THE STUDENT BECOMES THE TEACHER!!!

[Trumpetyelper]

We have had an extremely challenging turkey season in Illinois. The birds would gobble in the roost and then fly down and shut up the rest of the day.  I hunted a great deal without crossing paths with a big bird.  We hunted on Saturday and noticed that the birds started to work.  The season was about 3 weeks behind schedule.  We set up Sunday morning and the birds lived up to their reputation of gobbling in the roost and then doing nothing for the rest of the day, but then we ran into a mushroom hunter who was poaching our ground.  He said that he thought it was a different owner and was very nice and regretful.  He wasn't anywhere near the birds or roost on this 600 acre farm so he didn't disrupt anything.  The guy is a local landowner and we really hit it off.  He actually offered his ground up to me for turkey hunting before the end of our conversation.  I told him to finish up mushroom hunting and that he could hunt mushrooms there as long as he waited till after 1:00pm ( our season closes at 1pm).  I drive off to another spot when my phone rings.  It's the guy I had just ran into and he said the birds started gobbling and that he cautiously backed out so we could pursue them.  

My 13 year old hunting partner Jake and I rushed back and started getting our gear out of the truck.  We both had permits but I rarely kill birds because I enjoy taking others out.  Jake told me that he wanted me to shoot a bird with his gun. I reluctantly accepted the invitation.  We start walking down and old logging road and the bird Gobbles about 400-500 yards to the west on the other side of some very hairy hardwoods.  We decide to walk up to another old logging road and head west to his location.   I had Jake do some hen yelps as we were walking occasionally.  We get to within 100 yards of where I thought I had heard the bird and set up a decoy.  After sitting for 5 minutes I que Jake to start calling.  The bird Gobbles now about 400-500 yards to the East of our location where I had told Jake to start calling.  We literally switched places.  Now Jake and I decide to work back to the East and try to slip past the Gobbler to an open field with random pine trees located throughout.  We set up and Jake starts to call and he Gobbles within 150 yards.  Jake grabs our hen decoy and throws it out in the roadway in front of us and it lands on its side.  He starts to call again and much to my amazement he had made up about 100 yards.  He was now 50 yards away.  Jake gives two soft yelps on his trumpet call and the birds starts spitting and drumming.  Within 2 minutes the bird was on the decoy getting ready to eat lead.  
It's really amazing when I see a 13 year old use many tactics it took me 20 years to learn.

[GR8CALLS]

Congrats, Danny! Love it when the younger generation gets involved! You done, good!   

Bill

[Turkeybuster]

Congrats. Thats a nice bird good spurs. That was quite a hunt.

Jon

[doublespurs21]

   that's a heavyweight for sure,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[West Augusta]

I'd say that he had a good teacher.  Congrats to you both.  I'm sure that you will both remember that hunt for the rest of your lives.

[Silverspur]

Congrats on a dandy gobbler!

[gonehuntin982]

Congrats on a nice gobbler 

[AlabamaDave]

Thats a good one!...Congrats man!

[BluMtnGobbler]

Congrats on a great bird!

[M Sharpe]

Is that one of the young boys that bought a henbone from me in Nashville?

Mark

[Trumpetyelper]

Yes. It was Jake the young man who purchased the first Black threaded wingbone.  I'm very proud of him.  Great memory Mark.

[M Sharpe]

I don't blame ya! You've got a right to be proud. Good bird!

[jmck]

congrats Jake on calling in a bird for ole Bugsey
way to go guys...proud for yall

[Porter]

Awesome job!!!