2010 Turkey thread

[formerbutcher]

17# Jake, shot with an Eastern Red Cedar Self bow i built last summer. 2 Blade Zwickey cedar shaft. Fun morning ! 4-21-10

 

[Bill Kissner]

Congratulations to you, Terry and John!

[wapiti792]

Had birds all over me today! I have hunted 21 days (mornings before work alot) out of the last 30 and finally got a shot today. Called in 10 jakes. On the ground with no blind and got drawn without getting caught then mmmmmmissed    

Still all in all one of the funnest days afield I have ever had. Had 13 male birds total within 40 yards and managed to blow a 15 yard shot. I got 2 more days here in IL and a vacation day tomorrow      

[IndianaBowman]

Wapiti792, I applaud your persistence.  Best of luck on your remaining hunts.

[twitchstick]

Congrads on all the birds so far. My hunt started out monday with birds gobbling early. I had them coming my way but I also called in a bunch of coyotes to ruin my party. It was still cool to hear 3 or 4 gobblers sounding off with 10 or so coyotes howling. I had them flashing though the outskirts of my decoys but no shoots on the coyotes. I'll be back at the birds tomorrow for another round. Wapiti792 I will be happy if even get as close as you did,keep at it.

[Fritz]

Congrats to all you bonafide turkey slayers! If anyone has a jake fan they don't want please give me a hollar as I'm looking to upgrade my full strut decoy with a real jake fan.      

[Izzy]

Laugh or cry its your choice but I actually called in a black cat this morning.Two gobblers and hens walked into a corner about 100 yards out.They started coming my way through the woods when from out of nowhere comes a black cat.Talk about s**t luck, he spooked em.Anyone got any good cat recipes???  :rolleyes:

[oneshot-onekill]

Well my turkey hunt started out with me hard at work marking a pipeline in south central indiana...half way across a 1/2 mile field a see a turkey....can't tell hen or tom....so I make the run back to my truck...hard on a fat guy...grab my bow, decoy and leafy suit and run back to the tree line next to the field...turkey is nowhere in site...sit the dek out and slide back into the trees...wait a couple minutes and hit my joebuck scratch box....nothing! wait about 20 min and hit a couple yelps and boom he's gobblin....wait a few and hit it again....boom gobbles again this time closer and coming right along the field edge....I see him about 60 yds out coming over a rise....set the call aside and pick up the Tall Tines...this thing really in need of getting bloody....he's coming right to the dek....then I see something to my left and slowly look over and there are 2 deer 12 yds from me....now I'm getting nervous....bird is now about 30 yds out and coming....deer walk past and I feel the wind shift....the jig is up...the deer blow and are off....along with the tom. My heart was racing like a freight train! Waited awhile and made a few more calls to no avail.....but...20 mins later here come the 2 deer...walk right up to the dek sniffing it for 5 mins and don't spook! Great time but had to get back to work.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Thanks a lot deer!  All I saw last weekend were six deer and 2 squirrels.

[Sean B]

thanks for all the stories, they're making me feel like i'm right out there!!!

Filled Tag # 1 with my BP shotgun yesterday, now it's time for the bow! Three mature gobblers came in and attacked my f****** turkeys Buckwing decoy. Violent madness for a few minutes, then one head made itself available for a clean shot. What fun!

[wapiti792]

IZZY, I had that happen 2 years ago with a black and white cat. It was a fall hunt and I called the cat to me, picked it up then had a bunch of hens walk right to me. I didn't get a shot because I had my hands full! It cost me a shot but I still laugh everytime I think of it. Keep after it everybody. No longbow turkey for me. Our season ended with 2 misses by me and lot's of cool encounters.

[Barry Wensel]

I gotta talk determination here. My friend Ryan Furrer from PA used to shoot a compound. In fact, he won the National Championships one year. Last year he took up the recurve. Monday morning he called me at 6:40 AM to tell me he just missed a bull gobbler at SIX yards. That made seven shots at "big game" in a row that he consistently shot over top of. Remember, this is from an ex-national champion compound shooter. I think he was having a great time but was getting somewhat depressed. After my pep-talk to hang in there he called back this morning to announce he finally did it. Got a nice goobler this morning. In fact, he said his arrow went through the fanned tail of his decoy and took out the wing butt on his trophy. I gotta hand it to guys like this who keep their determination on reaching their goals. I think he's hooked for life now and is another completely ruined guy. Good job Ryan! I'll see if someone can post a photo soon. Thanks and congrats to all. BW

[Steve O]

Here you go Uncle B.

