- Details
- Category: Turkey
- Published: Monday, 14 April 2025 03:01
- Written by Greg
One Hen, Two Hens...
One hen, two hens, three hens, four…wait a sec – number four is a big strutting tom! More on that coming up…
I just love this time of year, especially after being cooped up all winter long because the spring turkey hunt is one the first opportunities we prioritize for getting outdoors. So once again we headed to Idaho for the youth turkey hunt. It’s hard to believe that it’s been about 20 years since I first came hunting Idaho turkeys with my then-young son. Now I’m hunting with my grandson Daxton who is the same age as my son was 20 years ago.
Daxton’s high school spring break was in full swing when the Idaho youth hunt started, but so was his high school’s baseball season. Since several of his baseball games were scheduled throughout the week, we waited for the weekend before heading north.
Night before hunt...making plans for morning
Once we arrived at camp we hurried to set up our tent as it was already getting dark. As we lay in bed considering where to hunt come morning, Daxton suggested a tree lined area that we’ve hunted in years past that has been hit or miss depending on the day. And since we hadn’t had an opportunity to scout prior to our arrival, his recommendation sounded as good as any.
Morning came quickly. We wasted no time before we hit the trail, using only the moonlight to illuminate the way. About 20 minutes before twilight we had our decoys in place so we hunkered down behind our blind and waited for daybreak. The morning was chilly but calm, perfect conditions to hear any nearby turkeys calling. Just as it was getting light the sound of distant gobbles filled the air. Roughly 10 minutes later we heard hens calling from the roost along with several gobbles, but none were close by. Nevertheless, I began calling back at them. Initially the turkeys responded but they soon clammed up.
Spotting approaching turkeys through blind
We sat in complete silence for a solid 20 minutes until Daxton heard leaves crunching in the hollow below us. A few minutes later Daxton saw 3 turkeys pop out from the trees, but they disappeared back into the brush just as quickly. I quietly reached for my crystal pot call and made a few soft clucks in an attempt to lure them back into the open. We waited anxiously for 5 minutes until Daxton whispered that turkeys were emerging from the thicket. I was sitting to his right and couldn’t quite see them until I did. One hen, two hens, three hens, four…wait a sec – number four is a big strutting tom – a thrilling sight for sure!
Strutting tom just past our jake decoy Long beard down, 20 gauge did the trick
As we peeked through the small cutout holes in our blind we watched as the turkeys headed straight for our decoys. Once the tom was within 25 yards, Daxton raised his 20 gauge and dropped the tom while in full strut!
Daxton with big mature tom, 8 ½ in. beard Brilliant red, white and blue, with long snood
With another tag in Daxton’s pocket, we relocated to another spot and tried again. Instantly we had hens yelping and a tom gobbling in the distance. However, our calling over a 15 minute period didn’t seem to work as we watched the group of turkeys move further away. But before we gave up, Daxton again said he heard what sounded like movement in the brush, we waited. I again called/clucked very softly and a moment later we heard the peeping sound from nearby turkeys.
Turkeys slid past right there Decoys worked...Dax got 'em
Once again several turkeys began to emerge, but this time from behind us. As they crested the small rise we spotted a single jake within the company of 7 hens! The flock continued toward us until they stood right next to our decoys. They were so close that Daxton had to wait for them to begin moving further way before attempting a shot. When the jake had finally drifted 20 yards to our side, Daxton rose up, took aim and dropped his 2nd turkey!
Another one bites the dust Doubled up for the weekend!