Early Season Patience...

**David Rearick** · #1 04-22-2008, 09:28 AM

DATE: April 19, 2008

LOCATION: Western PA

WEATHER: Clear and Sunny

TEMPERATURE: 50’s and rising

WIND: Moderate

EQUIPMENT USED: Avery® Finisher Blind Bag, Avery® Sportsman’s Camera Bag, Avery® Fleece Calling Gloves, and Avery® Quick Cutters

HUNTERS: Zink Calls® Pro-Staffer Erik Nilsson, his son Mat Nilsson, and Avery® Pro-Staffer David Rearick

JOURNAL NOTES:
Early Season Patience
After partaking in a few youth turkey hunts over the years, this one had a little more behind it than the previous ones. This hunt was with one of my closest friend’s son. Today was Mat’s first turkey hunt, as a licensed youth hunter, and I was happy to be able to tag along. Erik had done his homework and decided to go to a spot with a lot of turkeys, with the majority being jakes. Exposing kids to the excitement of the hunt is much more important than killing the big one the first day out, so this was going to be an exciting morning for all of us no matter what the outcome.

We got in early to get set-up and ready well before LST. I separated from father and son and set-up a little farther back in order to capture the moment on film, successful or not. As the time ticked on the sun began to crest the tree line in front of us and burn off the light cloud cover from overhead. The first tree top thunder came from my left, putting us between the birds and where they wanted to be. I knew we were in for something and waited for more to come. After only one more gobble the woods became silent despite some light tree calling and fly-downs from Erik. Knowing that the birds had been using this spot for the past few weeks, we held tight and hoped they would follow the same path and be intrigued by some casual calling as they made their way to their afternoon retreat.

After about 45 minutes of nothing, Erik let out a yelp and was immediately cut-off by a quartet of young birds immediately to our left not 100 yards out. The combination of mouth and friction calling on the new Zink® turkey calls sparked conversation and got these birds interested and I thought to myself, “Game On”. I thought we were going to have a fantastic showing of four birds in front of Mat to his first year of hunting, even better than it already had been. That was until a lonely hen made her presence known dead in between us and them. Timidly she talked to Erik, but knew she had these birds on here side and started to pull them away. Thinking it was going to be tough to pull them apart, I hoped for the best and stayed dead still, as I was somewhat exposed to these birds’ approach, if they crested the knoll in front of me. After minutes that felt like hours, I was starting to wonder just what would happen as the four birds appeared to be getting slightly closer as time progressed. Out of nowhere a new contender to the game made his presence known out in front, nothing but field between him and us, something that is the best possible scenario for a turkey hunter. While I couldn’t see him, he sounded good and I slowly turned the camera in his direction. With his thunderous gobbles shaking the ground below me, my heart was pounding as I scanned the field partially blocked by trees and limbs in front of me. I knew Erik and Mat could see him, I just hoped he came in and gave us the view we were looking for. After minutes of gobbles, another bird made his presence known, he sounded very Jake like, and I knew one of these two birds was set to meet the plastic fake set only 25 paces in front of Mat’s gun barrel.

All at once the top of a fan appeared over the brush and a centered my camera on him, as best I could. As he slowly strutted his way towards the imitator, I hoped he cleared the tree before Mat gave him a lethal dose. Just as the bird started out of strut and got dead center behind the only major tree blocking my view, the gun let loose and the bird flopped onto his back. Mat had his bird and Erik and I got to witness yet another one of Mat’s passages into his hunting career. What a way to start of the spring season…

The Hero...

Mat Holding His Bird..

Mat and E on the Way Out..

2 Different Points of Focus

Success....