Spot & Stalk Black Hills Turkey

[Dean Weber]

Drew a Black Hills turkey tag this year and planned a hunt with my 85 yo hunting buddy Charlie. Charlie is World travelled, having harvested all species of wild turkey. Charlie has private permission and knows the area, I have a tag, what's left to do? Kill a turkey......

We were delayed by a couple weeks due to a funeral and we only had 2 days to hunt. Further, most of the hens were bred by now so we didn't know what to expect.

Charlie who is an amazing turkey hunter/caller did his best over most of 2 days. However, luck was not on our side with either setup or only calling jakes.

After sitting through an amazing morning on a shelf near a mountain canyon. We listened to at least a 100 gobbles down in the cottonwoods in the canyon of roosted birds. But alas, they flew down and went right to an alfalfa field even while answering our calls vigorously.

A few hours into it, we knew we had been beat as we watched many toms chase a few hens around the alfalfa field way below us. As I looked over the field I saw a irrigation ditch which ran along 2 sides of the field. I asked Charlie if he wanted to try to put a sneak on the birds. His statement was, good luck trying to get in range and then killing a bird with those small shells and old gun. What?! Challenge on.

Charlie dropped me off along a gravel road and I picked my way along the terrain until I got to the ditch. However, the ditch was not very steep so I knew getting to the edge would be tough, plus, where would the birds be when I peeked over? Ultimately, I got to a point I thought I might intersect the birds as they were moving back to cover. I could see them as I raised up, but they would see me too. So, low crawl it was. Probably only 50 yards but it felt like 500.

Approaching the edge the birds spotted something and began to look me over good. However, the closest 2 toms were at 40 yards. No time to be picky about beards. I inched forward, stuck the barrel through some taller grass and hit the front trigger on the closest tom.

I have had many spot and stalk hunts on big game, but this was the first on a turkey.

BTW, gun is a Grade 0 top lever, 12 ga. on a 1 frame. 30" bbls.

Picture of alfalfa field added.

A memorable hunt with Charlie for sure!