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ADVENTURE SPORTS OUTDOORS “THE VOICE OF THE AMERICAN SPORTSMAN”
May 2004
spot picked out if they crossed that spot I would shoot but they didn’t. I’m beginning to not like those hens much!” The next morning we were back in the same blind we used the day before. The toms were sounding off in the valley Mark showed a lot of patience the first day, we had turkeys below us some within 50 yards. One-half hour after the fly answering our calls all morning having 8 come in close. down Mark spotted 2 jakes and 2 longbeards running Only to have them do the usual turkey stunts; stay behind the through the woods toward us. Mark quickly shouldered his thick brush and trees where Mark couldn’t get a clear shot. Mossberg as the 2 jakes ran 15 feet by us; the longbeards ran One came up behind us through the woods, silent, just after in the thick brush 20 yards from us. I waited for the anticiMark had just turned around to watch a long beard coming pated boom...no boom...after things settled down a bit I’m up another ridge 50 yards away. By the time he turned thinking he didn’t get the safety off or there is another tom around and aimed the bird was puttin and running, this of standing still in the woods I don’t see but Mark does and he course alerted the other gobbler and they both vanished. Mark turned and looked at me, I expected to see a disap- Mark Pitzer 12, of Bartonville & is waiting for a clear shot! Then he lowers the gun, sighs and says “I couldn’t get aimed good, it happened so fast I just pointed young man but instead his eyes were wide open with father Steve, with Mark’s 1st excitement. He leaned back and whispered, “dad that was turkey: 15 lb., 4.5in. beard, .5in. don’t want to shoot till I’m sure I’m going to hit him in the neck or head”. awesome that turkey was 10 feet away”. Others answering spurs, taken in Brown Co. IL. I felt so proud of him, not only that he was showing our calls only to group with hens who were also yelping right Mark was using his Mossberg patience he already was a sportsman. I told him to sit tight along with us. Bantam 500, 20 ga. which he got were not done yet. After 15 minutes I began clucking and Later that morning we walked to a fence line looking into a picked cornfield. We called for a while on a long box we for his birthday. We were using a purring on my ol Betsy slate with my cherry striker it wasn’t Primos ol Betsy slate call with long we spotted that bright red head and black body walking decided to use for volume since the wind had picked up. I a homemade cherry striker toward us through the timber Mark was ready this time! As spotted a gobbler 400-yards across the corn stubble strutting, I turned on my lathe. he closed in we could see the beard sticking out in front of we soon realized he was fanning every time we called on that him; a nice sized jake. Every time he stepped from behind a tree I thought to box call, we could see him gobbling but could not hear him. After about 25 myself shoot! Okay next tree shoot! No shot. minutes of this to our surprise he started across the field toward us. Also every I remembered in the months before the season telling Mark to wait till he gets time I called he would stop fan out and strut in circles for about 5 minutes then as close as you can, but if he stops and putts you better take your shot because slowly flatten out and start walking straight at us again. he isn’t coming any closer and he is fixing to run. This took about 1 hour before he got 1/2 way across that field, at that point The jake began heading toward some heavy brush so I purred on the slate he another longbeard and a hen appeared along the edge of the same field and were turned stepped out from behind two trees faced us and stopped. Again I thought also heading our way. This tom too was strutting. At 40 yards the 2 toms began shoooot son. I heard a loud putt come from the bright red head standing 25 to square off at each other while the hen walked straight at us, came about 10 yards in front of us followed by a loud boom which sent the bird down to the feet of Mark’s nose and began looking him up and down. Mark didn’t move a ground flapping, then a joyous “YES!!” from a thrilled young man. muscle, after 30 seconds of this stare down the hen decided she didn’t like the I have hunted turkey and deer for 30 years and have enough stories to write a camo kid with the big stick and started walking back clucking to the toms. book but this hunt by far was the most rewarding, enjoyable experience I have Which in turn followed her back down the tree line and into the woods, fanning had in my hunting career. I look forward to many more over the years like this every time I called but showed no interest in turning around and coming back one with my new hunting buddy Mark. our way. Mark looked up at me again and said, “That was so cool dad they weren’t close enough to shoot yet, and I don’t want to wound one but I had a
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