Way to stick with it Ryan    


 

[Marty]

Great job Ryan!!! It was hard listening to all that whining!!!!

[Scout 52]

Hey, Thanks guys.. Making the switch has been a journey for sure! But one I'd never change... I'm still floating on air... Feels good too!!

[Sean B]

great job Ryan!!!

[Osage61]

Haven't arrowed my bird yet but the opportunities have been there. Last time out, thirteen sightings in one of our woodlots!!  Called in a hen, and of course had to pass. Called in a jake but he wouldn't jump over the dead fall log that was protecting his body as he eyeballed my decoy! And finally, we called in three jakes to our hen decoy and I spent too much time wondering if the jakes were in my comfortable bow range....so my buddy unleashed his shotgun (i hunt with gunmen).....next time: no think, just DO!!! As a side note, I've not been wearing camo, and have been using only natural blinds. Some of the blinds I've constructed, and the other blinds are just small bushes I hide behind. Very successful at getting these birds close. When the hen came in to bow range I was just standing beside a tree but not moving a muscle. I love this Turkey hunting stuff! It's damn exciting!!!

[IndianaBowman]

Had a bit of bad luck and my boat sheared off a couple of bolts in the lower unit Jet drive. Had to have the neighbor tap out the broken bolts and he didn't have it ready so I could go striper fishing this morning. Forced me to go turkey hunting instead.  Knowing I would be trying for them this morning I headed out last night to roost a few. Everything worked out perfect as there were birds everywhere. I had a group of 6 Jakes and a mature Tom that must've been a 2 1/2 year old that I decided not to bother with as I wasn't interested in a Jake. I then located 3 mature Toms and 10 hens. Right at last light the hens and 2 Toms headed up a ridge on the lower field and the remaining Tom headed to a corner that necks down between two fields. I pretty much knew what tree he was going to roost in and knew he'd be the one to meet my TimberHawk longbow in the morning.  Arrived early this morning and it was 32 degrees with a heavy frost and what wasn't frozen was a heavy dew. I knew the Tom wouldn't go into the grass field as they just don't do it early when it is wet and frosty. I also didn't think he'd go to the recently plowed field as they don't like to get clumped up mud on their feet. That left a nicely trimmed tractor trail coming down off the ridge to the 2 lower fields. I placed "Loose Lucy" right in the middle of the trail about 75 yards from where "Horny Hal" was roosted up.  Sure enough before good light a goose honked on the creek and Hal lit it up. He was ready for some action. After it got a bit lighter out and after he gobbled at a goose again I gave him a little sweet talking just to let him know Lucy was happy to see him.  At about 5:38 AM he hit the road and was strutting to Lucy. I normally wait and give them the "ole Frank Zappa" but at 6 yards he stuck his neck out and behind a little Tulip tree allowing me to draw and shoot. Amazingly the shot went right into the base of the wing butt and kept right on going. I normally don't shoot through turkeys but this time I did. I changed my broadhead from my normal wide Snuffer to a narrow Woodsman. Seemed to make a difference. Anyway a few flops later and a diving grab that Ishi would've been proud of and I had my 2nd bird of the season. This one was even faster than the 1st bird. I love it when a plan comes together.  Nice bird with a 10" beard, 7/8" spurs, and about 20#s. The photo shows the shot placement.  Good luck everyone!  I know I'm happy to have some luck!

 

[Osage61]

This morning was the absolute best turkey hunting day for me by far !!!  I took some advice that I got from this site and I went to work. I left the decoys out of play, I didn't start until 7:30 AM and I called softly and infrequently as I headed into the mid-morning hours. Two hours into the game and a Tom ghost-walked right into my shooting lane. I was standing in my natural blind,just enjoying the sound of the creek in behind me, and the sun on my camo-painted face as it started to really break through the trees, when Tommy showed up. After all was said and done, I paced off the distance from archer to turkey: 8 yards. He was eight yards away when he stopped. I was eight yards away when I raised my bow. He was 100 yards away when I realized that he had me before I had him !!  That was great! I saw his colours, his beard, his bright red neck and his enormous size !! I wonder if he looked back to see that dopey look on my face as my broad head armed arrow just sort of pointed in the void that was once turkey occupied......