Hunter’s Journal

Kile’s First Turkey Hunt, A New York Success.
 Mike Burline and I took Mike’s kid friend Kyle out for New York’s youth turkey hunt.  We scouted the night before and found a big Tom with some hens.  We waited till dark to find out where they were roosting to get a head start for the next mornings hunt.  The next morning came quick and Mike left to pick up Kyle and then came back to get me.  We decided that Mike would call and I would sit next to Kyle and coach him because this was his first ever turkey hunt.  As we were walking across the field we could here gobbles erupting in the near distance.  Mike quickly and quietly set us up at the edge of the woods where the turkey’s had roosted.  Mike made a couple yelps and the Tom responded immediately.  He kept on gobbling as we called.  The Tom was still on his roost and gobbling like crazy, so Mike stopped calling to wait for him to fly down.  After we heard him fly down, he and a couple hens appeared in the field about 100 yards away.  Mike started his routine again, making soft yelps and purrs.  The hens made there way over and were feeding about 20 yards away.  Then a Jake ran towards the Tom from across the field.  The Toms puffed up and kicked the snot out of him.  The Jake ran from the Tom and towards the hens.  The hens started walking closer and walked past a shooting lane at 8 yards.  I told Kyle to get his gun pointed towards the shooting lane and get ready to shoot when the Jake walked by.  I could feel Kyle’s heart pounding and body shaking through his clothes and vest.  He was getting anxious.  The Jake took his last steps into the shooting lane and Kyle pulled the trigger, making a great shot and killing his first turkey on his first hunt.  He dropped his gun and ran out to grab his bird.  We ran behind him to see the biggest smile along with a bloody lip for the recoil.  Priceless!  The rest is history!