Hunting > Turkeys

Mike Pentecost’s Quest for 450 Turkeys by 50

This hardcore turkey hunter is on a quest to take 450 turkeys before he turns 50. But can he do it?

June 11, 2012

6/11/2012

Mike Pentecost has been a turkey hunter since he was a boy. Starting out like many hunters by pursuing small game and then whitetail deer under the watchful guidance of his grandparents, Mike quickly developed an interest in pursuing wild turkeys—a pursuit that would become a virtual addiction.

With no one to teach him how to turkey hunt, Mike learned the hard way. He walked into the woods every chance he got and figured it out. Combining woodsmanship skills learned from his earlier days hunting with a quickly developing talent for calling, Mike began to find success. As he grew, he hunted every chance he could and then began traveling to take on turkeys of different subspecies in different environments. Mike’s love for turkey hunting turned into a vocation when he started Woodhaven Custom Calls in 1992 as a part-time project. By 1999, it was his full-time job.

Now, just a little more than two months from his 50th birthday, Mike begins the 2012 turkey season with a challenging goal. Having taken 439 turkeys over the course of his life, the Woodhaven owner hopes to reach 450 turkeys before he turns 50 on May 29. That means he needs to tag 11 birds this season to reach his goal. Can he do it?

Mike officially begins his quest in Florida where he hopes to take a pair of Osceola wild turkeys before returning home to Alabama for a couple weeks of hunting. His travels will take him to Texas for Rios, and then Montana and Wyoming for Merriam’s. Mike hopes his quest will end in the West or perhaps, even better, at home in Alabama after his return. If not, May offers a shot at the challenging birds found across the northern states.

Follow this quest on American Hunter’s Journal where Mike will share his spring adventures, as well as tips on calling, strategies and tactics that have made him such a successful turkey hunter. Mike’s Woodhaven calls have been used to win more than 20 Grand National titles, nearly as many World titles and hundreds of regional, state and local championships. Mike himself has a self-described “addiction to friction,” and has won multiple state and regional calling contests.

Can he do it? Check back often to find out.

Quest for 450:

• Opening Day in Alabama

• Quest Delayed

• Biding Time

• A Day Well Spent

• Florida Bound—Finally

• How Well Are You Hidden?

• Number 440 Falls

• Take a Break Hunting Tip

• 441 Falls in Second Day of Florida

• Number 442 in Tennessee

• Keys to the Hunt

• 443 Falls in Tennessee

• Keys to the Afternoon Hunt for 443

• Turkey Camp

• 444 Goes Down in Bama

• Number 445 Closes Out Alabama

• The Gobbler Coffin

• The Long Road to 446

• Death in the Morning

• Death in the Afternoon

• West Bound

• Return to Big Sky

• The Search for 449

• One More Left to Go!

• Quest Complete!

Tags: american hunter journal, american hunter's journal, doug howlett, hunting, mike pentecost, mike pentecost’s 450 by 50 quest, spring turkey hunting, turkey, turkey calling tips, turkey hunting, turkey records, turkeys, woodhaven calls, woodhaven custom calls