Big Browns Report post Posted April 22, 2018 Congrats guys!!!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
218buck Report post Posted April 22, 2018 Great job congrats 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Goldfinger78 Report post Posted April 22, 2018 Sweet. Congratulations!!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tjhunt2 Report post Posted April 22, 2018 Congratulations Draysen! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PRDATR Report post Posted April 22, 2018 Congrats, nice big bird. Looking forward to hearing the story. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rossislider Report post Posted April 22, 2018 Thanks everyone, so after my last post about our morning stand, we took a little break to rest a few minutes and grab some lunch. We had a plan for that afternoon in a different area. We had also formulated a plan for the following morning. We were going to return to the same spot we hunted the first two mornings using everything we had learned about those particular birds. We were feeling good about our prospects. During lunch we received some news that was going to require us to abandon our plans for the next morning. So we shortened our lunch break, knowing we had to find a new area for the following morning before moving on to our evening plan.We talked a bit about ideas and decided to beeline to an area where I had seen plenty of birds in the past on camping trips, but had never hunted. We found an area with a lot of sign that we felt would be as good of a spot as any for the next morning. Since we had a little time before we wanted to be in the area of our evening setup, we decided to throw the decoys out in the path we felt birds would be moving through, made a make shift natural blind, and got set up for a few calls. It wasn't long before Draysen whispered to me, "Dad, I see them behind us!" Sure enough, about 80-100 yards through the trees we saw a hen and a Tom. We pivoted directions and I made a few quiet clucks. I don't think they heard them in the light breeze as there was no reaction, so I increased my volume. A few clucks and the hen shot her neck up high and started looking in our direction. We proceeded to exchange a few series of clucks over the next few minutes. At that point she started walking away from us, taking her boyfriend with her. I quickly changed it up with a short but hard yelping sequence. She spun around and started right for us. I should also mention that our decoys were set up in the opposite direction, so the birds never saw them. It couldn't have been more than 30 seconds before the hen was walking past us within 15 yards with her boyfriend in tow about 5 yards behind her, he never once made a sound. As soon as she went behind a tree Draysen whiped up the shotgun and took care of business at 17 yards. We were jumping up and down with excitement as we ran over and piled on top of the flopping Tom. It was a perfect shot thay made a big mess of the Tom's neck. Don't know if I mentioned this previously, but we only started turkey hunting a few years ago and I have yet to have a tag of my own. Draysen shot his first Tom a couple of years ago that a friend called in for him. This was my first successful unassisted bird called in and killed so it was pretty special for me and my partner. About 1000 pictures later we headed back to the truck. Such a great trip! Can't wait for the next one. 12 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PRDATR Report post Posted April 22, 2018 Congratulations again. The first bird is always very special. Something to be proud of and memories to last a lifetime. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CatfishKev Report post Posted April 23, 2018 Awesome. I've never turkeynhunted but really want to! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couestracker Report post Posted April 23, 2018 Congrats to both of you! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coach Report post Posted April 23, 2018 Huge congrats. I love those youth hunts. Way to stick it out. Big smiles all around - love it. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brian390 Report post Posted April 23, 2018 Congrats! I had a good feeling that you guys would get one. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yoshi Report post Posted April 23, 2018 Congratulations!!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZbowhntr Report post Posted April 23, 2018 Congratulations to the both of you. You have a great young man there. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rossislider Report post Posted April 23, 2018 Awesome. I've never turkeynhunted but really want to! It is a blast! I regret not getting into it sooner than I did. Like most types of hunting, it can be a bit intimidating getting started (how to call, when, what calls, where, etc.) But there are a lot of great groups and individuals in Arizona anxious to help and mentor. I'd recommend hitting up some of the free seminars that are offered each spring. Ammon from Little Creek Calls usually does one in the east valley that we enjoy going to. There are several others throughout the state. I still consider myself a novice (three seasons under my belt), but would be happy to help in any way I can. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tjhunt2 Report post Posted April 23, 2018 Once again congratulations and thanks for sharing your hunt with us. TJ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
