Hunter Hayes harvests state's biggest gobbler

By By Mike Giles / outdoors writer
April 9, 2004
Only four days after John Robb of Philadelphia bested the existing state record 24.64 pound turkey, lightning struck the turkey world again. Decatur resident Hunter Hayes harvested a 25 pound 4 ounce gobbler that topped Robb's 25 pound three ounce monarch by one ounce.
Although the massive gobbler had been taken at 5:30 a.m., it wasn't officially weighed in until after 5 p.m. that day. While they were trying to get in touch with local scoring officials, the turkey was losing weight. Sometime after lunch the gobbler was put into a cooler to prevent further weight loss.
Sixteen-year-old Hunter Hayes may be young, but he's no stranger to the turkey hunting fraternity. Young Hayes started going with his dad at the tender age of eight.
George Hayes has been living in Mississippi since 1981 and even killed his first gobbler near the Bayou Pierre River at the Mount Gomer hunting club in 1978 while on a visit here. Needless to say he was hooked on turkey hunting and his love for the sport has been transferred to his son, Hunter. The two have been on many turkey hunts together and were in fact together on the most recent successful hunt.
On Monday afternoon, March 29th, Hunter Hayes went to the woods in search of a bird. Shortly after the rain stopped he spotted a couple of hens and one of the largest gobblers he had ever seen. By getting on the turkeys late in the day, he had a chance to watch them fly up to roost. The hens flew up first in one direction and the gobbler actually flew directly towards Hayes as he made his final flight of the day to his roost limb.
The next morning, young Hayes and his dad George were in the woods before the break of day. George Hayes owl hooted and the old monarch cut him off with a lusty gobble. He was close, about 100 yards away, and he was hot and ready for action. The two quickly set up and Hunter went to work. Hayes gave him a little bit of seductive come hither pleading on his favorite Knight and Hale slate call. The turkey came back with a lusty reply of his own.
Ghostly gobbler
Almost instantly the sound of wing beats greeted the expectant hunters as the coal black monarch exploded from his lofty perch and soared to the ground. This time the old gobbler was primed and ready for action with the new hen on the block. This was his territory and he was master of the harem, or so he thought. The turkey was enveloped in a shroud of fog and mist and was hard to see. Finally the old gobbler appeared much like a ghost in the night.
As Hunter called and pleaded to the tom, he would come a little closer, stop and strut again. Once he got within sight Hayes switched to his Preston Pittman Black Diamond mouth call and really let him have it. "Come a little closer," sang the sweet notes from the young turkey expert's lips. At each pleading, it brought the old gobbler a little closer. Yes, he was about to meet his master.
As the monster gobbler strutted behind a bush, Hayes raised his 12 gauge and took aim. Emerging from behind the brush, the gobbler instantly came out of strut and froze when Hayes sent out a low call. In the instant before Hayes pulled the trigger, somehow it seemed like the old gobbler realized he had been had! As the shotgun roared to life, the old gobbler bit the dust, going down in a heap. While the monstrous bird lay slain on the ground, another gobbler with a paintbrush, size beard looked on in a dazed state. Young Hayes had called up not one, but two trophy gobblers with his father witnessing the whole feat.
While this young hunter has now mastered the art of turkey calling, he doesn't forget to give his dad a lot of credit. "My dad basically taught me when and when not to call," explained Hunter. Seems like he learned his lesson well. Well enough to harvest a state record class gobbler that is. It just doesn't get any better than that.