I should have written about turkey hunting before now because the youth hunt took place last weekend. In addition to that, the first of six seasons starts on Wednesday with the last season going through Memorial Day. But it’s better late than never and at least for the near future, it’s all about the turkey. 

As I have written before, being able to hunt turkeys in the spring is the reward for enduring another long winter and that couldn’t be truer than this year. I know that Mother Naure could change her mind but at least we know that the snow won’t last long at this time of year and better yet, we have turkeys to hunt! 

While I impatiently wait for my season to arrive, my turkey fix is limited to listening to stories from my cronies or reliving my own stories from hunts gone by. I can’t say that I remember every single hunt, but I do remember details of the most important one: when I bagged my first bird.  

Twenty some years ago I pulled my first turkey tag for Pierce County. Back then, tags weren’t as easy to acquire. Sometimes hunters waited two years to draw a tag. That is a stark contrast to today’s turkey hunting world where bonus tags can be purchased for $10. In my opinion, spending ten bucks on an extra tag or two is some pretty cheap entertainment.     

The first morning I hunted in Pierce County was between Ellsworth and River Falls, near Beldenville. Why did I go there? Well, the long answer is that someone’s brother-in-law told a guy at a gas station that his grandpa talked to the mail man who said he saw a tom strutting in a field there two days ago. Now you have to remember that during those early days of turkey hunting here, the only thing scarcer than a turkey hunting tag were the turkeys themselves. There just weren’t many around and a two-day-old lead was the best thing that I had going. 

When I got to the woods, I nestled into the base of three trees that offered pretty good cover. I wasn’t sure if the tom was still in the area so when he gobbled that first time I just about jumped out of my boots. He was close. The more the tom gobbled the easier it was to keep track of him. I could tell he was getting closer, but I had no idea how long it would take him to get into range.   

I called to the tom and he answered back immediately. Better yet, he was on the move and coming fast. It wasn’t going to take him minutes to get to me, this was going to happen in seconds. Before I could say “turkey dinner” he was in range and my hunt was over. 

Even though that first hunt was a long time ago I am still amazed by all the details that I can remember. Compare that to the here and now when I have to cut this short because I forgot to pick up the mail, again. 

Don’t forget that Outdoor Tales and Trails and the Pierce County Journal are your turkey hunting bragging headquarters. Email the photos and details of your hunt to dave@piercecountyjournal.news or through the messenger feature on Facebook, Outdoor Tales and Trails with Dave Beck. Special thanks to my nephew Reid who supplied me with a youth photo as a way to remind you to send in yours.  

Didn’t get enough Dave this week? Visit “Outdoor Trails and Tales with Dave Beck” on Facebook for photos and video of Dave’s adventures. You can share your own photos and video with him there as well, or by emailing him at dave@piercecountyjournal.news Also, check out OTT content on Instagram @thepiercecountyjournal