This is when it started to get interesting and I realized I neglected to fix a little issue I had with too loose nocks...
As I started to draw I pulled the nock right off the string before my arrow holder released!
Now I had to release the arrow holder, and re nock the arrow...not a lot of movement...but enough for her to see something she didn't like!
She turned and started picking up her pace as she quartered away walking up the hill at about 12yds...
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Next thing I knew my pink wrapped/feathered arrow quickly caught up to her and entered way back, but with the angle it looked good as it knocked her forward off her feet. It struck solid and instantly I knew as she ran off that I'd struck bone as it hadn't fully penetrated...
She was up and racing off in a flash, peeling line as she went...
I knew the shot was either going to be real good, or just a tad low when I saw it hit her. After she made it about 75yds. and stopped, with her head up...I knew it wasn't perfect.
But then, minutes later when she just stood there with her head up looking around, I knew this was going to take a while...
I said a silent prayer, and looked to the heavens for help with this one. There was no way I was going to lose this bird, and "The" broadhead....I had to do this right, there was no other option!
She walked a little further forward, still about 80 or so yards away, and in view, and laid down in the high grass at the base of one of the pear trees...
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The minutes went by, her head was still up, but she obviously wasn't doing well...
15 minutes later another flock came out of the woods over by her, and my heart went into my throat. I thought for sure they'd try to get her up and she'd go with them...
As they got closer to her, she got up and just hobbled off into the edge of the woods, but not very far in,the string stopped as soon as she went out of sight...the flock continued on without her...
OK...now I knew what I had to do, with her out of sight, there was no other option now but to leave!
I could have stayed and kept hunting because we get two tags for the fall. But I knew if I stayed I wouldn't be able to keep from going over, and checking her out, before giving her enough time.
I packed up, and snuck out...but first I unscrewed my string tracker and left it under a rock in case she got up and moved off. Whenever I do this I also leave the string a certain way so I can tell when I come back, if she'd moved...
I went home and ate breakfast. Then got my hunting cloths back on. Still wanting to give it more time, I went to another place I hunt to set a trail cam and clear a few branches from a double ladder stand I'd set the weekend before. It'll be a stand that hopefully Cade will be with me when I shoot a deer this fall.
That done, it was 4 hrs since I'd shot her and I was headed back to "stalk the string"...
First thing I did was go back to check out the string by the tracker. When I close and broke over the hill, I saw turkeys walking off right where I was set up. When I got the string it was obvious that one of them had got tangled a bit int the string and had pulled some out in a toally different direction. So now I couldn't tell if my bird had pulled on it...
I'd like to stop the story for a second here and say that the emotion and pressure of this situation was building by the second! I just kept telling my self to "do this right"....I needed to recover this bird!
I mean I always do all I can to recover anything and everything I shoot. Leaving no stone unturned, and giving it 110%. This situation was over the top though because of Chris' 1 1/4" VPA 3 blade that was in this bird!
As I got closer to where I could see the string entering the woodline, everything looked the same as when I left as far as I could tell...
At 10yds., as I snuck around the last bush that was obscuring my view, I saw my pink arrow...
My first thought was.."oh no, it fell out"...but then I thought I saw feathers!
On the way in I told myself that if given the chance, and I had any doubt if the bird was alive or dead, I'd shoot the birds as soon as I saw it. I'd made this mistake in hesitating before, and it cost me...not this time...
But.....This is where I messed up!
When I saw the feathers, I hesitated and mistakenly reached for my binoculars to see if the bird was alive or dead, and try to see exactly where to shoot...
Topic: Turkey Opener...Remember this Special Broadhead? Story added... (Read 631 times)
