2026 hunt adventures, the next Ben series

[BenP]

Well, might as well start the next set of hunt stories.

We start with my two oldest boys knowing why it's like to be broke after spending all their money.





The oldest got a CZ 457 in .22lr and I was able to get the scope on and have him shoot it and get it close sighted in as it was windy.

The next one wanted a 410 so apparently Stevens might be discontinuing their 301 model so I was lucky to have one gun shop that had one left. Already had a red dot on it too so he is ready for turkey season and will probably get a modified or improved cylinder so he can shoot slugs for deer too.

 

[BenP]

 

[duckhunt]

Great stuff Ben.im looking forward to following along.

 

[Sportsman Studio]

Well, might as well start the next set of hunt stories.

We start with my two oldest boys knowing why it's like to be broke after spending all their money.

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The oldest got a CZ 457 in .22lr and I was able to get the scope on and have him shoot it and get it close sighted in as it was windy.

The next one wanted a 410 so apparently Stevens might be discontinuing their 301 model so I was lucky to have one gun shop that had one left. Already had a red dot on it too so he is ready for turkey season and will probably get a modified or improved cylinder so he can shoot slugs for deer too.

Awesome!

 

[Sportsman Studio]

Awesome!

Awesome!

 

[BenP]

So today was the opener for youth turkey season. It's only two days this year compared to a week long previously which I think is a good change. Unfortunately there were no turkeys to clean today.

Took the second child out, Jonah, with my middle brother and had a pretty morning but only one hen came out and stayed away from us.






My oldest brother called after we had sat for about two hours and said around the other side of the woods were 4 hens and a red head with a limp. We went on around to that corner and they were about 250 yards away walking to us. Looked to be a Jake with the hens and the worked down the field to about 80 yards when they spooked and went into the woods.

Not sure if the sprayer about 500 yards away scared them or the new houses they are building on the adjacent farm. (They sold around ten 10-acre "ranchetes" that's about 400 yards from where we were hunting.)

We went back down to the other end where we started and figured the birds would come through. And they did after about 15 minutes but to our misfortune only one hen came by in the shooting window. The other hens and Jake stopped 20 yards short and went back into woods and went around us scratching.




After awhile, we got up and my brother called me over to where he was sitting, also where my son and I were sitting in the first part, and pointed in the tree.


A pretty black racer snake.

At this time we had to go so we could make it back in time for a family event. My oldest brother called and said a tom was out in the field where the ones had earlier been, but we were out of time and left him to go about his merry way.

Hopefully next Saturday yields a meal, if not it was fun being out there and seeing Jonah inspect box turtles, ants, and a snake.

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

. (They sold around ten 10-acre "ranchetes" that's about 400 yards from where we were hunting.)

The horror.

 

[BenP]

The horror.

Yeah, it's a crying shame. Landowner had rented to a farmer for years and decided they wanted to sell but it's sorry ground, worth no more than $5,000/acre but they wanted at least $9,000 and no farmer would pay that much so to a developer it went.

And to give a life update, Trump signed a memo to have DHS paid so finally got a paycheck for the last 2 months but will see what happens going forward as they still haven't passed a funding bill for us. Take the blessing while I can.

Now back to the regular......., well, irregular hunting program.

 

[BenP]

With not getting paid I have been busy when not at work doing odds and ends to make some money and have been staying up late, so when this past Saturday rolled around I couldn't bring myself to wake up at 0430 to go hunting. Plus didn't have time to scout so would have been blind anywhere I went.

Decided to try for an afternoon hunt after helping the wife out around the house. Took Garland, the oldest with me and we rode around looking for a bird. Didn't take long to spot one about 80 yards from where Jonah, and I set up at the previous Saturday.

This is also the same spot that I stalked through the woods last year and wounded a turkey that cause a spiral of emotions for me. But with that aside I went with good spirits this year with the oldest tagging along for the .66 mile walk across canals, ditches, thick undergrowth, and way too many spider webs. Decided not to bring the cumbersome decoys and was going to just hope they walk by going to roost.

We get going and about 300 yards in, I see 2 hens out in the field headed to the woods where we needed to go. So I made a mental note and tell Garland, what I think they will do and what we might have to do to deviate.

So cross a canal without falling in and get going through the spider webs, kid doesn't know how lucky he is to follow behind me.

By the time we get a ways in I slow down and listen and sure enough I hear turkeys scratching. I asked Garland, If he knows what it is and it takes him a minute to realize that it's the hens we saw earlier and now are about 50 yards away. We make a big circle around them and continue on to the inside corner of the next field.

As we get there and slow our pace I try to locate the birds and can't find them. Move around some and finally spot them about 120 yards from us and the are about 50 yards from the wood line.

We get down behind a mound of dirt where they dug the ditch out decades ago and crawl down closer getting the where I feel like they will follow the field ditch towards the woods. After a bit they start working their way back to the woods before we could get exactly where I wanted but it was going to have to be good enough.



Got him all situated and we waited and just like with Jonah, the hens come by within range but the tom stops short. He is in range and Garland is trying to adjust to get a clear shot but couldn't get moved far enough over to clear the brush before the bird turned back around and walked into the field again. All the while the hens stayed put scratching in front of us.







So he moved out across the field and goes about 80 yards and the hens finally move on to our left and head to back corner. The tom comes back but only gets to about 45-50 yards, too far even for my gun with the turkey choke. Now is when the turkey is clear for a shot for Garland and he asks "is he in range?" "No, bud. Sorry he is too far"

He continues on and follows the hens down to the woods and goes in to roost.

We get up and Garland's legs are shaking with adrenaline. Good times and then back through the webs to get to the truck to head home.

 

[BenP]

Sunday, which I don't hunt on and typically my brother doesn't either. But, a girl he is talking to wanted to go hunting so he made an exception.... let's just say it was a true test of their relationship as the same bird walked right passed and she didn't shoot.



They set up where I wanted to get to which is about 20 yards from where Garland and I were and she said she couldn't get the gun up to shoot, maybe adrenaline got her or maybe she really didn't want to kill a turkey. I don't know but he scraped by twice within 12 hours.

 

[Peesh]

Great photos Ben.