Double Down
Just as any other spring turkey hunt, this day proved to be like no other. The boys, Zander Allen-Fox, Hunter Johnson and Cameron Lynn had an opportunity to participate at the Lake Cuyamaca Youth Turkey Hunt for the opener on March 23rd. They were guided by Cody Cousins and Jamie Lynn.
As grey light began, sitting in their blinds the boys were charged with a shot of gobbling adrenaline. Faint and far off, the hills echoed with multiple gobblers in roost. Volleys of box calls were responded with what turned out to be unwilling birds. Mama boss hen had other plans for those red headed boys and by an hour after sunrise the adrenaline shakes were now replaced with cold.
The boys practicing their patients with a few nod offs were interrupted with a pair of coyotes taking interest in the decoy spread. The hour hand on the clock had now moved close to 9:30 am with no gobbles or sight of the birds. A Sherriff rescue training session was planned to take place within the hour so the boys were now taking hopes to move to plan B.
Guide Cody had to fulfill midday obligations and his hunter Zander was off to baseball.
I, Jamie suggested that the remaining three of us grab breakfast and head out to the National Forest area afterwards. The boys rebutted with their appetite consisting of wild turkey. We set forward to a nearby area where Cameron harvested his first turkey five years ago. Soon after we arrive to our destination, the boys caught glimpse of gobblers making their getaway down into a canyon. Packs were quickly assembled with shot guns shouldered along with a checklist, “Hey, did you grab the ammo?” as we devised a plan to circle out in front of gang of red heads and headed off.
Not your conventional sit and call them in, the boys and I quickly cut through the scrub oaks and manzanita and found a spot where the last known direction the birds were headed to. Whispers of where did they go, they were right there were quickly quieted by a hen purring. A visual was made with three other hens and now followed by two jakes and three toms. The boys took aim, “I got the one on the left, I got the one on the right”. Bam, Bam, double down.
High fives all around were short lived as we all three said, if Zander was here he would have got his too.
Earlier that morning back at the lake office, we all had agreed that if a single bird came in, Zander would be the one to take it. Hunter and Cameron both have harvested turkey in the past and thought it would be awesome for Zander to have his go.
As Zander was notified with photos of the boy’s success, I offered to take Zander and his father, Emory the next day.
My plan was to head back to see if the birds were willing to show up again. Only the hens. We pulled out and drove off to another location.
As the three of us were quietly headed over a hillside, I catch a hen 150 yards down at the bottom of a meadow. We hit the brakes and hear the awful sound of a PUTT. Left of Zander, a mature tom takes flight and is not to be seen again.
Uggg, the frustration on Zanders face was miserable. I assured Zander he did the right thing by not shooting that bird in flight. I told him that we’ll get onto another bird.
We had no sooner heard a nearby gobble. A quick assembly of a blind was made behind deadfall and the first call was answered. A hot gobbler was on his way. After an hour of tense close call gobbling you could hear him strutting in the oak leaves. We had em…until a limb broke off a dying oak and sent him running. As the three of us stood up, you could see that ole boy at full sprint headed the other direction.
Spring turkey season at its finest. The boys will be out of school in a few weeks just in time as the birds will be in full swing. Zander and I now have a mission to fill his first bag.
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