Here is the story. I't's been a really trying season. This is the first season I have really focused on turkey and the first season I have used trad equipment. Here is the whole story.
I have been out 9 mornings of the 12 days that NY season has been open. CT opens later and today was the first day I went out out. I have been on birds every morning but 1. The first day I passed on 2 jakes because i could not get them on film. After that I had no shots until last week. 2 Jakes came in silent at 8yds and I had no decoy out so they were walking past the blind. I was afraid I'd miss my chance and rushed the shot for a clean miss.
This monday I had the same 2 Jakes from opening morning come in to my hen decoy. only one had a beard so i waited for him to give me a shot(to be legal). At 5yds I came to full draw and took aim at his neck. The Bullhead hit dead center and the bird jumped in the air, landed looked around for a minute then flew off. I reviewed the tape and the shot was dead center spot on, but the bird acted like i just slapped him. I ran to where I saw him land and found a few specs of blood, but very, very little. I waited 1.5 hours and began searching. I spend nearly 4 hrs dong 20yd grid searches over roughly 1 square mile of open hard woods.......nothing. It must have been a fluke that a great shot didn't lop his head off like in the videos.....or even really stun him for that matter.......RIGHT?
This morning my good friend Ray came with me to CT and I picked a spot i though would produce. we were set up in the blind by 4:30am. As it got light out we heard gobble in the distance and then 1 right in front of us about 50yds away. I was waiting a bit to call, but the bird flew down and came strutting into the decoy..........as did another from behind! With no calling! Here they were at 3-5yds walking in full strut around my decoy with Ray filming. I picked the bigger of the birds and waited for him to stick his neck out. I drew at shot at 5yds and centered him in the neck....on film with ray watching. the bird flew into the air for a few feet and landed looked around and made a few alarm putts.........he's freakin' fine.........no way. Now he and the other bird smell something funny and start to leave. I am cursing myself for ever using the Bullheads. I grab a snuffer and at 25yds I center the bird in the back at the perfect height about 1" right of the spine. He falls, gets to his feet and starts running at full speed but kind of sideways. he gets into some thick stuff and we wait a few minutes before following. Ray and I split up and almost right away Ray gives a whistle and gives me a big "hands in the air, thumbs up field goal sign" The bird is layed sprawled out flat 1' form his feet...........until it jumps up and runs into a tree and falls over....and gets back up running. he is running into things but the swampy area is too thick for ray to keep up. I sprint through knee deep water and mud looking to cut it off to no avail.........we spend the next couple of hours looking for a needle in a haystack. the bird is down in this thicket but there in no way we can find it. Hank hurt his leg yesterday or he would have been called upon.
At this point i give up.....I am making good shots with film and witnesses to prove it and all i have to show is heartache and a unrecovered bird. I really am at an all time low and don't know if i should even try for any more birds this year. i did learn that I'll stick with big COC heads and never assume a bird is yours until it's in your hand.
We pack up the blind and stools and stash them for later in the week and start to head out back to the truck. I hear a couple of Toms in that direction not more than 200yds away and I mention to Ray I'll call for him tomorrow and see if we can't get him a bird. He won't hear of it. He fight with me until i give in and make a try for these birds. Here we are going to attempt to call in what sound to be mature birds with no blind, dressed in black and kill one with a stick bow. ray grabs a call and drops back, i blow up my decoy and grab my slate and move towards the birds. i set the decoy in front of a opening in the stone wall and crawl 25yds to the wall and about 10yds to the right of the break. It's thick along the wall and I'm hoping it will cover me enough but still allow for a shot. I get ready and hit my slate.....the birds fire back. 30 seconds later I hit it again and the birds fire back MUCH closer. I stop calling and I can hear Ray about 50yds away cranking on the box call. I can hear the birds not 20yds away walking through the leaves. the come through the wall headed towards ray and the decoy. One of the birds finally offers me a shot through an 8" wide window at 25yds. He is quartering away hard and all i can see is head, neck and chest....all in a straight vertical line. i aim at his neck figuring if it's a bit farther and i drop out, I'll still get chest. My shot goes exactly where i am looking and the arrow blows through without slowing down....never to be found again. the bird cuts toward ray and falls after 10yds, flops and runs 10 more yds before flopping again. Ray jumps out from behind a tree and rushes the bird.........who takes flight. We give chase and can see the bird landing down near where we had the blind. we wait a few minutes and can see a good bloodtrail. we followed the trail, but it was the first time I ever had to do much of the blood trailing by looking up for blood on leaves! We get to where the bird "landed" and he was piled up!
So, I'm still upset about loosing that first bird and I'm upset about buying $100 worth of heads that are useless to me, that with 36# of KE won't even stun a bird for a second. i wish i got this kill on film as well.........BUT I now have a much better understanding of what works for me and what dosen't. I'm still confident in my shooting, maybe more so now than ever. i am thrilled to have my hard work finally pay off with a great bird, it makes running on 3 hrs sleep for almost half a month worth it.
Sitting here i can't help but remember stumbling through my early years of deer hunting in much the same way...........
As a disclaimer. I am not saying the Bullheads won't work, they just don't seem to be working for my set up.
Topic: First Trad Bird! (Read 704 times)
