moosehunter
PMA Member
After a long and frustrating season I finally killed my best bird yet..................the hard way.
Most of this season I have been bowhunting the conventional way (blind, calling, decoys, etc.) with little luck. I called many birds into shotgun range but only one within bowrange. He was only 2 feet from me but on the side of the blind where I had no windows down and he never walked out front. Yesterday I had a jake at 5 yards but that's almost like shooting a spike, so I let him walk. This morning I had birds exploding all around everytime I talked to them, but they all moved away. I think these birds were all schooled pretty good by some guys that were hunting a few weeks ago. Anyway, I picked up my stuff and went back to the truck and drove to a dead end road on a hill that a great place to glass. I spotted 4 nice toms right away. I watched a few minutes to try and guess where they were heading. I figured if they keep moving the way they were maybe I could get ahead of them if I was careful enough and not be a fool and rush in and spook them. So I park the truck, grabbed only my bow and bino's and took off for a creek bottom that ran through the woods I wanted to use for cover. After a couple hundred yards I peeked over the bank and could'nt see the birds, so I went another 100 yards and looked again. Now I saw the birds, they were just inside the woods next to the 10 year I 1st saw them in. They were 150 yards from me but at least I was in front of them if they keep coming. After a few minutes they came out and two of them start my way and the other two start fighting, so I had to watch that for a bit. But I drop back down and sneak up the creek 50 more yards. The birds are still coming. So I drop back down and sneak to a point where the 10 year meets the creek bottom. With my eyes just barely above the bank I watch as the two birds draw closer. When they reach 25 yards I crouch down and draw. Slowly I raised up and when my eyes clear the bank, the 1st bird is looking straight at me and is in the only shooting lane I had, so I launched the arrow and watched as it hit his chest. The bird jumped up and took flight for 20 or 30 yards, then ran another 20 yards or so before he piled up. This was the last day I could hunt, bird or no bird so I'm glad I finally got one, even if it was the hard way.
26.5 lbs
10 1/4 inch beard
both hooks went 1 1/4 inches.
Most of this season I have been bowhunting the conventional way (blind, calling, decoys, etc.) with little luck. I called many birds into shotgun range but only one within bowrange. He was only 2 feet from me but on the side of the blind where I had no windows down and he never walked out front. Yesterday I had a jake at 5 yards but that's almost like shooting a spike, so I let him walk. This morning I had birds exploding all around everytime I talked to them, but they all moved away. I think these birds were all schooled pretty good by some guys that were hunting a few weeks ago. Anyway, I picked up my stuff and went back to the truck and drove to a dead end road on a hill that a great place to glass. I spotted 4 nice toms right away. I watched a few minutes to try and guess where they were heading. I figured if they keep moving the way they were maybe I could get ahead of them if I was careful enough and not be a fool and rush in and spook them. So I park the truck, grabbed only my bow and bino's and took off for a creek bottom that ran through the woods I wanted to use for cover. After a couple hundred yards I peeked over the bank and could'nt see the birds, so I went another 100 yards and looked again. Now I saw the birds, they were just inside the woods next to the 10 year I 1st saw them in. They were 150 yards from me but at least I was in front of them if they keep coming. After a few minutes they came out and two of them start my way and the other two start fighting, so I had to watch that for a bit. But I drop back down and sneak up the creek 50 more yards. The birds are still coming. So I drop back down and sneak to a point where the 10 year meets the creek bottom. With my eyes just barely above the bank I watch as the two birds draw closer. When they reach 25 yards I crouch down and draw. Slowly I raised up and when my eyes clear the bank, the 1st bird is looking straight at me and is in the only shooting lane I had, so I launched the arrow and watched as it hit his chest. The bird jumped up and took flight for 20 or 30 yards, then ran another 20 yards or so before he piled up. This was the last day I could hunt, bird or no bird so I'm glad I finally got one, even if it was the hard way.
26.5 lbs
10 1/4 inch beard
both hooks went 1 1/4 inches.
