LoessHillsArcher
PMA Member
This weekend my brother, dad, and I went turkey hunting back home. They started hunting Thursday before noon and around noon called one long beard from 200 yards out into 25 yards but only could see the top of its head, close! Then at 1:30 they had 3 more birds fire up but they found some hens and that was the end of that. I got there about 5:30 pm on Thursday and I roosted a ton of birds including 6 for me to chase in the morning.
Friday morning I setup near the 6 gobblers I roosted and they flew down and got with their hens. Around 8:30 or 9 they started gobbling a couple times so I moved in closer on them, within 100 yards. After about a half hour of doing some calling with no response I had to get out and go to the bathroom. Then I got a little greedy and wanted to take a look over the terrace to see what was coming in on me from my blind spot and not 30 yards away was a lone gobbler working his way in, needless to say I ruined a near for sure thing!
Then I decided to stick that spot out for the rest of the day and my brother and dad relocated to a spot I had seen at least 4 longbeards working the afternoon before. They got setup there at about 2 and immediatley had 3 longbeards come in at 70 yards. They worked their way off with only letting a few gobbles out. Then they seen a group of 6 birds a mix of toms and jakes walk up on one dominant gobbler. They began fighting and the one gobbler would run those other birds out of the next section!! They said they did that for a few hours and finally at dark started working their way towards them. At about 7:30 they had 2 long beards come running into their strutting decoy and they stopped at 30 yards. My dad ranged them and let my brother release an arrow at the strutter. He just took the feathers off his back but my dad did drop the other bird with the 12 gauge!
They got out to get dad's bird and just make sure he didn't wound the strutter. At that time they seen 5 more birds working their way. They got in the blind quick and here 2 jakes ended up working their way in. Again my dad ranged them at 30 yards and my brother let one rip. Right over their back again just knocking off feathers.
He was kinda schocked cause at home he can put them on a dime and to miss twice knowing the distance was weird. Well later come to find out in the excitement he had used his 40 yard pin! Oh the joys of bowhunting turkeys!
We did get to hunt all day Saturday and in the morning my brother and dad again had 3 more gobblers work right by their setup at 45 yards and not wanting to come in any more. My dad and I hunted the rest of the day in 25-30 mph winds with 40+mph gust and really didn't see a whole lot. This weather is looking pretty good for the weekend and I think there are a few birds left for us to arrow!
Here is the only pic of my dad's bird, he shot it near dark and they couldnt' get a pic right away with the other birds working in so this is what we got. And when retrieving his bird while it was flopping around he grabbed it by the head to pick it up not knowing his foot was on the tail fan...needless to say the fan was no longer there! He didn't care, he just wanted to cook it up back home!
The specs on his bird were...
10 3/8" beard
1 1/16" and 1 1/8" spurs
we didn't have a scale but I'd guess he was easily 30+ pounds, a real giant !!
and here is the happy hunter, you'd think he had a long hard day at work!
Friday morning I setup near the 6 gobblers I roosted and they flew down and got with their hens. Around 8:30 or 9 they started gobbling a couple times so I moved in closer on them, within 100 yards. After about a half hour of doing some calling with no response I had to get out and go to the bathroom. Then I got a little greedy and wanted to take a look over the terrace to see what was coming in on me from my blind spot and not 30 yards away was a lone gobbler working his way in, needless to say I ruined a near for sure thing!
Then I decided to stick that spot out for the rest of the day and my brother and dad relocated to a spot I had seen at least 4 longbeards working the afternoon before. They got setup there at about 2 and immediatley had 3 longbeards come in at 70 yards. They worked their way off with only letting a few gobbles out. Then they seen a group of 6 birds a mix of toms and jakes walk up on one dominant gobbler. They began fighting and the one gobbler would run those other birds out of the next section!! They said they did that for a few hours and finally at dark started working their way towards them. At about 7:30 they had 2 long beards come running into their strutting decoy and they stopped at 30 yards. My dad ranged them and let my brother release an arrow at the strutter. He just took the feathers off his back but my dad did drop the other bird with the 12 gauge!
We did get to hunt all day Saturday and in the morning my brother and dad again had 3 more gobblers work right by their setup at 45 yards and not wanting to come in any more. My dad and I hunted the rest of the day in 25-30 mph winds with 40+mph gust and really didn't see a whole lot. This weather is looking pretty good for the weekend and I think there are a few birds left for us to arrow!
Here is the only pic of my dad's bird, he shot it near dark and they couldnt' get a pic right away with the other birds working in so this is what we got. And when retrieving his bird while it was flopping around he grabbed it by the head to pick it up not knowing his foot was on the tail fan...needless to say the fan was no longer there! He didn't care, he just wanted to cook it up back home!
The specs on his bird were...
10 3/8" beard
1 1/16" and 1 1/8" spurs
we didn't have a scale but I'd guess he was easily 30+ pounds, a real giant !!
and here is the happy hunter, you'd think he had a long hard day at work!
