1st season Turkey hunt

Written By - Alto - 04/20/2008

Link to Original Article here

I missed the first turkey lottery last fall, so I applied for seasons 1 thru 5 in Adams County during the second turkey lottery.
I was thrilled when I learned I was issued a hunting permit for the first season turkey hunt.
With things staying busy at home, I could not get down to Adams Co Mon or Tue to hunt, but got there Tue night but unable to put any birds to bed.
I was up before sunrise and headed out. I walked about a mile and set up at the interection of two fire breaks, not far from a Tom still in the roost.
I called on and off, loud then soft, and waited. I could hear hens in the distance, and they probably kept the attention of that Tom I heard. After 1.5 hrs I knew the Tom was not coming toward me.
I hit an open wheat field, and threw a couple decoys out trying to let Toms in the area see them from a ways off. After 2 hrs, nothing happening so I started walking and looking.
I was walking down a hill when I saw what I thought was a bird. I froze, then saw the bird continue eating...with two more birds.
I dropped to my knees, set up a decoy in the fire lane I was walking, and crawled behind a large tree. Got all my camo in place, made some very quiet calls to keep their attention, and watched 3 Toms make their way thru the trees and come my way with my binoculars to make sure they weren't Jakes or hens.
I waited for what I thought was the biggest one to stick his head up, then got my trophey.
Probably a 2.5 yr old bird, not he biggest, but beautiful none the less.