In 2022, I embarked on wild turkey hunting for the first time. At first, I was a little unsure because I'm used to hunting big game. But over time, the idea of this new experience began to appeal to me more and more. For me, nothing is more rewarding than spending time hunting in the wild. It's a real escape, a feeling of freedom.
A story by Valérie Gauthier, ambassador of Sportchief and Ecotone
So I decided to seize this opportunity by following online training on turkey hunting and purchased several calls from the Extrême C.G company to practice. I also invested in camouflage clothing from Sportchief, with their X-Unity Light pattern, to blend in with the surroundings. All I had to do was wait for the right moment.
Extrême C.G. products are available, in particular, via Ecotone stores, official Sportchief retailers.
The day of our departure has finally arrived. Accompanied by my hunting partner, we hit the road with our trailer which would serve as a camp (image below)
After almost ten hours of driving, we arrived at our destination where our friends were waiting to welcome us. For my first experience, I was guided by my friend Steve Richer and I managed to harvest a Jake (image below ) during a fine hunt. My Sportchief camouflage gear proved very effective, the turkey didn't spot me. It was an incredible adrenaline rush.
The following days, I was guided by my friend Sylvain Richer. He worked hard to lure a nice big tom in front of me(below), but unfortunately I missed my shot. It's a failure that I may regret for a long time.
Despite this, this experience completely won me over and made me want to learn more. I decided to try the adventure again the following year, this time alone, to learn to manage on my own and gain confidence.
I quickly realized that wild turkey hunting is more difficult than I thought. These birds are very cunning, with an extremely developed sense of sight and an excellent auditory memory. They can spot the slightest movement or its suspect. You must therefore be very careful and master different calling techniques to deceive them.
get up at dawn every day, observe their behavior, use different calls to lure them into shooting range and finally succeed in catching them harvesting are challenges that I am learning to take on little by little. I had an intense week full of twists and turns. On my first day I was lucky enough to see two big toms with their females, but unfortunately they were too far away and despite my best efforts I was unable to attract them.
The week was coming to an end, so my buddy and I went back to prospect for new places to hunt. After spotting a promising location, I decided to try my luck one last time. It was my last morning of hunting and it was raining, but despite this, no answer to our calls. Then, a female appeared, followed by four Jakes. It wasn't the big tom I had hoped for all week, but it was my last chance and I took it. In an instant, I managed to harvest two Jakes. It was an unexpected and exciting ending to this intense week.
Ultimately, I officially became an avid wild turkey hunter. The interaction with these birds is more than captivating. I still have a lot to learn, but I am passionate about these intense and adventure-filled moments. Looking forward to the 2024 season!
