Sandy MacGregor Registered Maine Master Guide mtranger@roadrunner.com Hunt and Learn from a master!!!! My son Peter, age 13 was lucky enough to be drawn for a Turkey permit for the A season this spring and I wanted to share the story of the hunt with you.

I have yet to be drawn and was very pleased that Peter had the opportunity, at his age, to hunt this game bird. The Hunt, from preseason scouting, shooting and patterning the shotgun, to reading up on calling and hunting tactics gave Peter, myself, my brother John, also a guide and successful Turkey hunter, an opportunity to share a VERY SPECIAL moment in time.

We hunted the area around Bethel getting permission from a number of different land owners.Getting up at 3:00 A.M. Monday morning to four inches of snow on the ground was not what we wanted, but it is a part of life. You learn things don't always go the way you plan so you deal with it and adjust.

I don't know if the cold and snow or the number of other hunters nearby put the Toms off,  but we could not get or hear a gobbler to sound off at dawn from the roost. We had seen several birds the night before at dusk, knowing they would roost near by . We changed locations, used locator calls nothing was working.  We moved up river to another area several miles away on Wednesday morning and spotted two birds(Jakes) and tried to set up an ambush by moving in close enough to call with out tipping the birds off. This was to prove to be a misadventure and a lesson well learned. We misjudged  and came in too close to the birds and had no way to set up decoys without the birds seeing us. Peter and I crawled to the edge of the opening hoping that with my brother John calling  behind us that we might get a shot. One of the birds came in as soon as John started calling but, because of not having decoys out, the bird would not come into range and moved down the opening gobbling the whole time.Our hearts were pounding and we were hoping to get Peter the bird. I crawled to the edge and placed the decoys out in sight.

The Jake saw the decoys, and with John sweet talking the hen call, he came back; but he was nervous,  as were we. Finally the bird came into range and Peter fired and missed! To say we were dejected would be understatement!

The weather was moderating and we would not give up. That afternoon Peter and his uncle John went to find and roost some birds in the same area while I spent an evening  Bike riding with my daughter who was feeling left out. She is very keen on hunting and will by able to hunt this fall. Peter and John came back after dark all smiles! They had roosted two flocks of birds! Our luck was changing.

At 4:00 AM We walked down an old logging road to set up along  the field edge. After placing the three decoys and pacing off the twenty-five yds to our blind at the base of a large white pine we waited in the dark. Father and son sitting side by side with Peter's uncle sitting in the rear behind a big Pine. All the things that you can wish and pray to happen race  through your mind as you await the dawn. The first bit of light coming from the East started to show and the song birds began to sing and chirp. Then off to our left and behind us a hundred yards or more a Tom gobbled from the roost. Then another closer  one  gobbled.  Our hearts started to pound  as John and I each started working our calls,  soft gentle hen purrs and clucks. The gobblers went nuts answering back. Again and again we called with the Toms answering back louder and more urgent with each gobble from the roost. Then,  we heard wing beats as they came to ground.  Praying that they wouldn't come in from behind us,  we waited. They moved off  to our right and their gobbles slowed and then stopped. Silence!..... Did we do something wrong ? Did we Call too much? Please let it be OK! Then out in the field off to our right a Tom gobbled. They saw the decoys!!!

We talked in whispers father, son and uncle." Get ready Peter they are moving towards the decoys." I saw the Tom in the gray light of dawn. Puffed up like a balloon in a full display, Strutting back and forth.  My heart was ready to explode!  I can't imagine how Peter felt waiting for a shot.  The next thing I see is a second gobbler coming into view. Two gobblers moving side by side. First one would gobble then the other, both in full display moving ever closer to us and the decoys.  One tom would pull ahead of the other and gobble  each trying to out do the other!!! I turned to Peter and whispered to shoot as soon as he had a clear shot at one of the birds. Closer and closer they came. Faster and faster. Too fast!!! I kept whispering to Peter to shoot, shoot ,shoot!!!!  "I can't, they are moving too fast. I can't aim."  was his answer.  The two toms were now in the decoys, strutting in regal plumage still competing against one another never stopping not giving my thirteen year old son a chance to make a sure shot.

My heart was sinking. I thought. "Please don't let all our work and effort go un-rewarded." The toms started to move back the way they came no longer strutting. The jig was up! The birds separated just long enough and Peter FIRED!  The rear bird hit the ground. An ounce of # 4's at eighty feet had done the job. We were on him in an instant. This one wasn't getting away!!!

I can't tell you how proud and excited the three of us were! We were giddy and foolish dancing around in that field at six in the morning.

My brother and I, as  accomplished hunters, knew the feeling of pride and self-reliant fulfillment from working hard,  giving fair chase and  finally  being rewarded.  Now, that feeling  has been passed on to another generation, My son Peter. My daughter Molly is next!!!

The bird weighed 16.5 lbs. had a 91/4" beard and 1 inch spurs. 

Warm Regards, SANDY

Mountain Ranger Guide Service
Sandy MacGregor
Registered Maine Master Guide
1094 Rte 2
Rumford, ME 04276
Tel: 207-221-0798
mtranger@roadrunner.com

 

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