My First

Stories of your favorite gobbler hunts.
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HunterGKS
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My First

Post by HunterGKS »

I was looking for one thing & found something else.


MY 1ST EASTERN & 1st TURKEY EVER

I’m writing this story based on recollection as I wasn’t keeping detailed records back
in the day as I do now. I had started turkey hunting in the early 80s & only hunted WV.
I had a camp on the Birch River in Webster County in the middle of coal country. The
area is very mountainous making hunting difficult at best. Those of you familiar with
turkey hunting in WV generally & Webster County specifically know that birds were
few & far between & any turkey killed was well earned.

During the opening week of the 1991 season, I had hunted several different areas with
absolutely no luck. Towards the end of the week, I decided to hunt the mountain behind
a friends place & above an old cemetery. I had seen birds in the general area & hoped I
could finally sweet talk 1. Well before daylight, I walked about ¾ the way up the mountain
along the woods edge & old fence row before moving into the woods several hundred yards.
Starting shortly before daybreak, I called off & on for a couple of hours with no response at all.

Sometime around mid-morning, I decided to try the Knight & Hale Fighting Purrs as nothing
else was working. After running 3-4 “fights” over an hour or so, I spotted several birds working
down the mountain towards me. I managed to set the calls down & get the 1100 up on my knee
without getting spotted. They got within 30 yards or so & I found 1 with a beard. When it was
in the clear, I dropped it. Before I could get up, the turkey got to its feet & I hit it again. This
time it stayed down but did start to flop, a lot. I removed the last shell but, but it was flopping
so much that, before I could get to him, he started to roll down the mountain. I started running
after it with my left arm windmilling to keep me upright & holding the shot gun in my right hand.
I was loosing ground but the bird finally rolled into a tree & stopped. We were almost at the
bottom of the mountain.

After tagging the bird, a jake with a 6 ½” thick beard, I headed back up the mountain to get my
seat, calls, & other odds & ends. Problem was, I couldn’t find where I had been sitting. I went
back down & up again & still couldn’t find my stuff. I went back down the mountain for the 3rd
time but this time went to the fence, retracing my steps from that morning. I walked directly
to where I was sitting. Too bad I didn’t do that the 1st time I went looking.

This was the 1st of many birds & even more hunts & was definitely a fire-starter!!

1991-Eastern-a.jpg
Jake_0002A.jpg
George

YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR BODY STILL. YOUR HEART JUST HASN'T CAUGHT ON.

.17 = NITRO OF THE RIMFIRE WORLD USAF 1969-1973


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WV Ridge Reaper
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Re: My First

Post by WV Ridge Reaper »

I enjoyed that!!!


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SwampDrummin
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Re: My First

Post by SwampDrummin »

Me too.
jsh909
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Re: My First

Post by jsh909 »

Sounds like a rodeo I would have liked to watch!

Thanks for the story, I am all to familiar with WV hunting and fully understand the challenges.
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HunterGKS
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Re: My First

Post by HunterGKS »

Thx guys. It's fun to go back & relive past hunts.

And WV will bust your hump in a heart beat or the blink of an eye, which ever is fastest.
George

YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR BODY STILL. YOUR HEART JUST HASN'T CAUGHT ON.

.17 = NITRO OF THE RIMFIRE WORLD USAF 1969-1973


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jhogue
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Re: My First

Post by jhogue »

Awesome story! Glad you shared it today.

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spider316
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Re: My First

Post by spider316 »

Great story !
The most experienced novice Turkey hunter the good Lord ever created !
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HunterGKS
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Re: My First

Post by HunterGKS »

Thx guys.
George

YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR BODY STILL. YOUR HEART JUST HASN'T CAUGHT ON.

.17 = NITRO OF THE RIMFIRE WORLD USAF 1969-1973


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935
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Re: My First

Post by 935 »

I enjoyed that story. Reminded me of the first turkey I killed in the mountains. He flopped and rolled down the hollow, with me running behind trying to catch up, almost to the road I needed to walk up to get back to where I was staying. That would have been a good thing if not for the fact that there were several calls and an empty shell, still at the top.
Thank you Lord for creating these wonderful birds and allowing us to chase after them.
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202P&Y
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Re: My First

Post by 202P&Y »

Cool story!
Proverbs 3:5-6
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HunterGKS
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Re: My First

Post by HunterGKS »

Thx guys. I appreciate it.
George

YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR BODY STILL. YOUR HEART JUST HASN'T CAUGHT ON.

.17 = NITRO OF THE RIMFIRE WORLD USAF 1969-1973


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