Voices of Prois... Nothing Better Than The Kaboom!

By:  Prois Staffer and Missouri State Coordinator, Jessica Helbig

"Wait, wait, wait... there are more coming over the hill! There are 3 toms, 1 jake, and 2 hens. Don't let those sassy girls catch you moving the camera!"

Now that I have your attention, let me back this story up.

My friend, Cori Raber, called me and asked if my husband, Jacob Helbing, and I would take her and her husband, Chester, turkey hunting. We were excited to put our calling and filming skills to the test. We drove to Russell, Iowa, stayed overnight, and began our early morning trek at 4 a.m. in search of the perfect setup.

Of course, it was chilly when we arrived. Thank goodness I was bundled up in my Prois gear, including my Olann Merino Bottom baselayers and Solas Ultimate Hoodie. Those layers made all the difference while sitting in the dewy bottoms.

After walking a little over a mile, we let out a barred owl hoot. Immediately, two toms answered from about 400 yards away in the bottom. They were roosted in a single tree so tall it made Mount Everest look small. Okay, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but it was definitely a tall one.

We quickly set up our Avian-X breeding hen and half-strut jake decoys and started our calling sequence, hoping to lure those boys in.

As soon as we started calling, more and more hens began sounding off. It quickly became a competition. Apparently, they didn't appreciate us being in their territory. For nearly 20 minutes, we battled those hens back and forth until finally we spotted two birds cresting the hill.

Unfortunately, they were hens.

At that point, we thought the hunt might be over.

Then, suddenly, here he came.

A vivid red, blue, and purple-headed tom appeared in full strut. He danced through the tall grass, searching for his next victim—our half-strut jake decoy. As he worked his way closer, he reached 50 yards, and I was the only one who could see him. The others looked my way after hearing his unmistakable drumming.

I was already filming.

Because he was now 15 yards away.

As soon as everyone got eyes on him, we realized he wasn't alone.

"Wait, wait, wait..."

There were 3 toms, 1 jake, and 2 hens spread across the field, all within 100 yards.

We decided to be patient and wait for the other two toms to move into range.

Slowly, Cori began raising her shotgun. Chester did the same. Sitting side by side, they started counting down.

But then the red heads intervened.

Two toms squared off and began fighting, spinning and twirling around each other. Finally, one bird broke to our left.

Cori took her shot.

KABOOM!

The tom hit the ground.

At the same moment, Chester swung his gun to the right.

KABOOM!

Another bird down.

Two birds. Two shots. An Iowa double.

Jacob and I couldn't have been more excited to witness and film such an incredible hunt with our close friends. Watching Cori and Chester complete their Iowa double is a memory we'll never forget, and sharing moments like these is exactly why we love being in the turkey woods.