On Saturday, May 2^nd, 13 year old Blake Rush of Mechanicsville, harvested this nice gobbler during our New Kent Forestry Center Spring Gobbler Hunt.

Virginia Wheelin Sportsmen Co-Coordinator Mike Deane had worked this bird twice during the early morning hours, but it refused to come in closer than 75 yards.

After leaving their blind around 10:30 to go help other hunters and to begin taking down the blinds, they decided to drive the New Kent Forestry Center property on the VAWS golf cart. Around 11:30, they stopped at the end of a maintenance road to make a few calls. No sooner had they stopped, and a bird sounded off 75 yards below them. All four immediately went into high gear!

Blake left his wheelchair back at the blind when he boarded the golfcart, so his brother Austin grabbed a lawnchair and set it behind the Caterpillar dozer. After setting Blake in the chair, Blake’s father Kevin backed the golfcart down the road 100 yards, With Blake secure behind his “dozer blind”, Austin moved back to film.

Mike started to call. The gobbler answered every call but didn’t want to budge. Mike continued to call as he backed away, and this movement started to pull the gobbler closer within range of Blake’s 20 ga. When the bird changed directions and started coming in from a different angle, Austin quickly realized he had to move Blake. He sneaked back to the dozer, re-positioned Blake’s lawnchair, and they prepared for the shot. Two or three gobbles later, the longbeard appeared giving Blake the shot he wanted. At 11:42 Blake lowered the boom on this beautiful gobbler sporting a heavy 10” beard.

                                Blake and Mike enjoying the moment behind the “Dozer Blind”.

We would like to thank our gracious hosts and partners at the Virginia Department of Forestry for allowing us to enjoy this magnificent piece of property. For more New Kent Forestry Center Spring Gobbler Hunt pics, check out our Photo Gallery!