Saturday Night Smack Down!

Saturday Night Smack Down!

Kelly and I headed out to our spot to get in some turkey hunting. We pulled into the parking lot and, unfortunately, it was full!

We were hunting state land so first some first serve. So, we made a change in location to another area in the hope that I would have some turkey action. We went to a spot that has some personnel memories for me. Last year I got my first turkey called in by Mr. Mike Adams himself and he also showed me a few other tricks as a first time turkey hunter.

This year I was taking it on my own to get the job done. Kelly wanted to come along but had no permit so she was just along for the hunt. We walked out and I was wearing my new Mossy Oak camo and we got settled in by 6 pm against a couple trees on the edge of the field. It was a bit warm and a little buggy but not that bad and the sun was going down.

After about a half hour I whispered to her as she was sitting about 10 feet away if she wanted to do the calling. She nodded to me and I threw her my Straight Creek calls; a box and slate call.

She started out using both calls and getting better with each try. She had some practice in the house but this was the real deal out. She was doing great and after 45 min we heard a faint reply from a hen. We looked at each other and nodded, verifying to each other what we heard. Then with a few more hits on the slate call, the hen popped into the field and we both could see it making its way towards our decoys. Half way across the field the hen started making her way up the hill and towards the woods. I motioned to Kelly to hit the call softly two times. As she did, the hen picked up her head, looked and turned down the middle of the field to the decoys. She was coming towards us when the two toms appeared on the other side. Kelly saw them before I did and we again looked at each other. I whispered "you see the toms?" she nodded and they started making their way across the field straight at us. They were coming at us line right behind each other. I got myself into a shooting position and moved the safety off. At about 30 yards and between my decoys, they finally stated to get some separation between them.

That was all I needed. At about 25 yards, I placed the bead of the barrel onto his head and put the smack down on him. With a loud "BANG", he was down and I was hopping out onto the field after him to make sure he was down. The excitement of knowing Kelly called in her first bird took over and I started shaking. I was so happy we hugged in the field with me saying "You did it, you did it! You called in your first Tom!"

I picked up the cell phone and call my wife, Deb. Still shaking, I tried to tell her what Kelly had done. I had to give the phone to Kelly to finish talking to Deb. She even asked Kelly if I was ok. Oh! I was ok that's for sure. I was so excited of what she did. It was an incredible feeling.

We gathered our stuff and picked up the bird and headed for the truck. Back to home for some pictures!

She helped me on the back porch taking care of the bird, too. For me, it was another great father experience! Another one to add to the memory banks for life!

Final Status of the Hunt:

Shooter: Dan "Red" DeFauw

Caller: Kelly "The Call Master" DeFauw

Weight: 16 lbs

Beard: 9 ¼ long

Spurs: 7/8 in.

Gun: Mossberg 500 pump

Ammo: Winchester 2 ¾ number 6

A wow day in the woods!

Wow what a day to be afield in the outdoors!

My cousin Dennis had a turkey tag that ended on Sunday so my cousin Bryan and I set out to help Dennis get a turkey to fill his turkey tag. What other way to spend with family but hunting in the outdoors. With that said and at 5 am we met at my house and headed out to the woods you could see the beginning of the day was starting, we got out of the truck to get ready and we head the turkey's gobbling on the roost it sounded beautiful! It would turn out to be a great sunny day but a little breezy after all.

We suited up an headed out to our first set up getting all ready and listening to the gobbling from three different areas we were now ready Dennis with his gun Bryan calling and I running the video camera.

Bryan started calling with birds still gobbling away we waited, well it was now daylight and they would not be up for our challenge as they flew down off the roost they must have headed in the other direction so with that we were up and after them as we did we heard them gobbling in the distance as we made our way closer Dennis told Bryan to stop! He had just walked by a fawn cuddled up in the leaves. The little things was so well blended in the leaves it was a incredible sight and find out in nature we checked it out keeping a short distance and took some pictures and video but we got out of there as fast as we can so we would not stress the little creature out, you could tell it little breathing was getting faster so we continued on not to disturb the little thing anymore then we already had.

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We changed our location hoping to be closer to those bird's and did some more calling and heard a gobble or two but that would be the last of the talking turkey we heard for the day we did a few more location changes and set ups with more calling but no response so we headed out as were walking out of the field Dennis pointed out a 3 ft snake laying there in the sun I' am sure after the cool night he was happy to have that sun beating down on him, that was just another cool find out in nature!

On our last set for the day around noon we again did some calling but nothing and then again as we were walking out a bird flew right out of a bush as we walked by so we peeked in the short bush we found a robin's nest with the 4 blue eggs how cool is that another find out in nature!

Now our day would be done with no turkeys but as you can see that the other stuff we found out in natures was simply awesome!

This is what it is all about in the Great Outdoors.

So yes it was a "Wow" kind of day to be out in the woods!

Now that May 10^th is here my license starts and for the rest of the month now I will be gunning after those turkeys!

Check back to see how my hunting goes as I go after those thunder chickens in the month of May!

Remember as I say when you're in the outdoors "Aim Small Miss Small"