As it is with any turkey hunting season, all good things must end. And as I walked out of the woods realizing that the 2026 spring season was over, with an open tag still in my pocket, I figured I’ll just file this under one more story that I can now add to the countless stories I’ve listened to during this great turkey hunting season. And it was a great season!
Despite the rain and cooler temperatures early on, this could still end up being one of the best spring seasons in the past 10 years! For myself, this year was simply Ok. But for others hunting with me at various times of the season, it was fantastic, as every group I took managed to fill at least one tag! And at this stage of my life, nothing is more fulfilling than helping someone else find success, especially if it’s a first-time turkey hunter! Yes, I’ve heard and shared many stories with turkey hunters all over the state as the season has evolved. But the best story that came to me this year was from long-time friend and turkey hunter, Greenfield’s own, Dan Guin! And the story goes like this!
As Danny left his house that morning, he had a feeling that this could become a special day. And as he arrived at his destination, that thought continued to grow! But after a long morning of sitting in the dark listening to birds’ thundering on the roost, the woods suddenly became quiet almost immediately after fly-down. Despite the urge to move, he stayed put till about 8 a.m. and managed to get only one response, which was just a shock gobble. Now, he was hunting in an area that he knew had lots of pressure from other hunters, but earlier that week he noticed something important — he started noticing that if he called too much, the birds would simply disappear. And that is a complex situation for any hunter!
Later that morning, Dan decided to check out another location, and after a 30-minute drive, he spotted what looked like a spring flock in the far back corner of a field. From where he sat, he could see at least two long beards, four jakes, and a couple of hens in the group. So, he quietly slipped into this area, looking for a place to sit, about 200 yards from where he parked. As time passed, it wasn’t long before he spotted the group about 100 yards out. The Jakes were chasing each other, one tom was in full strut, while others were just feeding casually. So, he decided to simply stay silent, sit still, and wait. An hour or so passed before curiosity got the best of him, and he slowly lifted for a closer look.
Amazingly, those birds had only moved 20 yards from where he first saw them— and not an inch closer. Suddenly, Danny noticed a hen walking in his direction, and all it took was a few soft clucks and some light cutting, and the hen answered immediately! She started moving along the edge of the field, coming towards him as he tried to disappear against a massive white pine. And when it seemed safe, he slowly turned, knowing they would have to go directly past him for any kind of shot opportunity.
He could really hear her calling now, but ever so softly. And it was here that Dan made a wise decision, choosing not to call again, and not even look in the direction from which they were coming. He just sat as still as a stone, which is what smart hunters do in situations like this. Even though the minutes can seem like hours at times, he just sat still and waited. The hen was getting closer, and he could clearly hear it. And just then, movement to his left caught his immediate attention. But now there were at least 10 pairs of eyes looking at him, only 15 yards away still on the left side, so he needed to be careful now.
Barely breathing, slow breaths, this was not the time for sudden movement. Then, coming up on the fields edge, appeared the hen with the biggest beard he had ever seen on a female turkey! He estimated it to be eight inches long and thick as a mature gobbler. “It’s a hen,” he reminded himself. Yet, some hunters would have taken her because she was legal, but his mind screamed with the speed of thought that, “this bird is still a hen!” And that second of hesitation brought with it the sound of “a gathering call,” and something else that Dan wasn’t expecting.
Suddenly, the woods around him came alive, and behind the hen came more young poults than he could count, scrambling through the brush towards her. In that instant, everything changed. With that one call, the entire scene shifted, with the poults suddenly appearing behind the mother they depended on. And at that same second, two jakes and a longbeard came into view, but they were bunched too tightly together for a safe shot, so he waited.
More movement induced a quick glance to his left where another jake and a long beard were angling past him. The jake suddenly turned back, and that split-second opening was enough for a safe shot. In a second, it was over, with Dan about to retrieve a beautiful mature gobbler. But still, he had to wait a little longer as the jakes would not run, they just stood tall, staring at Dan’s gobbler, until they finally decided to move on. Danny just sat there watching them, watching the hen and her poults, savoring the moment, while threading everything together of what will surely become, “a hunt to remember!”
Joe Judd is a lifelong hunter and sportsman. He is an outdoor writer, seminar speaker, member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association, and a 2019 inductee into the New England Turkey Hunting Hall of Fame. Joe is also a member of the Quaker Boy Game Calls and Bass Pro/Cabela’s Pro Staff.