# We did it!



## Blueump (Aug 20, 2005)

Mission accomplished! I used the advice from here, the books and DVDs from Ray Eye and some chats and calls from Fred & Greg Abbas in my first ever turkey hunting season. My 8 year old grandson insisted that I (the mighty hunter) take him this spring although I had zero experience. Well, all the reading, scouting, studying and calling practice paid off! We had to scramble a bit in the blind when the initial shot was scrapped and we needed to go out another window. He was a trooper though and held everything together to make a perfect 35 yard shot! Whooooo Hooooo! We let it loose for sure in the woods when the bird dropped! I think we'll both be walking on cloud nine for the rest of the week!


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## flockshot (Feb 23, 2007)

that is awesome!!! great job!!!


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## Slim1213 (Jan 9, 2009)

Very cool. Congrats on an awesome hunt. 

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## tbarden11 (Mar 2, 2011)

Congrats! Great bird. Great memories.

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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

Awesome job to you both!! That turkey is darn near bigger than the young ladd!
His smile is awesome.

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## ericzerka24 (Aug 12, 2010)

That's awesome! He's hooked for life!


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## zep02 (Mar 29, 2007)

What an amazing story! Memory of a lifetime right there for the both of you! Some of my best memories are hunting with my grandfather!! This just makes me smile from ear to ear! Thank you for sharing! Congratulations!!!

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## Horseshoe (Oct 15, 2003)

Very cool indeed! Congrats.


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## field-n-feathers (Oct 20, 2008)

Congrats.


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## chemo13 (May 10, 2006)

Cool!


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## Mr. Botek (Mar 15, 2011)

Congratulations to you both! 

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## Ack (Oct 3, 2004)

Yep, he's hooked.......congratulations!


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## Sprytle (Jan 8, 2005)

Awesome!! Congrats to you both!! Very nice bird


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## jasonmeekhof (Jan 21, 2012)

Great job! 

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## EdB (Feb 28, 2002)

Sounds like it was very exciting, congratulations to both of you!


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## Jager Pro (Nov 8, 2013)

Awesome, congrats! Hopefully I can follow with first year success of mine own. Good job.


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## BUCK/PIKE (Oct 24, 2011)

Thats awesome!!


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## KalamazooKid (Jun 20, 2005)

That's awesome!!!!:coolgleam


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## QDMAMAN (Dec 8, 2004)

Way to go!!!
I saw this pic on Avery's fb page.


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## bishs (Aug 30, 2000)

That is great, fantastic! Reminds me of my first gobbler. Spent winter months reading, practicing my diagrams, videos, everything I could get my hands on followed by scouting. Shot one the 1st morning 9:00 am Fairview, 1984. 
Congrats again!


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## F. Thompson (Jan 9, 2014)

Great job..you now have a hunting partner for life !!


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

Happy for you and your grandson. You and your grandson will never forget the experience.

I know that I still cherish the same moment with my grandson. We have shared a few more successful turkey hunts since but the first one stands out the most.

Hopefully I can have the same experience with my grand daughter this spring. That is if she can find time in her busy schedule.

Hope also that the grandson gets time between the end of college and National Guard Camp to get out a day or two.


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## woodlandgirl (Feb 20, 2011)

What a great achievement for both of you!!! You have given that little guy a memory that he will cherish for a lifetime. Good job grandpa


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

You have given him a great gift that will outlive you and more than likely him too.
Congratulations


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## Playin' Hooky (Aug 29, 2002)

Fine job Paul! Congrats to the grandson as well. Could you elaborate on "the rest of the story"?


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## Blueump (Aug 20, 2005)

Playin' Hooky said:


> Fine job Paul! Congrats to the grandson as well. Could you elaborate on "the rest of the story"?



Well, on opening morning we set up before light in an area that I thought birds were roosting in, although I couldn't find them the night before. We heard a couple of hen clucks just after sun rise but spotted nothing. We pulled the plug on that spot about 10:30 am and tried two other locations to no avail. Eventually we came back home to eat lunch. I took a cat nap while he watched more turkey hunting videos. 

After I woke up I decided to give it an afternoon try and we headed back to our original location. As we got out of the car I gave a couple of crow calls and was shocked to get an immediate response from a gobbler! It sounded like it was right where we wanted to set up! We hurried over the hill and began quickly setting up our pop up blind and decoys - but the tom busted us before we finished. We set up too close and spooked him. We were deflated and I was kicking myself in the butt for such a stupid mistake. We decided to give things a rest until Thursday after school.

We went back to our original spot again about 6 pm Thursday night but set up about 200 yards farther in the hardwoods. Instead of placing the decoys directly in front of us I decided to set them off to our left, thinking that a bird would probably come from our right - if he hung up seeing the decoys it would put him in front of us at about 30 yards a perfect shot for 8 years old Jordan's 20 gauge. Jordan was busy working on his math homework beside me...don't get me stared on this "new" math! He would do a problem, then use the box call we got from Fred Abbas to yelp, then do another math problem. The box is super easy to use and virtually foolproof - he even let me try once in a while so I know!  I had just finished reading Ray Eye's book about calling so I wasn't afraid that between the two of us, we were calling too much. 

Jordan had just finished one full math worksheet and was reaching for his second when he spotted a bird coming in about 150 yards out to his right. We quickly got his shooting sticks and gun set up out the right window of our Barronett blind when I spotted a second bird with a much more colorful head behind the original bird working it's way toward our decoys. I let out a few more yelps and it was clear they were intent on coming in to our setup! Both birds disappeared for a bit behind a ridge giving us a chance to switch places in the blind and reset up the shot out the center window where it now appeared the birds would show. Once he was ready and in shooting position I gave a couple of soft purrs on the box and both toms came over the crest of the hill right in front of us. They spotted the decoys and stopped right where I had pictured they would, both craning their necks to get a better view of my plastic jake and hen. Jordan had the front bead on his barrel right on the bigger bird's head and whispered, "can I shoot"? I told him to take him when the tom reached 35 yards out and the bird dropped instantly! 

I let out a whoop reminiscent of the one I gave after I dropped my first deer when I was 19! This one was sooo much more fulfilling though, we high-fived then I gave him a huge bear hug before we even went down to see his bird. It was awesome on the way out: I had to carry all the gear while he carried his first turkey all the way back to the car. He said it was very heavy and his arms ached, but refused to let me help him. I know that kind of ache - it's an awesome pain that's well worth it!


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## Playin' Hooky (Aug 29, 2002)

Thanks Paul! That was a great read. congrats again to you and Jordan! I am especially impressed with his dedication to his math homework. Reminds me of my hunting partner years ago!


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## FireDoc66 (Oct 9, 2005)

Catching up on my post reading after a long season, and wanted to find this one. Congrats! Glad to see it all worked out and the young man dropped the hammer on one! Nicely done.


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## Blueump (Aug 20, 2005)

FireDoc66 said:


> Catching up on my post reading after a long season, and wanted to find this one. Congrats! Glad to see it all worked out and the young man dropped the hammer on one! Nicely done.




Thanks for the support!


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