I used my new 55#, 56" long Shrew Classic Hunter for my turkey hunt this spring. The weather for 2nd week of season which I had a tag for was windy, cold and wet.......and no turkeys. But I had a second tag for this week and the weather was much better on this opening day. Jim a friend of mine and I headed out at 4:30AM to a spot that we had roosted some birds on a near by property. Knowing the general travel route of the local birds we set-up our blind. After having no luck at that spot we pulled out at 10:30AM and decided to check out a couple of spots close by my house. After a short period of glassing from a vantage point on my neighbors farm I spotted a Tom along a fence row behind my property.
We quickly headed to my place and set-up in my hidden hunter blind that I had left set-up from my hunt during my first season, thinking that he might be heading in that direction looking for hens. We wasted no time getting in place and set out one of my new Avian hen decoys.
We waited a short period of time so that the woods could calm down, Then I hit my old faithful Lynch box call......he gobbled on the ridge above and behind us 150 yds away! We looked at each other with that, Oh Boy!.....look. He was really hot and responded to every call, I quit calling so hopefully we wouldn't have him hang-up. We could hear another Tom coming into our calling from farther away and closing the distance also.
After a little wait I clucked and he gobbled a mere 10-15 yds behind and to our left, we had decided that I was the first shooter up for the day, so I prepared for the shot. I doubled checked my AD Trad carbon shaft tipped with a razor sharp 3 blade Woodsman elite broadhead.
I could hear him drumming and dragging his wing tips on the ground only a few yds from the blind but still out of sight. Then I caught a glimpse of him at 5yds away coming in at full strut, as he came into view in my shooting window at 7 yds I waited for him to turn and give me a better shot angle. He was in love with my decoy and as he turned I picked my spot and the next thing I knew the arrow was gone.....as the arrow struck he spun, fell and got up running. We heard him thrashing around in the brush a short distance from the blind.
But this was no time for back slapping and high fives! We had another Tom still gobbling and closing fast. We switched positions and my friend Jim readied for some action. Soon we caught some movement above and 70 yds away! We didn't have one longbeard coming in.........we had three :eek:
They wouldn't commit and come in? I tried everything in my bag of tricks that has worked for me before, but no luck! They moved off and kept heading West on the ridge. We decided to get out and look for my bird. We found him 25-30 yds from the blind where we had heard the last flapping. WOW! nice Tom......best I have taken.
26lbs, 10-3/4" beard and 1-1/8" & 1-3/8" spurs
I think this was the Boss Tom in my area and that's why the 2 yr old birds that came in later wouldn't come in, for fear of getting beat up.
It was a great hunt! With a great bow and a great friend...........Thanks Jim!
Topic: Shrew Turkey! (Read 723 times)
