Every year, I try to go hunting at least once or twice with Bill Cooksey of Avery Outdoors. He’s known more as a waterfowl hunter, but he’s also great with a turkey call.
This year, crappie fishing sort of delayed my turkey hunting. So we didn’t get to hunt together until Thursday, April 17.
But it was worth the wait.
We heard a few gobbles just before daylight. But for the first four hours of our hunt, we didn’t have much luck.
Then as we were walking back to the truck at the end of our hunt, we noticed two big gobblers standing in the middle of the road about 100 yards in front of us. This was at 10:30 a.m.
We froze and watched as the birds entered the woods to our left.
When they were finally out of sight, we ducked into the woods, too. Bill began soft calling with a glass call, and for 10 minutes we never heard a peep out of the birds.
Then when one of them finally gobbled, they were right on top of us.
They had circled around through the woods, and we could hear them crashing through briars, bushes and tree limbs to get to us.
When they finally came into the clearing, Bill made a perfect shot at about 25 yards. It was the only shot we had because I was facing the opposite direction.
The bird weighed 17 pounds with a thick 10-inch beard.
I’ve often heard turkey hunting described as “hours of boredome, interrupted occasionally by a few moments of absolute terror.”
I think that’s a little harsh, but I understand the statement.
When you’re turkey hunting, one minute you’re walking a down dirt road thinking about what you want for lunch. Then the next minute you’re sitting against a tree with your heart pounding so loud you’re afraid the approaching bird will hear it.
It’s quite a rush - even when you’re not the one who pulls the trigger.
in The Great Outdoors
Responses to “What a great morning turkey hunt”
April 18th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Sounds like it was a lot of fun. I would like for my boys to be able to turkey hunt when they get older!
April 20th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Turkey hunting is the only true form of hunting left - - - - What a great way to spend a spring morning.
Cooksey for Governor 2008 !!!!!!!!!!!
April 21st, 2008 at 4:31 pm
I HAVE BEEN QUAIL HUNTING ON HORSE BACK AND HAVE SEEN ON SEVERAL OCCATIONS BIRD DOGS POINT. WHEN
THE HUNTERS FLUSHED, AS MANY AS 20 TURKEYS LIFTED AND SOUNDED LIKE A HELICOPTER. MUCH TO
EVERYONES’SUPRISE;HOWEVER,I THINK THAT WILD QUAIL HUNTING IS A TRUE FORM OF HUNTING AND A
GREATER CHALLENGE.
April 22nd, 2008 at 10:06 am
You’re probably right, Charles. The trouble with hunting wild quail is actually finding a covey to hunt. There just aren’t that many left in the wild, and the landowners I know who do have them usually don’t want to shoot them. Still, if I had to choose, I’d take turkey hunting first.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
WELL BRYAN, YOU MUST NOT LIKE A CHALLENGE. FINDING A PLACE TO HUNT IS ONLY A “STEP FOR A STEPPER”. I KNOW A MAN IN MOSCOW,TN WHO HAS A 10 AC. FARM. IN THE FALL, I WENT THERE TO SEE A HORSE HE HAD FOR SALE. I TOOK MY BIRD DOG WITH ME IN THE TRUCK. IN FACT, SOMETIMES, I TAKE HIM EVEN WHEN I’M NOT HUNTING.WHEN I GOT THERE, HE ASKED IF I WAS GOING HUNTING AND I TOLD HIM,” NO THAT I DIDN’T EVEN BRING A GUN”. I ASKED HIM IF HE HAD ANY QUAIL ON HIS FARM AND HE SAID “NO”! THE GENTLEMAN SAID THAT HE HAD A YOUNG DOG THAT HAD LOOKED EVERYWHERE FOR A COVEY BECAUSE HE USED TO HAVE 8 TO 10 COVIES. THEN HE DROVE TO THE BARN TO GET THE HORSE. ON THE WAY BACK HE RODE UP A COVEY. WHEN HE GOT TO ME, HE WAS ALL EXCITED AND SAID HE HAD SEEN THIS COVEY AND COULD HE USE MY DOG TO HUNT THE SINGLES? LONG STORY SHORT. I LET HIM USE MY DOG AND HE POINTED 2 SINGLES. WE TOOK A WALK AROUND HIS PLACE AND FOUND 8 MORE COVIES. HE WAS VERY EXCITED AND ENDED UP SHOOTING 12 QUAIL. SO YOU SEE SOME LANDOWENERS MAY HAVE QUAIL AND NOT KNOW BECAUSE THEY DON’T HAVE A GOOD DOG. YES, I KNOW IT IS LESS OF A CHALLENGE TO SHOOT A BIG TURKEY vs SHOOTING A SMALL QUAIL. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I HAVE SEEN SPORTING CLAY CHAMPIONS MISS QUAIL BECAUSE YOU JUST DON’T KNOW WHEN THEY ARE GOING TO GET UP AND WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO FLY. SO, NEXT SEASON GIVE IT A TRY. THE CHALLENGE WILL BE TO FIND A PLACE WITH BIRDS. YOU NEED TO
GET A WELL TRAINED BIRD DOG, AND THEN BE ABLE TO SHOOT THE QUAIL. HEY, YOU HAVE TO NEXT YEAR AND LIKE I SAID IT’S ONLY A STEP FOR A STEPPER.
April 24th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
I’ve done quite a bit of rabbit hunting around the Mid-South, Charles, and I can only remember flushing one wild covey in three years. I use to flush wild coveys all the time when I was deer hunting in Alabama. But unless you’re hunting land that’s being managed specifically for quail, wild coveys are awfully rare these days. But you’re right. A good dog is the key to finding the few that are out there.
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