“Let me tell ya about Jeb’s first turkey hunt — one of those memories that’ll stick with me forever. We were on the family land near Halifax, Virginia, and I had been waiting for this moment. Jeb had watched those turkeys roam for years, but on that crisp fall evening, he finally got his shot.
The sun was setting just right, casting this golden light through the trees, and the air had that perfect chill—everything lined up for the kind of father-son hunt you dream about. Jeb had his .410 shotgun with him, and I could see the mix of excitement and nerves on his face. We crept through the woods, and I showed him the tracks. I kept giving him some pointers and soaking in the moment.
Then, we saw them. A whole flock of turkeys was busy pecking away at the ground, totally unaware we were nearby. I leaned over to Jeb and whispered, ‘There they are.’ His heart had to be pounding; I know mine was. He got his shotgun ready and lined up his shot, and I thought, ‘This is it.’
All of a sudden, those turkeys got spooked. They started flapping and flying off, and I thought we’d missed our chance. I started saying, ‘They’re too far now,’ but before I could finish, Jeb squeezed that trigger, and—BAM—one of those turkeys dropped right out of the sky. I couldn’t believe it! I turned to him and said, ‘You got him!’ The look on his face was pure disbelief and pride all rolled into one. We both ran over to where the turkey fell, and I knelt down to check it out.
Now, here’s the crazy part—I couldn’t find a single pellet hole. I looked that bird over and said, ‘I don’t see a single hole. Must’ve gone through the turkey’s eye or his ear.’ I was shaking my head, just in awe of the whole thing.
We stood under that setting sun, Jeb beaming, and I couldn’t have been prouder. That was his first turkey, and what a shot! I still can’t quite explain how he pulled it off, but that’s the magic of it. We took a picture with the bird afterward, and that photo still hangs up in the house today. Every time I see it, I’m reminded of that perfect day when my son made a shot for the ages.”
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