MA Turkey Hunters!

[misfire]

I was just wondering how others were doing. I have'nt scored yet. I do have a couple of good stories though for your reading pleasure.

My hunting partner, Rodney and I went out opening morning and had gobbling all around us. Eventually a hen with 3 Jakes in tow came into view. When they spotted the dekes they errupted into a frenzy of gobbling making a beeline to our setup. Unfortunatley the hen followed. They got behind the dekes and gobbled again. Rodney and I started drawing back the bows when miss Hen spotted us and started a warning putt. The Jakes made an about face when we came to full draw and were starting lift off when we released. I missed mine with the arrow going just under it and Rodney missed with his arrow going just over his target. They were both clean misses but the coolest part was watching the arrows fly with the string trackers in tow. I wish I had video of it. Our plan actually worked but for one wary hen and a couple cases of Turkey Fever one of us would have scored.


This past Monday, feeling ill, I didn't make it to work and found myself in the woods. The Tom was hung up on a knoll I was very familiar with as I hunt this area all the time, gobbling like he just discovered his voice. I knew excactly where to go and what spot I was going to set up at. What I didn't know about was the herd of deer bedded down next to the trail. They jumped up snortin and jumping and running and crashing making all kinds of noise with no reguard to me and my plans. Picking myself up off the ground I made my way to a stone wall and sat down. Tried a couple soft clucks with no response. I cursed my bad luck and waited.

Sure enough I heard the Tom gobbling. First distant then closer. I made my way to one of the big pines, setup and made some soft clucks which got him hot again. He gobbled for 10 minutes (I checked the watch) just over the little knoll not 40 yds away but never showed himself. I decided to give a couple clucks. When I did I heard a noise to my left...THE DEER WERE BACK!

I counted 8 of them slowly walking towards me stomping the ground. The Tom is gobbling, the deer are stomping, my heart is doing a hundred. It was great! Then the wind shifted and all heck broke loose. The deer began blowing, jumping into the air, crashing through the woods and right over the knoll and towards the Tom. If he survived the stampede he probabley decided that whatever it was that caused the ruckus he wanted no part of and left with those dang deer for parts unknown.

Those are my tales of woe. Lots of excitment but no bird in the pot...yet. I'll be back at it on Saturday.

Good luck to everyone and stay safe!

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Good luck, Good stories, you'll get one!

[misfire]

Thanks and good luck to you as well.

Plans are to head back out there tomorrow.

[Tajue17]

I'm in Mass too over on the south shore,,, similar stories as you.. I never seen so many birds as I do this year but theres 5 times as many ticks thrown into the mix too!  

goodluck,, T

[misfire]

Tajue, there certainly are a lot of ticks but I got some Sawyers at Dicks, sprayed down the hunting clothes. Best stuff on earth.

Sturday was a bust after working a cagey bird from first light till 10:30 I finally had it coming into the decoy when a couple of gun hunters came crashing through the brush trying to start a fire with their box calls. The Tom headed off to another part of the state and I let the expletives fly! They just turned around and left without so much as an apology... #&^*@&%!!! How does the song go? If it were'nt for bad luck I'd have no luck at all.

Now I wait till this coming Saturday.

[PV]

This morning....

[misfire]

Originally posted by PV:
This morning....

I feel your pain...

[danderson]

been out 6 times, not using the trad gear yet. took my 6th trip before even hearing a gobble, still haven't seen a bird while hunting. all of my berks spots are getting hammered, seeing guys almost every time out. this season feels like such a bust so far, only have next week to turn it around!  

[PV]

Not the best picture Misfire. Look closely at the fletching....... There's no red in the feathers I use.

[PV]

First bird with a bow. 13 yard shot  15.5 # Jake. Been seeing these birds through the season. I've taken some large birds from this cover in the past but this year haven't seen a longbeard yet. He was the largest of a group of 5. He went 30 yards before dropping. The other Jakes thumped him pretty good after he was done as they are likely to do.

Arrow entered at the top of the leg, exited though the off wing at the last joint. The picture in my first post is how I found the arrow after the shot. 55# bow, carbon arrrow ,250 gr woodsman

Got some insect shield clothing last week and haven't had a tick since.......

[misfire]

You got me!

Huge congratulations on a very nice bird! I hope to be posting a similar picture (second one) after this Saturday.

Congrats again!

[PV]

Thanks Mark! Good luck Saturday. Hope to see a few pictures of yours!!!

[fisherick]

Congrads on a nice bird.
I've been out 5 times and been into birds on 4 occasions. The one shot a had the bird was saved by a whip about 12' in front of him.  Monday
I was late getting to my blind and the gobbler was in a tree 25 yards away watching me set up the decoys and enter the blind. Oh well.

[misfire]

Originally posted by fisherick:
Monday I was late getting to my blind and the gobbler was in a tree 25 yards away watching me set up the decoys and enter the blind. Oh well.

 

I've tried, I just can't get myself to levitate like that again from a sitting position.