What a great day to be turkey hunting. Last weekend turned up nothing for me (youth hunt) although we saw some great birds, and I did in fact take a shot at one, but missed. This weekend, we were armed with some new confidence, a little snow cover, and a different gun 
By the time we reached the blind at around 5:40, we already had birds gobbling and even hens yelping! We had to pull the snow off the blind and finally got going. Unfortunately, there were so many hens on the other side of the ridge/point, that most of our rousting birds from last week were going down the other side after the “real deal”
Finally, around 6:30, I saw “Him” peaking his full strut self over hill. Again, those freakin hens on the other side were still catching his attention, and he actually turned back and headed the other way at one point. Well my uncle did the work and got this bird’s attention our way with mostling clucking and putting on the slate. The bird was well within range at this point, and accompanied by 2 hens, 3 deer 
, and a few squirrels. The deer were working the place just as good as the hens, which appeared to be looking for achorns or something. The problem was that every time my tom came into the clear, you guessed it, a deer was right behind him!! and the second problem was the fact that that tom was so fired up, it never even quit strutting! The tom was starting to hesitate in the other direction so my uncle told me to just take the shot as soon as it was clear. We were hoping for an ideal shot where the turkey would have come out of strut and stuck his head up, but that didn’t happen. I pulled the trigger on that 12 guage and that turkey was done. I couldn’t be more happy, being my first tom, and a good one too! Weighed in at the registration at 24lb14oz, had a 10″ beard, and 1″ white/black tip spurs. It was so incredible. Words can not describe the feeling I had. I only wish it could have lasted longer, for the bird was in his grave by 6:45 this AM
Here are some pics, sorry they are from a cell phone so they aren’t the best, but they are pics. I got a bunch on my uncle’s film camera so I will scan them up for here and the contest when he gets them developed.
-Cade
We were lucky enough that our birds stayed in the exact same trees. Everything was pretty much perfect!! Good luck to your kids!