I really need to get to sleep,so I'll make this short.
After weeks of scouting,I reallly thought I could pull this off.Last night I watched a hell of a fight with 5 gobblers.Then they roosted right where I knew they would and we were in the game.
Picked up Dad at 4:00,we drove a couple miles to where we were to hunt.Walked to the top of the orchard and set up in the darkness.We needed to this early and in the dark,because we were in the wide open.
Most of the gobblers were roosted straight up the hill from us,pretty close to the edge of the clearing.That's why we needed pitch black to get set up.
While we waited for the birds to start gobbling,I went over some things with Dad.My plan was for me to shoot first.Not to be selfish,but I really thought he would be able to shoot a bird after I did.I knew the bow wouldn't spook them too bad.
So the birds start gobbling,and a little bit later Dad sees one fly down at the top of the orchard.I knew from my scouting,that the gobblers would make their way down close to where I was ,to meet up with the hens.Now I can tell there are 2 diff. groups of toms on the ground above us.I yelped a few times on a glass call(my friend had given me this call the yr. before for my birthday.I told him I would use it in honor of his 40th b day that had just passed).There was an immediate response of chain gobbling.Then I saw 2(shorty and split tail) birds coming straight down the hill toward us.They come down the about 30yds.but just stand and face in the direction were the hens are now calling from their roost.Then here come 3 more(the three amigos)angling down the hill toward us.They get down to the flat where we are and turn and start strutting right toward us.Well I had all good intentions of letting the birds get right up to the dekes.Well when one quartered away at about 15yds. the arrow was gone.It looked a bit foward,but pretty good.I hear my dad say "you got him".All three birds take off and head for the woods.My string tracker is peeling line quick.When he's about 80yds. away I starting to think,"How can he be going this far?".At about 100yds. they are at the wood edge,and they disappear!! But my tracker stopped.That means one of three things 1.He's done 2.the string broke 3.or the arrow fell out.Now,we look right where these 3 had come down the hill and here comes another one(outcast).I look with my Lieca's and I can see he is a nice long beard."Dad..shoot that one",with that, my dad lines up, and drops him at about 35yds.The feeling was incredible!!!!!I'm thinking we might have pulled it off.I'm a little worried about my bird since he had gone further than I thought he should have.My dad is dying to go see his first turkey,but I know it's best to let my bird sit a bit.Plus I didn't want to spook the birds by getting out of the blind.Shortly after all this here come 3 jakes and the stut around the dekes for about 20 min..I can here birds gobbling below us and getting closer.Here comes a couple more toms heading for the dekes and the jakes.WE HAD AN INCREDIBLE SHOW!!!!!
After about an hour after I had shot I figure it's time to get out and check out dads bird and go look for mine.Of course dads bird had flopped into the briars.So you know who went in to get him!! He's an nice bird(9in. beard,18#,and 7/8th spurs).So now we go start tracking my bird.The string tracker made it easy.At the spot just before we saw them disappear,I see my arrow laying on the ground.OH NO!! I immediatly think that this is why the string had stopped.But, as I walk up to it I see that there is now a double string.That means the arrow fell out the exit hole and he was now pulling a double string when the arrow hangs up on some weeds.As he goes the string pulls through his wounds.I peak over the hill where they had disappeared,and there he is piled up,stone dead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After a little celebrating,I start to look on the ground where he had run to look for blood.Just to see if had left any to track, had I not had the tracker on.Well there laying about 8yds. from the bird,right where he had run to get where he was laying was....and I still can't believe this........
......HOLY COW !!!!!!!!! Can you believe that???
A bow killed turkey and find an Indian arrowhead right next to him.....I guess some things are just meant to happen.
We do a lot of talking about what we had just accomplished.It was almost like I wrote a script and it worked to perfection.Can you believe that stone head????? I have only found a couple of these in my whole life.But this one is flawless.
He had a beard 8 1/4",3/4 spurs,and he was just over 18#.I had hit him a little forward just like I thought.The 160 snuffer had gone in right here....
and exited here.....
If the shot was broadside,it would have been perfect.But since he was quartering away,it just caught the very front of the vitals,cutting some stuff in front of his heart.
This is a day I will never forget as long as I live,because I shared it with my DAD!!!
Topic: My Dad and I pull off an opening day Double!!!!! Story and Pics. added!!! (Read 12286 times)
