With all the spring rains the drive from Utah County to Monticello Friday afternoon was absolutely beautiful. Evidently we weren't the only ones looking to take advantage of the upcoming sunny weekend weather. Lots of Jeeps and ATVs headed for Moab, and boats headed for Lake Powell. However, the purpose of our trip was to hunt turkeys with my sixteen year old daughter. She was fortunate to draw a late season San Juan tag, and grandpa and dad were determined she would have the opportunity to take a big old Tom.
We got into Monticello at about 4:30 pm and headed straight for "Notellum" meadow in the nearby Blue Mountains. By the time we got all dressed up and setup it was around 5:30 pm. I gave a few clucks on the box call about every 20 minutes. For the first hour and a half the only things we could attract was a doe mule deer, and a field mouse that didn't appreciate us invading his patch of scrub oak. Interestingly enough we didn't hear any gobbling the entire evening, nor did we have any hen turkeys pass through like we had on all of our other turkey hunts. At about 7:15 pm Jessica lost interest in watching her surroundings and leaned her shotgun up against the oak behind her and started drawing pictures in the dirt. I knew that was a sure sign we would have something come in on us. I was right behind her so I kept an attentive lookout.
Sure enough, not ten minutes later a nice Tom appeared from out of the brush not 20 yards from us. The only sound he made was the slow beating of his wings on the soft ground below him as he attempted to get the attention of the foam hen decoy at the edge of the clearing. I whispered to Jessica that she had a big old turkey right in front of her. She was lucky, the love-sick Tom's infatuation with the decoy allowed her to slowly get her gun from behind her. However, the sly old boy spotted us as Jessica brought the gun up to her shoulder and rested her elbow on her knee for a steady rest. She was lucky again in that the Tom didn't run. Instead he just started to slowly walk away. I give a soft cluck on the box call which stopped him and caused him to stretch his neck just about as far as he could to see who said what. I quietly told Jessica to shoot. She didn't. Instead she shifted her bottom which made a noise in the leaves beside her. We were detected again. And again the Tom started to slowly walk away. Okay, you can just image how I'm feeling about now. I stroked the box clucker one more time in hopes three times would be the charm. He stopped with his butt facing us, but his neck was straight in the air... I again told Jessica to shoot... she didn't... at least not right away. The Tom put his head down and lifted one foot when I shouted, shoot, SHOOT NOW! Jessica shot.. feathers went every where... we had a big old flopping turkey in front of us at forty paces. I sprinted out of our hiding place and stepped on the gobbler's head to make sure it was down for the count... it was. Grandpa shouted his congratulations from the small ridge above us. Jessica was grinning from ear to ear. She was glad to be out with her grandpa and dad. She was happy with herself for taking a turkey before her two younger brothers who are also old enough to hunt.
We went back into town... had a nice dinner... got a good nights sleep... headed for home the following Saturday morning.
We got into Monticello at about 4:30 pm and headed straight for "Notellum" meadow in the nearby Blue Mountains. By the time we got all dressed up and setup it was around 5:30 pm. I gave a few clucks on the box call about every 20 minutes. For the first hour and a half the only things we could attract was a doe mule deer, and a field mouse that didn't appreciate us invading his patch of scrub oak. Interestingly enough we didn't hear any gobbling the entire evening, nor did we have any hen turkeys pass through like we had on all of our other turkey hunts. At about 7:15 pm Jessica lost interest in watching her surroundings and leaned her shotgun up against the oak behind her and started drawing pictures in the dirt. I knew that was a sure sign we would have something come in on us. I was right behind her so I kept an attentive lookout.
Sure enough, not ten minutes later a nice Tom appeared from out of the brush not 20 yards from us. The only sound he made was the slow beating of his wings on the soft ground below him as he attempted to get the attention of the foam hen decoy at the edge of the clearing. I whispered to Jessica that she had a big old turkey right in front of her. She was lucky, the love-sick Tom's infatuation with the decoy allowed her to slowly get her gun from behind her. However, the sly old boy spotted us as Jessica brought the gun up to her shoulder and rested her elbow on her knee for a steady rest. She was lucky again in that the Tom didn't run. Instead he just started to slowly walk away. I give a soft cluck on the box call which stopped him and caused him to stretch his neck just about as far as he could to see who said what. I quietly told Jessica to shoot. She didn't. Instead she shifted her bottom which made a noise in the leaves beside her. We were detected again. And again the Tom started to slowly walk away. Okay, you can just image how I'm feeling about now. I stroked the box clucker one more time in hopes three times would be the charm. He stopped with his butt facing us, but his neck was straight in the air... I again told Jessica to shoot... she didn't... at least not right away. The Tom put his head down and lifted one foot when I shouted, shoot, SHOOT NOW! Jessica shot.. feathers went every where... we had a big old flopping turkey in front of us at forty paces. I sprinted out of our hiding place and stepped on the gobbler's head to make sure it was down for the count... it was. Grandpa shouted his congratulations from the small ridge above us. Jessica was grinning from ear to ear. She was glad to be out with her grandpa and dad. She was happy with herself for taking a turkey before her two younger brothers who are also old enough to hunt.
We went back into town... had a nice dinner... got a good nights sleep... headed for home the following Saturday morning.
