First Turkey

[ASB]

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.