First Turkey: A Story I Won't Forget
This mature Tom was more than I ever could of expected for my first Turkey.
After years of chasing turkeys and having many close calls, roosting them at the end of hunts and partaking in many others notched tags my time came!
The wait for the right time and opportunity presented itself Easter Sunday. It was a beautiful morning with a friend who literally was there for me during the darkest days of my adult life.
If you could of seen my emotion after I shot this bird. I was shaking long before the trigger was pulled as this Tom moved into the blind but one I pulled the trigger and seen him flopping tears instantly rolled down my face. It was such a raw and real moment. A moment that truly meant so much to me as a hunter for many reasons.
This is most definitely a hunt I will never forget and will always be thankful for.
After four, yes four, years of chasing wild turkeys here in Oregon I sealed the deal on a beautiful mature Rio.
I was blessed with the opportunity to hunt some property in the Willamette Valley with a dear friend. Rather than an Easter egg hunt we opted for a turkey hunt.
We got in the blind before daylight and got set up. We heard gobbles all around from the bottom of the valley up to the trees on the hill next to us. As the sun came up we waited patiently, nature talking all around us.
Around 0700 we had 3 hens crest over the hill feeding toward the blind. With both of us in the blind we had different views. Kathy excitedly said a Tom just came over the hill.
I had to turn around and get in position, slowly and quietly. I was shaking with excitement as I had been waiting for this moment for years. With the Tom feeding into the blind and the hens around him waiting for the right moment. The hens dropped their heads to feed and Kathy confirmed I was clear to pull the trigger with the bead of my shotgun on the Toms head.
BOOM. The hens flew off and there laid the Tom.
I instantly was crying with excitement and joy and still shaking I couldn't believe this moment happened. Instantly giving Kathy the biggest hug as I shed tears of joy.
We jumped out of the blind to recover my harvest. This beautiful bird weighed in at 23 pounds had a 9 3/4" beard and 1" spurs.
So beyond thankful for this opportunity, the hunt, the harvest and sharing it with someone who truly is a one in a lifetime friend.
❥ - Stacey Sutherlin
Co-Founder Huntin' Wives
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