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The Substitute II
The bird most definitely wasn’t what we heard, but he came from that direction. He was about 80-85 yards and looking. My son whispered he’ll see the decoy and come running in, be ready.
Instead this bird didn’t see the decoy and never came running in. Now mind you, if us next to each other was the 12 o’clock position, I was facing like 10 o’clock. My son was at 1’o’clock and this turkey was at the 1:30 position.
The bird starts to his right, my left, and I’m thinking “cool”!! When he gets behind that tree, I’ll pivot. He did and I did! Now I’m more of the 12 o’clock position with one cheek on the pad of the vest seat and the other on the damp Earth. Not too bad but not too great either.
I’m thinking within the next few minutes it’ll be a done deal. I’ll have shot a silent turkey over a decoy. I figured there was forgiveness for everything, so to make my son happy, I’d do it.
Apparently God hears our thoughts because he said “Not today Satan!!”
When the bird was behind the tree my son hit him softly with the trumpet and he gobbled…and cut back right.
YES! I got a gobble!! But, he’s heading the wrong direction. This bird is acting like there’s a minefield out there and he’s picking his way through it. He’ll strut, take few steps, then gobble. He’s slowly still heading right and I have reached human capabilities of turning my torso. I’m so far the opposite direction my right arm has now gone numb. Luckily when I felt it starting, I’d clicked the safety off. My left arm is fine but my hand is going numb because when this bird got behind a stump I moved again. I now have both cheeks on the no longer damp, but wet Earth and holding the gun without support. I’m still one with the tree and probably left an indention in that giant pecan tree!
My son has pretty much flattened out leaning on his right elbow with the chamber of the gun about 6” from his left ear. About that time I see him slowly raise that trumpet to his mouth and I hoarsely whispered DO NOT CALL!
Thankfully he listened. For the next 10 minutes this gobbler stayed behind the stump at about 60 yards just strutting and gobbling. I knew eventually he’d top that slight rise and give me a shot, but didn’t know if my arms and hands would work as to what my mind was telling them!
I’d guessed the stump at 40 and was praying for God to have mercy on my suffering and let that bird wander off or come in to that stump because I needed some relief!
A hawk landed in a tree nearby and started his call and every time that bird would gobble. I swear at one point the hawk was just doing it to mess with the gobbler! After a little bit the bird finally started to move up. He got in front of the stump and I’m trying to hold steady and the bird finally picked us out and folded his wings. My son whispered you better do something!!
I was fairly confident the red dot was on that neck when I willed my finger to move, but apparently I was way off! First shot a miss!! Strike 1
The bird didn’t run off at the shot, only went a few long steps and turned around! Again I thought the red dot was on the neck when I sent it and according to video I was WAY high! Strike 2
This time ole boy realizes something ain’t right and takes off at a fast pace and I lean up, finally, and put that dot on the back of his neck and can actually feel the trigger now when I squeezed off the final shell.
At the shot the bird crumpled! Not even a wingbeat. I’m still in whisper mode and frantically whisper “Go get him” about 15 times in 15 seconds, lol. I would be running, but then I realize my legs are asleep. He jumps up and stumbles a couple of times because his legs are asleep, but being younger, he gets there and snatched him up.
This bird was a stud. 20.2 pounds. 1.25” spurs. And a double beard at 10.5” and 6.5”!! My first bird in a pecan orchard and another bird that my son called in for me with his trumpet! I couldn’t ask for a better day!! Sometimes being The Substitute isn’t necessarily a bad thing!!
The bird most definitely wasn’t what we heard, but he came from that direction. He was about 80-85 yards and looking. My son whispered he’ll see the decoy and come running in, be ready.
Instead this bird didn’t see the decoy and never came running in. Now mind you, if us next to each other was the 12 o’clock position, I was facing like 10 o’clock. My son was at 1’o’clock and this turkey was at the 1:30 position.
The bird starts to his right, my left, and I’m thinking “cool”!! When he gets behind that tree, I’ll pivot. He did and I did! Now I’m more of the 12 o’clock position with one cheek on the pad of the vest seat and the other on the damp Earth. Not too bad but not too great either.
I’m thinking within the next few minutes it’ll be a done deal. I’ll have shot a silent turkey over a decoy. I figured there was forgiveness for everything, so to make my son happy, I’d do it.
Apparently God hears our thoughts because he said “Not today Satan!!”
When the bird was behind the tree my son hit him softly with the trumpet and he gobbled…and cut back right.
YES! I got a gobble!! But, he’s heading the wrong direction. This bird is acting like there’s a minefield out there and he’s picking his way through it. He’ll strut, take few steps, then gobble. He’s slowly still heading right and I have reached human capabilities of turning my torso. I’m so far the opposite direction my right arm has now gone numb. Luckily when I felt it starting, I’d clicked the safety off. My left arm is fine but my hand is going numb because when this bird got behind a stump I moved again. I now have both cheeks on the no longer damp, but wet Earth and holding the gun without support. I’m still one with the tree and probably left an indention in that giant pecan tree!
My son has pretty much flattened out leaning on his right elbow with the chamber of the gun about 6” from his left ear. About that time I see him slowly raise that trumpet to his mouth and I hoarsely whispered DO NOT CALL!
Thankfully he listened. For the next 10 minutes this gobbler stayed behind the stump at about 60 yards just strutting and gobbling. I knew eventually he’d top that slight rise and give me a shot, but didn’t know if my arms and hands would work as to what my mind was telling them!
I’d guessed the stump at 40 and was praying for God to have mercy on my suffering and let that bird wander off or come in to that stump because I needed some relief!
A hawk landed in a tree nearby and started his call and every time that bird would gobble. I swear at one point the hawk was just doing it to mess with the gobbler! After a little bit the bird finally started to move up. He got in front of the stump and I’m trying to hold steady and the bird finally picked us out and folded his wings. My son whispered you better do something!!
I was fairly confident the red dot was on that neck when I willed my finger to move, but apparently I was way off! First shot a miss!! Strike 1
The bird didn’t run off at the shot, only went a few long steps and turned around! Again I thought the red dot was on the neck when I sent it and according to video I was WAY high! Strike 2
This time ole boy realizes something ain’t right and takes off at a fast pace and I lean up, finally, and put that dot on the back of his neck and can actually feel the trigger now when I squeezed off the final shell.
At the shot the bird crumpled! Not even a wingbeat. I’m still in whisper mode and frantically whisper “Go get him” about 15 times in 15 seconds, lol. I would be running, but then I realize my legs are asleep. He jumps up and stumbles a couple of times because his legs are asleep, but being younger, he gets there and snatched him up.
This bird was a stud. 20.2 pounds. 1.25” spurs. And a double beard at 10.5” and 6.5”!! My first bird in a pecan orchard and another bird that my son called in for me with his trumpet! I couldn’t ask for a better day!! Sometimes being The Substitute isn’t necessarily a bad thing!!
