Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Clinton Wood | Robert McCabe holds his 21-pound Tom turkey he bagged with his 12-guage shotgun...... read more read more
JOLIET TRAINING AREA, Ill. – The first time was a charm for this hunter during the Joliet Training Area spring turkey hunting season April 12 until May 12, 2022. Robert McCabe bagged a 21-pound Tom with a beard that measured 9 ½ inches and an inch and a quarter spur May 10. The other spur was missing which could have resulted from a vicious fight with another male turkey.
This was the first time McCabe’s name was drawn in the lottery by JTA wildlife biologist Randy Berry since McCabe, 45, has been applying for the last 26 years. The names of 10 hunters are picked from the lottery for each of the five turkey hunting seasons on the 3,600-acre property.
McCabe, who shot a Jake in another Illinois county earlier in the week, almost had to wait another day or season. As he sighted down his variable power scope and placed the crosshairs on the Tom’s head, he squeezed the trigger of his 12-guage shotgun with a 28-inch barrel and there was no boom. The gun’s safety was still on.
“I clicked the safety off, he took two more steps,” said McCabe who was sitting by a tree and as still as a “stone.” “I still had the scope on him, I shot him, and he fell right over.”
His day started at 5:30 a.m. He bagged his turkey about four hours later. He said in his turkey hunting experience, the best times to bag a turkey are from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.
When he entered the woods, he noted he heard no turkeys gobbling. He believes they had “lock jaw” because of the excessive heat the day before. “I saw him off in the distance and I kept clucking at this hen, and she was clucking back at me,” McCabe said.
He said he thinks his calling “got on the hen’s nerves.” She got within 10 feet of him. At the same time, the Toms started following the vocal hen.
McCabe chose a good location to hunt. His brother-in-law shot a turkey the day before at 5:55 a.m. in the same area. He said this turkey was on the roost in a tree. He was bagged when he left his nest.
So, what did McCabe do after bagging his bird? He had to go back to work. His boss gave him the morning off.
By the way, McCabe has never missed a turkey yet with his shotgun and scope. He said most hunters who hunt without a scope always shoot high when looking down the barrel’s bead while looking at the bird.
“It’s a dedicated turkey gun now,” said McCabe.
| Date Taken: | 05.24.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 05.24.2022 11:37 |
| Story ID: | 421375 |
| Location: | JOLIET, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 339 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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