# First Turkey



## choop (Dec 1, 2003)

On Friday, 10/28/05, after 2 hours of yelping, kee keeing and clucking I called in a flock of about 20 hens, poults and jakes. They came in over my left shoulder and were very nervous, they responded to the clucking and clucked back in return. They began getting more nervous and hadn't yet noticed my decoy to help with the situation. I saw no adult Toms in the group so I picked the largest bird that offered a shot and touched off the .62 caliber smoothbore flintlock. Talk about busting up a flock, those turkeys scattered. Thanks to all the advice and encouragement, you guys helped make this one a reality. 

Not sure how to post a picture within the body of the message but here is a link to the pic I posted in the turkey gallery. 
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=33472

Thanks again! Chris


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## Gobblerman (Dec 19, 2004)

Congrats on your bird. Hunt in the spring and you will be hooked for life! When you hear the Gobbles and see the toms coming in, all I can say is I'm counting down the days.


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## Gobblerman (Dec 19, 2004)

Here's your picture as well.


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## Playin' Hooky (Aug 29, 2002)

I was thinking about your hunt this weekend while sitting in the treestand Sat AM hearing the birds waking up as the sun rose, then seeing 20+ birds scratching and calling as they made their way through the woods.

Glad you scored...it is a rush to have them come in, though it IS a bigger rush in the spring!

Nice Pic! Does your camera have a timer function? Wal-Mart sells a small telescoping tripod for about $20 that can fit in a coat pocket. That combo let's you get in the shot even without a partner along! (Plus it's a lot easier thatn balancing the camera on stumps or stools--right TH?)


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## Playin' Hooky (Aug 29, 2002)

When my daughter and I were chasing the turkeys, I told her to watch the sun...the closer it got to the trees, the sooner we'd see the turkeys. If it gets behind the trees, the turkeys aren't showing up because they roosted somewhere else!

Every picture tells a story, don't it!


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## weatherby (Mar 26, 2001)

Congrats!!


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## choop (Dec 1, 2003)

Thanks everyone. I was quite pleased with how the picture turned out. The hunt itself was such a blast calling and calling and just when I was about to give up any hope, here they came. I haven't had my heart pound like that in quite a few deer seasons. I can't wait for the spring hunt as I would love to see one of the big guys. 

When I was cleaning her I noticed she had a short bristly spot on her neck where I would assume a beard would be on a jake or tom, is this common? They couldn't have been more than a 1/4 inch and were not viewable through the plummage. 

I skinned the wings and am drying the skin with the feathers on, hoping to use them next time out. The wingbones I have washed, peroxided and cut to make new yelpers out of since I heard that wild wings make better calls than domestic ones. Just need to get them glued together. 

I invited family over on Sunday for roast turkey dinner and there was enough left for one left over lunch and that was it. It was really quite good and not what I expected at all from others comments. Perhaps it was because it was a hen and not a tom? Chris


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## Burksee (Jan 15, 2003)

Congrats! Thats an awesome pic as well! Thanks for sharing your expeirance!\

As you know now, there's not a lot of left overs for turkey sandwiches from a meal like that!


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## Playin' Hooky (Aug 29, 2002)

Did the legs and thighs from our birds in the crockpot last weekend...enough left to add to a stuffing casserole tonight!

Boned out the breast, sliced it on strips 1/2 - 1" thick and marinated in olive oil, garlic, basil and oregano. Grilled it hot and quick! DEEEEElicious!

May do a tenderloin from the doe I shot Sunday for a side dish tonight...

MAN DO I LOVE THE FALL!


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## NEMichsportsman (Jul 3, 2001)

Nice job. Really cool firearm choice!!


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## choop (Dec 1, 2003)

Thanks, the piece is a .62 cal (about 20 gauge) octagon to round barrel, siler lock, made by Jackie Brown from TN I believe. He tweeks them out so the piece touches off almost immediatel. I am using 3f in the barrel and 4f in the pan to ensure a quick ignition. I have a reproduction of a Long Land Pattern 1742 English smoothbore at home that is .75cal (about 12) but it is sooo long and heavier that I felt it would be unwieldly to use. Others do it so I am sure it would take some getting used to. I am looking forward to period correct rabbit hunting with the .62 later. 

The bag I made myself, the horn is a bought copy as the one I made for myself I wanted to keep in good condition. The clothing I wore is all hand made save for the shoes and hat. If there is interest I can post another pic of me with the bird that my aunt took. Chris


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## Playin' Hooky (Aug 29, 2002)

choop said:


> If there is interest I can post another pic of me with the bird that my aunt took. Chris


Let's see it!


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## choop (Dec 1, 2003)

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Pic of clothing and my mug. Chris


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## choop (Dec 1, 2003)

Here is a closer picture of the firelock, horn, bird and shot bag. Chris 









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## choop (Dec 1, 2003)

And as promised, my pigskin decoy, hand dyed with black and perched atop a broke off pine branch. "A thing of beauty is a joy forever" Chris 








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## Dan from Howell (Feb 28, 2004)

Congratulations. I got my first bird (game animal of any kind) Spring 03. It's a great feeling, not to mention a great meal.


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## Thunderhead (Feb 2, 2002)

choop said:


> I picked the largest bird that offered a shot and touched off the .62 caliber smoothbore flintlock.



Extremely cool ! :coolgleam

Congrats !!!!!!!!!!


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## Playin' Hooky (Aug 29, 2002)

Awesome Chris! Your efforts at historical recreation must make the success of the kill that much more enjoyable!

Last night a buddy called me a cheater when I told him I used Scent-lok for archery hunting. He said the same thing last spring when I told him I bought a blind so that I could take the kids turkey hunting...to each their own I suppose.


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## choop (Dec 1, 2003)

Okay well I will 'fess up and admit that although I did make my own handmade wingbone yelpers, I wasn't very satisfied with the noise I have been able to get out of them so that particular day I cheated and used a latex reed call. (boo hiss!). That being said, the indians had used slippery elm leaves and others which I can't remember to produce something similar to a reed mouth call. Many longhunters of the period also mastered the practice. I was fresh out of slippery elm leaves so I resorted to the latex call since I feel much more confident with it. I have heard that some reenactors have mastered using leaves to make reed calls and would like to learn how. I have tried but usually end up with green teeth. I am making two new calls with the wings from this girl and heard that the denser bones of wild turkeys make better calls the domestic birds. Whew, I feel better now I got that off my chest. Chris


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## Playin' Hooky (Aug 29, 2002)

you're so into this re-enacting that you need a 12-step program to deal with your aberrant behavior! :lol: 

There was a story in an outdoor mag some years back about an elderly lady from the south who was making her own latex calls from condoms...I don't know that I'd be comfortable putting that in my mouth! :yikes: 

I also recall reading something about the Indians chewing slippery elm for treating diarrhea...be careful out there!


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