First Turkey

At 13 and 17 years of age, my sons James and Robert are responsible and capable with firearms, and they are becoming good hunters. This delights me to no end because I see hunting as a manly pursuit.

My hope is that these boys will grow up to become capable, resourceful, manly men. More so than I have been. I think it is happening.

I have chronicled the woodchuck, rabbit, deer, and goose-hunting exploits of my sons on this blog in the past. Today I am pleased to tell you of another family first: a first turkey.

Robert and James were up before sunrise last Saturday morning. They made themselves scrambled eggs for breakfast, donned their cammo outfits, and were out the door when our friend, George, pulled in the driveway to pick them up. I was sound asleep. :-)

George is a Christian brother, a laboratory researcher by profession, and an avid lifelong hunter. He has three sons of his own, but only one is interested in hunting, and he is busy with college studies. So George graciously invited Robert and James to go turkey hunting with him.

It was not the first time either boy had been turkey hunting but it was the first time they actually came home with one.

Photobucket

That’s James, George, and Robert with a nice Tom. The dog is Annie. She wants to drag that turkey off and bury it somewhere. Robert shot the big gobbler. It's his first turkey.

Here’s another picture of Robert with his turkey.

Photobucket

The beard is 12” long. The spurs are 1-3/8”. George says it is a once-in-a-lifetime turkey.

Robert and I skinned the bird and it's now in the freezer. We are looking forward to eating a wild turkey. That'll be another first.

9 comments:

The Bradshaws said...

Excellent! Nothing more exciting than a successful turkey hunt. Now we just need Robert to recount for us every moment as hunters tend to do...site selection, calling, silly jakes, missed opportunities, etc. Enjoy the feast! Distinctively different.
Keith

Anonymous said...

Good work boys! Thats quite a gobbler there.

Herrick,

I never took you for one of them people who would SKIN a turkey. I just assumed that a man who's name is synonymous with the word "plucker" would pluck his bird. :)

I'm just joshin' you, kind of. I grew up in a house where the crispy skin was very important to my dad. Skinning a turkey would be considered a deadly sin around here. I can just see my fathers face now if I told him that I skinned a turkey....Ha ha ha. It would be almost as bad as if I told him I skinned a pig.

Congrats again to the boys. They are becoming fine woodsman.

Dreamer said...

Congratulations to the hunters. I think I'd like to try turkey hunting myself. The only time I've ever had wild turkey was at a friend's house whose husband is an avid hunter. It was really good. I wish I would have asked how she prepared it.

SzélsőFa said...

Wow.
Turkey is one of the things you just can not hunt here in the wild.
This must also be a memory of a lifetime for Robert!

(I have a post up about AeroGarden. You are kindly invited to cast your thougts about it.)

Troy said...

Wow that is awesome Herrick. I have tried turkey hunting, and we have tons here in S. MN. But those birds are a totally different adventure. We can drive by them on the road and they won't move, but if I walk out my garage when they are 300 yards away, they RUN to the woods for cover. Congrats to your sons for a successful and record class bird.

I will try turkey hunting again someday (forgot - or lack of time this year to apply for license.) I have taken plenty of deer with my 30-06 back home (iron range MN) when I was growing up, but the last 2 deer I took home were w/my bow which I just started shooting 3 years ago. What an awesome way to hunt in my opinion! And that is how I plan on taking my first turkey, with a bow.

Anyway I'm rambling. So a big HOORAHH to your boys again. And to comment on the Monday post. I too would love to get back to a simple life where I work for what I need for income at 3-6 hours / week, but part of the problem is federal and state taxes, would you not agree? I mean they "say" we work until April 18 until we've paid for our portion to the government on average. Doesn't everone see a problem with the size of the "government" which is "for the people, by the people?"

Have a great weekend Herrick and may your production be fruitful.

God Bless you and yours,
Troy (the Kraut guy)
Dexter, MN

ps. Happy Mother's Day to Marlene - congrats on ALL the boys you are raising there :)

Herrick Kimball said...

Hi Keith-
Thanks for commenting. I decided not to recount the whole story here. It would be a good exercise for Robert to do so. I seem to recall you blogging awhile back about your son getting a turkey too, "Distinctively different." That description of wild turkey has me wondering.

Hi Scott-
Yes, it is kind of ironic that I invent the Whizbang poultry plucker and then skin the turkey. We considered plucking. But then, by the time we had removed the tail feathers, along with a lot of back skin, I decided to just skin it. We'll pluck the next one. :-)

dreamer-
Okay, "really good" sounds more appealing than "distinctively different." ;-)

Hi Szelsofa-
I went to your blog and was unable to find the AeroGarden post. Can you provide a link to it here for me? Thanks.

Thanks Troy-
Bow hunting a turkey sounds like a real challenge. Taxes are a big problem. We are drones supporting a government that is out of control. Property taxes are, to my way of thinking. the worst. Nobody is secure on their land if they must pay property taxes to live there. We have cabbage seedlings growing for transplanting later in the garden.

Anonymous said...

Hi Herrick,

I probably already told you that when we moved into our Condo and John was out on the back deck, he called for me to come quick to see the pheasants in our back field. I looked and they were turkeys. He's a real city
boy :o) I also saw 3 deer
out back at dusk. Hope I don't get tics. Enjoy the turkey - my old college roommate had them in her yard in NH and she said the breast is good, but the legs are tough.. Congrats to the boys. CKM

SzélsőFa said...

http://szelsofa.blogspot.com/2008/05/road-and-evil-stones.html

and thank you!

Anonymous said...

moist, keep that bird moist while cooking! I'm sure you already knew that, but just had to chime in. I've cooked a few wild birds here, they are delicious and thankfully nothing like the nasty things they sell at the market! Congrats to your son, my oldest daughter has yet to get a turkey, but has gotten elk,deer, and antelope, my 11yo son cannot wait to join the ranks of big game hunters, it is becoming a lost art.