LUCKY FIRST DAY-UNLUCKY GOBBLER

[J. A. EARLY]

After giving other people tips on what shot size to use in the short ten for turkeys, I should have heeded my own advice. I was up extra early for opening day, and turkey hunting is just a crap shoot anyway. Sometimes you go where he is, most of the time you don’t. Anyway, I knew not to get too close, and set up 200 yards away. Good thing, another twenty five yards I would have busted a hen, and then the jig is usually up as he knows something is wrong. Anyway, some fool was owl hooting at the gobbler that was gobbling every minute. A few tree calls, and slapping my hat in the leaves like a hen flying down and he was on the way at 6:30 a.m. At thirty-five yards now, it was a full choked right barrel with 1.5 ounces of 6s, or left with the same choke and load of 4s. Right with 6s put him on the ground. I had done things 99% correctly so far, but I did not get off my butt and run to him, only to see him get up and walk off. Now for the second shot with 4’s, and down he went, falling into the creek, only to see him get up and walk off with me running after him, with no shells readily available for they were all in a fanny pack that had just as well been Fort Knox, for I could not get them out. Finally got a shell out and when he stepped up on a log, I missed, and then I was tearing the fanny pack apart for a second shell. Finally a load of 2s in his back put him down a quarter mile from where we started. I had a stress test recently for my heart but today I got another one for free.

I ignored my own advice when turkey hunting. Sixes at thirty-five yards in a low velocity shell (1200 fps) don’t have enough punch. Slow loads need big pellets for enough energy for a big tom. I think I’ll put the story to paper some time in the future for there were more boring details but I’m being called for supper!