely use decoys, but, thought I would put the Pretty Boy out with a hen to hopefully put on a show for Katie. I told her that if they drop into or around the dekes to just wait it out for a bit because I wanted her to experience the strutting, spitting/drumming, and gobbling. Two of the gobblers read the script and dropped right in on the decoys and she could have ended it right there at 20 yards, but, I'm proud of her for being patient. Soon after they dropped in, a bigger tom flew down to our extreme left and the first two took off after him and chased him out of the field. Two hens then dropped in and the duo strutted and gobbled their way back toward us, but, would never get closer than 60 yards (We patterened the benelli at 30 yards and I didn't want her to shoot any further than 40). I was playing with them a little and giving them some excited yelp sequences and they were hammering every time, but, we just couldn't out-do the live hens they were following around. Eventually, they made their way over to a fence and one was just ducking his head to go under, when out of nowhere, a BOBCAT came sprinting in and about grabbed him right out from under the fence! The cat quickly turned and headed right for us and then veered off to our right and disappeared (I have never seen a live bobcat in my life, but, did manage to get a couple night pics this year of one only 80 yards from my house on my trailcam).
Anyway, one of the toms took off running and the other one just stood there as still as could be with his head up perfect. I whispered to her that I thought she might be able to make that shot since he was so still, also knowing in the back of my mind that it was going to be a miracle if she got him. The gobbler was getting antsy and ready to leave, and Katie held steady and sqeezed the trigger just like I taught her and DROPPED him at a whopping 60 yards! I don't like taking shots too much out past 40, but have taken one myself at 63, so, I knew it could be done. Her excitement was priceless and what a way to end a superb morning and very exciting first two days of the season!
I've shot many gobblers from 10 yards all the way out to 63 and have never seen one bleed this much! What a shot! Congrats again to my wonderful girlfriend, Katie! Love you!
My girlfriend (Katie) has never hunted a day in her life, and as a matter of fact, just got her Hunter's Safety completed a few weeks ago. She has only put 5 or 6 rounds through a shotgun and that was at a turkey target placed at 30 yards a couple weeks ago to familiarize her with the situation.
We headed out to a place only a 1/4 mile from home that my neighbor gave us permission on and I had scouted it out not too long ago with great success.
We set up at the same tree I sat when scouting and on that day I had two longbeards drop from the roost and land about 20 yards away.
The overwhelming noise that some local geese were making was enough to stir up a gobble from a big cotton wood directly behind us, and soon, 4 different Tom's were going crazy. I rarely use decoys, but, thought I would put the Pretty Boy out with a hen to hopefully put on a show for Katie. I told her that if they drop into or around the dekes to just wait it out for a bit because I wanted her to experience the strutting, spitting/drumming, and gobbling. Two of the gobblers read the script and dropped right in on the decoys and she could have ended it right there at 20 yards, but, I'm proud of her for being patient. Soon after they dropped in, a bigger tom flew down to our extreme left and the first two took off after him and chased him out of the field. Two hens then dropped in and the duo strutted and gobbled their way back toward us, but, would never get closer than 60 yards (We patterened the benelli at 30 yards and I didn't want her to shoot any further than 40). I was playing with them a little and giving them some excited yelp sequences and they were hammering every time, but, we just couldn't out-do the live hens they were following around. Eventually, they made their way over to a fence and one was just ducking his head to go under, when out of nowhere, a BOBCAT came sprinting in and about grabbed him right out from under the fence! The cat quickly turned and headed right for us and then veered off to our right and disappeared (I have never seen a live bobcat in my life, but, did manage to get a couple night pics this year of one only 80 yards from my house on my trailcam).
Anyway, one of the toms took off running and the other one just stood there as still as could be with his head up perfect. I whispered to her that I thought she might be able to make that shot since he was so still, also knowing in the back of my mind that it was going to be a miracle if she got him. The gobbler was getting antsy and ready to leave, and Katie held steady and sqeezed the trigger just like I taught her and DROPPED him at a whopping 60 yards! I don't like taking shots too much out past 40, but have taken one myself at 63, so, I knew it could be done. Her excitement was priceless and what a way to end a superb morning and very exciting first two days of the season!
I've shot many gobblers from 10 yards all the way out to 63 and have never seen one bleed this much! What a shot! Congrats again to my wonderful girlfriend, Katie! Love you!
