Liv4Rut
Active Member
Or I guess turkey chase. Saturday morning I set up in a pinch point on a field edge where I had watched several birds enter / exit the field. The birds were blind and decoy shy. I figured the only way to kill one would be no decoys and hiding the blind well. This area worked well as I could tuck the blind in the fence line that was surrounded by tall grass and my max shot would be 20 yards.
That morning all the birds were roosted on the North end of the farm about 300 yards away. I thought for sure they would go a different route. I called once and one responded. When they hit the ground I called one more time and got a response. I shut up for awhile and I could tell a few of the birds were heading the way I thought they would but one bird was working my way. After about 20 minutes the one gobbled behind me at about 50 yards.
I grabbed the bow and got ready as I knew there was only way he could get into the field. The entire time I kept thinking he would hit the field and pop into strut. Not the case at all. The bird came on an extremely fast walk. The grass was so tall around the blind I had about a 3ft window before he hit the field before I could see him.
I drew back and he turned to walk away from me along the field edge. He was somewhere in the 20-25 yard range when he turned broadside and I realeased. I watched my arrow sink low into the birds drum stick and through his body low and out his side. Up and away he went into the air. My heart sunk. I blew it. I kept saying to myself hit them low watch them go, hit them hi watch them die. I felt like an idiot as I rushed the shot and blew most likely the last opportunity I would have of the year.
I sat a couple hours to give him some time. I had a good idea where he landed in a grassy draw that led into the thickest draw in the farm that is a nightmare. I walked over there and didn't see anything. I couldn't see 10 feet in the draw and dreaded spending the next couple hours in that thing. I thought about going to get the dog to go for a "walk". Out of dumb luck I spotted a pile of blood about the size of a paper plate and then I saw a solid blood trail leading into draw. With that amount of blood my hopes were lifted.
As I got to the fence line he jumped up and was flapping. I couldn't see him but could hear him. Somehow that 5.5ft fence didn't seem to be in the way any more. I was running through the timber as best I could. It was so thick I couldn't see 10feet. I kept seeing glimpses of him trying to fly. I just kept running towards the sound.
All the sudden everything got quiet. I walked about 20 yards further along a drainage and just stood there listening. Nothing. Crap, now what. I happened to look down in the creek and there he was just standing there about 5 yards away straight down. I knocked and arrow and pulled back back. There was a limb about 3feet in front of me that I had to be sure I cleared to hit him. That didn't work. I hit the limb and my arrow deflected and shot above his head about 2 feet.
Off we went again. About 20 more yards down the drainage he stopped again and I scrambled for another arrow. That shot anchored him for good.
I guess it don't really matter how you get them as long as you get them. It felt good to fill my second bow tag.
22lbs, 10.25 inch beard and 1.25 inch spurs.
That morning all the birds were roosted on the North end of the farm about 300 yards away. I thought for sure they would go a different route. I called once and one responded. When they hit the ground I called one more time and got a response. I shut up for awhile and I could tell a few of the birds were heading the way I thought they would but one bird was working my way. After about 20 minutes the one gobbled behind me at about 50 yards.
I grabbed the bow and got ready as I knew there was only way he could get into the field. The entire time I kept thinking he would hit the field and pop into strut. Not the case at all. The bird came on an extremely fast walk. The grass was so tall around the blind I had about a 3ft window before he hit the field before I could see him.
I drew back and he turned to walk away from me along the field edge. He was somewhere in the 20-25 yard range when he turned broadside and I realeased. I watched my arrow sink low into the birds drum stick and through his body low and out his side. Up and away he went into the air. My heart sunk. I blew it. I kept saying to myself hit them low watch them go, hit them hi watch them die. I felt like an idiot as I rushed the shot and blew most likely the last opportunity I would have of the year.
I sat a couple hours to give him some time. I had a good idea where he landed in a grassy draw that led into the thickest draw in the farm that is a nightmare. I walked over there and didn't see anything. I couldn't see 10 feet in the draw and dreaded spending the next couple hours in that thing. I thought about going to get the dog to go for a "walk". Out of dumb luck I spotted a pile of blood about the size of a paper plate and then I saw a solid blood trail leading into draw. With that amount of blood my hopes were lifted.
As I got to the fence line he jumped up and was flapping. I couldn't see him but could hear him. Somehow that 5.5ft fence didn't seem to be in the way any more. I was running through the timber as best I could. It was so thick I couldn't see 10feet. I kept seeing glimpses of him trying to fly. I just kept running towards the sound.
All the sudden everything got quiet. I walked about 20 yards further along a drainage and just stood there listening. Nothing. Crap, now what. I happened to look down in the creek and there he was just standing there about 5 yards away straight down. I knocked and arrow and pulled back back. There was a limb about 3feet in front of me that I had to be sure I cleared to hit him. That didn't work. I hit the limb and my arrow deflected and shot above his head about 2 feet.
Off we went again. About 20 more yards down the drainage he stopped again and I scrambled for another arrow. That shot anchored him for good.
I guess it don't really matter how you get them as long as you get them. It felt good to fill my second bow tag.
22lbs, 10.25 inch beard and 1.25 inch spurs.
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congrats on your bird Mike
