Kershaw County is site of unusual hunt
The recession continues to plague outdoorsmen, hunters and anglers, among others, to conserve their resources.
Trey Fitts of Columbia effectively did that on April 9, killing two mature turkey gobblers with a single 3½-inch shotgun shell — even though economics probably had nothing to do with it.
What seemed to be an unsuccessful hunt on a rainy morning in the woodlands near Bethune, ended in double glory for Fitts, who was on the way back to his truck when he struck up the two gobblers, who weighed 18 and 19 pounds, respectively, carried 9- and 10-inch beards and 1- and 1¼-inch spurs.
A third gobbler was actually a few yards behind the two unlucky ones, but it was fortunately out of the line of fire of Fitts’ Benelli 12-gauge Super Black Eagle, loaded with No. 5 Federal Premium shells.
Fitts, who had cancelled a fishing trip to Lake Marion that morning, trading his catfish rods for a shotgun, was on the way back to his truck when a gobble range out about 150 yards off the logging road he was walking.
“There is a lot of truth in being ready and in the right place at the right time,” said Fitts, who was hunting on a 350-acre lease near the Lynches River in Kershaw County.
When the bird gobbled, Fitts dropped to his knees, took off his backpack and clucked a few times on a slate call. Within seconds the gobbler fired off again and already sounded he’d covered one third of the distance between them.
“This turkey was closing fast, and I knew I didn’t have much time until he showed up looking for a mate. It was real thick along this woods road, but I had to take what I could get,” he said.
Fitts set up a hen decoy and moved 20 foot off the road, sitting against a tall pine tree covered with thick brush He had only a small opening, but when he made his next series of clucks, the gobbler roared back, within 25 yards of his position.
“When he gobbled the last time, I knew the bird was in the roadway and could see the decoy. I propped the gun against (a tree) while on my knees and waited for movement to appear in my shooting lane.”
Fitts caught some movement and couldn’t believe his eyes. The turkey he was expecting was actually three big gobblers strutting together within a few yards of his spot, directly in line with the end of his shotgun.
“It was like a jackhammer!” he said.
With two gobblers standing close together and the third lagging behind, Fitts knew he had the chance to double up. He saw the two turkeys’ heads enter his scope, in line with the crosshairs, and he pulled the trigger, dropping them both instantaneously.
“It would have been a piece of cake to shoot the third one, but knowing the laws and the limits of two gobblers per day . . . this was no time to get greedy or to be an outlaw,” Fitts said. “Then, the third bird finally eased off out of sight.”
The two gobblers he took won’t be out of his sight for long. Taxidermist Kenny Jackson of Sumter is preserving the “double play” for Fitts as a permanent reminder of his unforgettable experience in the hills of Kershaw County.
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