Story by Craig Nyhus, Lone Star Outdoor News
Photo by Nick Kohleffel
Shauna Kohleffel has a 2-year-old son. That, plus a job as a registered nurse, severely limits her hunting time. That changed earlier this week when she shot her first gobbler in Kendall County.
“We got Liam (the 2-year-old) out of daycare early and grandma watched him,” Shauna’s husband, Nick, said. “By the time we got to the field, there were already two gobblers there. After two calls, they were gobbling back.”
The conversation went on for 15 minutes or so, and then the gobblers moved on.
“We moved 200 yards or so and I put the decoy (a MAD Smoky Baby Albino hen) up on a ridge where the birds could see it from the other side of the canyon,” Nick said. “When I called we had four groups calling back.”
After 20 minutes or so, the first bird flew across the canyon and landed 60 yards from the hunters.
“He strutted but wouldn’t come any closer,” Nick said.
Next, a hen came up from behind, clucking, and moved past the hunters toward the tom.
“We never saw those two again,” Nick said.
After a period of silence, the couple saw two red heads coming through the brush.
“One gobbler came running up to the decoy and went into full strut,” Nick said. “He was behind the decoy for a good while, but then he cleared it and she drilled him (with a Fabarm L4S and Fiocchi #4 turkey load).”
The second bird came up and jumped on the downed bird, but it was again behind the decoy.
“She took a shot at it but missed,” Nick said.
Shauna’s mature gobbler had two beards, 10 and 7 inches.
“She wasn’t that into it at first, until they started gobbling back,” Nick said. “After she shot, she was shaking real bad — it had been more than 3 years, since before she got pregnant, since she’s hunted anything other than a few dove.”
