MY FIRST TURKEY HUNT
It rained all night long and it was still raining lightly when I got up around 4:45. At about 5:45 I headed up the hill behind the campsite. It was a dark and ugly morning, everything was black or gray. I could only see about 20 feet in front of me as I picked my way up the hill through the trees. My plan was to make my way up the hill to where there was a spot where a few ridges came together.

About half way up the hill I came to a spot on the point where Mead Paper Co. had cut down some trees. There were stumps and tree tops laying around and some open  area in-between. Mead had cut only the  big trees and hauled away the trunks and left the tops laying around. There was still a lot of smaller trees and brush around. I picked a spot against a tree and sat down.

Soon the sounds of song birds filled the still, damp air. I then gave a few cuts and soft yelps on a mouth call that I bought just a few days before and which I practiced with on the drive down. I waited a few minutes and cut and yelped softly again but this time I followed up with a fly-down cackle and a loud yelp or two. I then heard a gobble across the  way on another ridge! I yelped back a few times and he gobbled again! I sat there for a few minutes and yelped and cut softly every now and then and did not hear any more gobbles. It was still dark and dreary.
Suddenly, ahead of me and down the hill and    slightly to my right, I caught a glimpse of movement. It was a turkey walking up the ridge! It never uttered a sound. It was on the other side of the tree tops that were on the right side of me. All I could see of it was it's head. It was taking it's time just looking around. I gave a cut now and then and it would look around. When it walked behind a tree I move around to my right and got my gun up and rested it on my knee. It came out behind the tree but I still could only see a white head. I didn't know if it was a hen or a tom or how big a bird it was! It was only about 15 yards away but on the other side of the tree tops, it would have been an easy shot. It stood there looking my way for the longest time.   

Finally it turned around and walked back from the direction it came and when I could not see it any more I gave a few loud yelps. IT GOBBLED BACK!!! Dang! It was a TOM and I could have shot earlier but I didn't know what it was!. I yelped again, he gobbled back, YES!!! I moved back around to my left and pointed the gun down the hill and toward the end or the tree tops. I then saw movement at the end of the tree tops, It was him.

When he stepped around the treetops I could see his long beard, he was broadside. I aimed at his head and pulled the trigger. POW, my first turkey! I counted off the shot at 32 yards. I looked at my watch, It was only 6:45. It weighed 20 lbs. and had a 10 1/4 inch beard and 1 1/4 in spurs. Definitely a big boy!!!