OK guys here are some details...
I met Fred and Michele at the Montana Bowhunters Convention in March. They were kind enough to donate a hunt to the raffle and I was fortunate enough to win the hunt. Needless to say, I was excited. I brought along my good friend Tim who also hunted and my Dad who didn't have tag but spent the weekend hunting with a camera.
When we arrived in camp we were pleased to see that Fred was just as excited and fun as he was at the convention. Sometimes speakers "put on a show" for the public and then when you are with them on their turf and they aren't trying to promote themselves they are totally different. Not Fred. He is the same at 3 in the morning as he is at 3 in the afternoon. He is the same in real life as he is on TV. That guy is one happy son of a gun and he never gets tired. He is always willing to share a story, but is also willing to listen to one.
So we set up in the bunkhouse, and prepared our gear, etc. and decided to shoot a little. Fred has a great 3-D course set up on his property so my Dad, Tim, and I shot the course and had a blast. It was nice to shoot with my Dad again. I moved away 7 years ago and he had some health issues that kept us from hunting or even shooting together for all of that time. It was very special to me to be able to shoot with my Dad.
We hunted hard the next three days with Tim getting two shots and not connecting. I must have walked 4 billion miles in three days and spent a million hours in a double bull blind and at the end of it all, although I had Tom's all around me every day, I had finished my 3 day hunt without a single shot opportunity.
Luckily our plane didn't leave until dinner time the next day and Fred said we should give it one more try. This was a fourth day of a FREE 3 day hunt and Fred was as excited as anyone. He sure didn't have to do that, but that is what makes Fred, Fred. So we set up on the edge of an alfalfa field and waited for daybreak. Sure enough just as the sun was hitting the field 4 big toms sauntered into range. The last one was the biggest AND the closest so I waited. And waited. And waited. Until finally the last one of the 4 came into range at 17 yards. I calmly drew my Toelke Whip longbow proceeded to shoot an inch over his back. The bird hopped a little and just calmly kept walking. By the time I got another arrow knocked was about 25 yards and this time I smoked him. He hopped about 6 feet in the air when the arrow struck its mark. Then he just tucked back in line and walked with the other 3 toms. I knew I had hit him but didn't know how well. After a few seconds he went down in a heap. Nothing like a last minute bird. The fourth day of a three day hunt, mere hours before I have to catch a plane and I had finally taken my first turkey.
Topic: First turkey!!! (Read 892 times)
