Today is the last day of the late season here in Northern Michigan. I've been tagged out for the last 3 weeks already and my BIL has been unable to get out. Bird sightings have been minimal to say the least.
Well, just a mile down the road from my place on federal land, I haven't seen a turkey all spring. Then Wednesday evening on my way back from a shoot, 9:15P I spotted a couple of Jakes on the side of the road. Interesting...where have they been? Then Thursday morning, at the same spot, I not only see those two Jakes, but another 2 Jakes, as well as a double bearded Tom..WTH?! So I call up my BIL, and ask him if he has 3 hours Friday morning to give it one last Hail Mary. Well, he did...and we went out and setup on the powerline about 600yds from where I saw these birds.
No gobbles on the roost. Not even an middle finger from a hen. Then at 6:54a, waaaaaaaaay down the powerline I thought I saw something. My BIL confirmed I am seeing something, it was a quarter mile away and couldn't tell what it was but it moved into the woods. Then a few minutes later another, and another, and another. We figured it was the 4 Jakes I saw yesterday morning. Again, not a single gobble or turkey sound all morning.
All the birds disappeared into the same spot. 10minutes later, a bird emerges about 60yards away and across the powerline opening. It's a hen. As soon as we see her, the gobbles erupted. Then she yelped. I yelped back. She made here way right over to the decoys, and 3 Jakes emerged out of the wood line and followed her right in.
"What one do I take?" my BIL asked. "Frick, whatever one gives you the first still shot." I replied.
Bow raised, arrow back, release...absolute HAMMER right through him. Absolute silence, clean pass through, bird doesn't even flap his wings. He just walks right towards the blind and falls over dead 3' from the blind. Since there was no commotion, the other two just hung around strutting in between the decoys for 10-15minutes. The hen walked off all ticked. High fives all around. This is my BIL's first trad kill, and it couldn't have been any sweeter. Oh, it's also is birthday today.
Topic: BIL's First Trad Kill...buzzer beater Michigan Turkey (Read 2054 times)
