I don’t consider my self much of a turkey hunter. I’ve killed a couple with a recurve, but never really pushed myself to hunt them. In January, I had bought a new Black Widow PCHX that I really like and shot nearly every day. As turkey season got close here I decided to take the first three days off and hunt them hard through the weekend for five total days. I wanted to get that bow in the woods!
I was lucky to have access to private land with unpressured birds, at daylight the first morning I was surrounded by five different birds gobbling. I called using just a slate call, and the bird that was farthest away was the bird that came in. He kept coming and gobbling, when he let loose 60 yards away I softly called for the last time. I heard him spitting as he came from behind me, he approached in full strut and went right to my Jake decoy 8 yards away. He went around the back of the decoy, and as he cleared the decoy he was facing me in full strut. I drew and shot, hitting him in the right chest and exiting the left rear quarter. He ran off and piled up 18 paces away. I was elated! First hunt with my new bow, first shot and I had a mature Tom on the ground! He was 20 pounds with an 8” beard.
I hunted both Thursday and Friday, and had toms around both days, in fact on Friday I had three big toms around that came in before I was ready, they were there for 22 minutes. I had no blind, and was afraid to move, I finally was able to get a shot off and rushed it, shooting low and missing completely. 22 minutes, all on video, and I blew it!
I got back in the woods on Sunday, not getting into the woods until after 8. As I was setting up the blind, there was a bird gobbling the entire time, but working away from me. When I was set, I could barely hear him. I called as hard and loud as I could, and after a bit I thought he was coming back. Sure enough, after about thirty minutes I knew he was coming. Once again, he cut loose at 70 yards, I called softly and then shut up. Five minutes or so later I could hear him spitting outside the blind and knew he was close. He came around the back and I saw that it was another mature bird. He too was in full strut, he worked around the back of my Jake, coming to the near side in full strut. He turned and his fan blocked his head, I drew, and when he came broadside I shot him at about 7 yards. He made it less than ten yards and piled up!! He was 21 pounds with a 9” beard.
I couldn’t believe it, I had killed two mature toms in five days!!! While it will never replace deer hunting for me, spring turkey season now has a new place in my heart, and wish I still had tags go back out!
David
Topic: A Couple of New Hampshire Turkeys (Read 1536 times)
