And the wind cried.... Turkey!

[BobCo 1965]

Somebody please wake Charlie up from his nap!!!

[Fritz]

Charlie, Oh, Charlie.  Please wake up and tell us some more.  The anticipatiooooooooon is killing me!!!

[K.S.TRAPPER]

Nobody tells a story quite like Mr. Charlie Lamb            

Tracy

[Benny Nganabbarru]

[frassettor]

Charlie...Are you up yet  :confused:    

[Ted Fry]

ANNNDDD????

[Harmless]

Oh come on, you'r killing me !!!

[Guru]

I know now how it ends...but I can't wait to read more!!

[Tater]

What a great story the suspense is killing me.
    I am so pumped up our Turkey opener is this Saturday and I can't wait!

[Charlie Lamb]

Well, I was a little upset over the deer thing but resigned myself to wait and see what else might show itself.

I had no decoys out as I was hunting a known travel corridor and decided to call sparingly and let nature take it's course.
As long as the tactic continued to show me turkeys, I'd leave the decoys in the truck.

It seemed like I was constantly hearing turkeys calling somewhere. Hens, gobblers, whatever, they seemed everywhere.
Rusty had told me there were huge numbers of birds on his place and I'd hardly dared to hope or believe there could be that many.

My pickins around home could be pretty lean at times and the later season in Missouri meant that the big winter groups were broken up.
I would find that Rusty's evaluation was spot on.

Hardly an hour passed and I once again had turkeys working my way. I'd just happened to peak out the back side of blind as they crossed an open area 70 yards distant. Snatching up my slate call I gave a couple of muted clucks and a short series of yelps.
I kept my eyes glued to a narrow slit in the window.

Soon the birds, mixed hens and jakes filtered into the edge of the food plot headed my way. Once again my hand found the familiar checkered grip of my 63# Sunbear. Once again I pressed against the back of the blind and turned slightly side ways on my chair... shooting position.

I would notice during the trip that the hens were always in the lead with the toms bringing up the rear.
It was how it was shaking out this time.

I counted hen after hen until fully 15 had passed through my shooting lane. I was dazzled.
In no hurry to be anywhere in particular, the jakes slowly fed past at fifteen yards.

If I they would only give me a quartering away or straight away shot I'd be a happy hunter. I don't care much for broadside on turkey. It hasn't worked out well for me in the past. Just seems like there are too many ways to hit them wrong.

[BRONZ]

"You're kill'n me Smalls!"

[Charlie Lamb]

These birds were traveling and I'd have to make do with what was offered. As the first tom came into my shooting lane I anchored, held a second (or less) and let the arrow slip.

At that point all became a blur of motion and confusion as turkeys jumped, ran and flew everywhere.
I saw my arrow careen across the ground beyond my target bird and the bright orange line whirred out of my string tracker. He was headed for the timber on the far side of the food plot a brown and buffy tan blur of motion.

The line peeled out of the little cannister for what seemed an eternity and then abruptly stopped.
What a ride that little string gave me! All my hopes and dreams were laying at the end of that string and I watched it for even a quiver of movement. Nothing!

Knowing I could follow the string to my prize I decided to give him plenty of time. A hot cup of coffee from the thermos seemed appropriate at that moment.... and a cigarette to sooth my nerves.

[trashwood]

that makes me smile  

rusty

[fatman]

   

[Charlie Lamb]

After a half hour of contemplation I stepped out into the daylight. The orange string layed out on the ground like Dorothy's yellow brick road.
Maybe if I was younger I'd have skipped on down, but my skipping days are long past.
I plodded along next to the string and into the brush.

With each step I scanned the timber and brush ahead for sight of my bird, but at last came to a heartbreaking sight.

The doubled orange line (the fifteen pound test stuff) lay broken in a patch of Sumac. The bird was gone.

I don't care much for stories about lost game. It's a fact of hunting regardless of the arm we chose to hunt with, but it's a sad and useless tale in most cases.
And this would be too except for the lessons learned from it.

The first of course is about the shot placement and my own problems with broadside birds. I don't like that shot and took it anyway. I knew better.

The easy pass through on the bird was an indicator that all was not well with the hit. Turkeys are tough critters and often as not stop a well placed head... if you are using a big one like I do. Magnus I with the big bleeder.

The second lesson was that I should have taken that light test line out of the tracker and replaced it with the 30# stuff I had in my pack. Once again my fault.

I searched high and low for my bird but I would not find him. It is a bitter pill.

The search ate into the day and by late afternoon I'd had a few more encounters with the birds, but no shots taken.
I stayed in the blind until I heard the sound of birds fying up not far away down in the creek bottom.

A hot meal, a toddy and the comanionship of my friends sounded real good right about then, so shouldering my pack I headed for the truck vowing to be on time in the morning.

(CONT.)

[Charlie Lamb]

All the honey do's are caught up so I'll get this rolling good in the morning fellas and not drag it out all week. I promise the huntin gets better if I'm up to the tellin.

See ya all tomorrow morning for coffee.
 

[gregg dudley]

   

[bowhunterfrompast]

   

[SouthMDShooter]

cant wait till the next installment, sorry to hear about your lost bird. one of the tougher animals to kill with a bow imo

[BRONZ]

I've taken 4, hit and lost 3, cleanly missed... a lot.  Hit one on Sat that IMO, is still limping around.  I'm not giving up on him yet.  Like me, you're probably replaying the shot sequence and wishing you could call for a "do over".
Reading your story, I am reflecting on your principal of not taking broadside shots and can sympathize with your rationale.  I may have adopt the same policy.