Smoked turkey

[Gerald McPherson]

I just started hunting turkeys about three weeks ago. I know very little but am eager to learn. I got my first one today with the help of a life long friend. He came up to give me some lessons. I quickly learned that I had been calling too loud.The birds have been extremely quiet since day one except for a day or two. The nights have been cold mostly in the forties.This morning it was fifty two and was like a different world. We entered a large pasture as soon as we could barely see the cow patties. Gobblers began to call immediately. We walked about two hundred yards and setup. He began to call very softly. Hens and toms seemed to be in every direction. A large hen was coming up behind us. She came very close and took a look at our decoys and then went back the way she came and continued to cluck loudly. I had doubts that the toms could even hear the soft calls my old friend was making.Suddenly this large tom came out of the woods at a run passing my decoy without even slowing and went straight to his and swelled up about three times his normal size. Jr whispered there he is just as I pulled the trigger. I wonder how many turkeys I have run off over the last three weeks. I think things are about to change. 21 pounds, 101/2 in rope and one spur was 1 1/2 inch the other was broken at 1 inch.Never to old to learn something new. Shame on you Harold. I used my old black Browning BPS But I think that old tom thought it was a Parker because the last word he said was ''TARNATION". Gerald.

[Mills]

If you just started and just got one, you are doing really well

[Dean Romig]

Good bird Gerald! Any tom over 20 lbs. is a darn good bird - and a 10 1/2 inch beard is a real trophy. Just goes to show ya - We're never too old to learn 'new tricks'!

[Harold Pickens]

Congratuations Gerald on a successful hunt. Mine is destined to be put in the smoker this weekend as part of a wild game feed I was invited to.

[Gerald McPherson]

Harold We intend to smoke this one also and take to a community fish fry. This old bird sure messed his self up by flopping so long. He got himself really wet and broke one large wing bone that stuck out about three inches.

[charlie cleveland]

mighty nice bird ....nothing like getting that first turkey...and yours was a great one.....charlie

[Mike Franzen]

Nice birds you guys got. I had group of 3 gobblers come in yesterday at the same time but I was on the wrong side of the fence. No way they were going to inconvenience themselves by ducking under the wire. Harold I like those 870's. I think they are the 2nd biggest selling shotgun only behind the mossberg 500.

[Fred Slyfield]

Nice birds guys , I gotta go hunt Easterns some day !!