Steve the Turkey

After that last Saturday hunt, we knew that Steve didn't gobble that morning, only his buddy did.   We knew that there was some distance, 30-50 yards between the birds when they were in the tree.  We also knew that Steve would typically go one of three directions each morning with his buddy following.

So Dad was back in his spot very close to the roost.  I was going to set up on route # three since they didn't take route # one on Saturday.  I was also going to call with the faintest cluck and pur I could manage and not yelp at all.  Dad was going to stay silent since he was so close to the roost.  Decoys would not be used.


So at sunrise we were in position.  I was buried into a cedar tree and had nothing but doubt as it got light.  I could not see down the trail i had hoped.  Visibility was 20 yards max and any bird was going to on top of me before i knew it.  Once i realized my set up sucked, doubt crept in.  I had a small fold up blind that i got out an staked in front of me.  I hoped it would allow me enough movement to draw a bead.

The morning started with silence.  Gobbles started at 6:02 on Saturday.  It was now 6:10, clear and we heard nothing.  Finally there was one gobble from the same roost and that was it.  The next thing i heard was one bird flying down.  I clucked and purred and shut up. 

I had considered moving before the gobble.  I knew if that I was busted, that would be it, game over.  So i sat tight and hoped for the best.

As i sat in doubt, dad watched a show.  Not only Steve and his buddy coming off of the roost, a bunch of other turkeys did to.  He said some barely flapped their wings and just glided down close to their tree.  Hens & gobblers.  When they hit the ground, they were over a rise and he couldn't see a thing.  Later on he saw a glimpse of a turkey heading my way.  

The first thing i saw was a hen.  She popped out of the brush and was walking with a purpose.  She surprised me and of course picked me out with ease.  Turkeys seem to ignore a pop up blind but this one didn't like my little blind.  She spent several minutes walking away and waling towards me.  Basically turning in circles trying to decide what to do.  I tried not to blink.

Then he was there.  I could see the white body of Steve through the brush.  He was less than 20 yards away and i had no idea how long he had stood there.  The hen was still giving me the stink eye and Steve was like a statue.  Then he took one step to my left and was out of sight.

The hen followed.  She stepped back out into view.  She gave a half hearted alarm putt but stayed in view.  She eventually went into the brush on the opposite side of the trail from Steve.  I got my gun up expecting him to follow.  Nothing!  She crossed back over to where he was and disappeared.  I could hear a gobbler drumming but i couldn't see him.

Eventually the hen came back out and stared at me some more.  Then she launched into the air and flew over top of me.  She had wanted to come out the trail past me but had refused to walk close to the big blob of camo that sat just off of the trail.  So she flew by and was gone.  

So i put my bead back to where Steve should step out.  I then saw another hen, maybe two.  They were a little farther away and i could only see their heads.  They milled around like they didn't know where to go.  

Then two gobblers stepped out.  Less than 20 yards away and an easy shot.  But neither was Steve.  So for the first time in my life, I passed a chip shot at a mature spring gobbler.  They walked right back to where the came from and the hens disappeared.  I was pretty sure i was now alone.


While my action was going on, dad was confident the birds had gone my way.  There had only been one gobble all morning.  He didn't hear me call and figured we had been out smarted again. 

At one point earlier in the week, he had watched Steve stand on a log and just look for danger for 10 minutes without moving a muscle.  He did that while surrounded by other turkeys.  The so called "tame" white turkey took security to a new level.  Unkillable was a word that had been used more than once.  

So dad sat in his comfortable turkey chair and waited.  He had decided that at 8:00 he was going to leave the woods for church.  If he was into birds, he would stay.  He hadn't seen or heard anything for nearly an hour.  He had stretched his legs out and no longer had his gun up on his knee.  Then he saw a gobbler step over the rise between two large oaks.  When the bird disappeared behind a tree, he put his gun on it and waited.  There was a gobble which told me the flock had moved back towards dad, the next bird to step out was Steve and dad fired.

The unkillable "tame" turkey was his.  As I walked up, the sun was in my eyes but I could see white feathers.  There was joy and sadness.  A once in a lifetime bird would being going to a taxidermist so we could admire him for years to come.  He would not disappear as coyote food.  But he would no longer be seen from the house and followed closely.

I had doubts about shooting him all season.  I wanted my daughter to get him or my dad.  But when he was 20 yards away that morning, my heart was racing and I was prepared to pull the trigger.  But in the end, I could not be happier.  He was Dad's bird but he would not have been killed without teamwork.  My bad set up bumped them back his way.  Working as a team is one of the things that draws me to turkey hunting.  Bowhunting is our passion but it is mainly a solo sport.  Turkeys can be chased alone but they are best chase with friends or family by your side. 

I had heard of this quote. I had to Google it this morning because I wasn't sure who said it. I think it applies to Steve.



"One does not hunt in order to kill; on the contrary, one kills in order to have hunted."
Jose Ortega Y Gasset

He was. But he is not much for smiling for the camera. Killed his biggest buck ever last year and he looked the same. So it's not a case of sadness for Steve, it's just how he is.

He will light up while talking to you. He just never would have made it as a cover girl.

It is getting too much for them to take care of. The house it too big for it to be my hunting cabin/second home and it’s too far from industry for me to live there.

A sale is inevitable and that day will really suck. It may be another year or two away. My kids will be crushed when the day comes. Even my non hunting daughter says it’s her favorite place to go.