First Turkey

[Alex Brushwein]

Turkey season opened here in Maine two days ago on the 29th of April and I was fortunate enough to bag this bird, my first ever turkey on my first ever spring turkey hunt, and first hunt with my VH Parker. The weather was beautiful and I took the day off from work to hit the woods early. 50 degree temps early in the morning and the sun was out right away. Nothing quite like a crisp Maine spring morning with the sound of grouse drumming in the background. Got set up in a makeshift pine-bough blind I threw together the night before that I prepped for some gobblers I knew were held up on the opposite ridge. I did some scouting that Sunday morning but wasn't able to roost anything the during the night, so I only had a general idea of their whereabouts. I called this jake in from up on that ridge and across a brook, had to work with him for a while on the box call but he finally let his nerves get the best of him. Came up into view up along a skidder trail giving his best strut and walked out into the clearing I was set up on, right out to where I had it marked for 30 yards. 6:30am He let out one last gobble and I downed him on the spot with 1oz from the full choked left barrel of my 16ga. Not a limb-hanger by any means, but still a nice bird. Weighed out around 17 lbs. Looking forward to getting back out to hunts some more woods birds this weekend.

[Dean Romig]

Great first hunt for your Parker.

Where in Maine are you?




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[Alex Brushwein]

Great first hunt for your Parker.

Where in Maine are you?




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Thanks for the kind words Dean; I'm in Androscoggin County. Bird was taken in Auburn.

[Dean Romig]

Cool, I have a cottage on Marannacook in Readfield.




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[David Case]

1oz. Of 6 shot in a full choke 16ga. Is plenty good Turkey killing medicine! Nice hunt and Parker.

[Garry L Gordon]

Looks like a near perfect day no matter how you look at it. Congratulations.

[Stephen Hodges]

Nice hunt and congratulations on your bird. I hunt in NH and like the fact that you hunt "woods birds" as opposed to field birds. In my 24 years of turkey hunting I have taken 45 birds between NH, Vt and NY. Not one has been shot in a field and I have never been bothered by another hunter. Folks forget that when this country was settled there were no fields, just woods. Turkeys are by nature woods birds. Hope to hear of your second bird this season. :corn:

[Larry Welch]

Congratulations thanks for sharing

[Brett Farley]

Congrats and appreciate the details of your hunt. Very cool that it was your first hunt. I started hunting Turkey later in life and am hooked on it!! Every Turkey I have shot as been shot with a vintage SxS. Only adds to the pleasure of the hunt!