Special turkey hunt with my Dad, and more turkey stories (MORE PICS PG. 4)

[highPlains]

I've got pictures from another hunt this year that I will post after this one.

My Dad and I have been talking about doing a "Anniversary Turkey Hunt" for the last few years.

20 years ago on my 10th birthday, April 2nd, my Dad and I hid under a big cedar tree and called in a group of turkeys. He shot his first turkey that night with a Bighorn recurve. What a birthday present for one excited 10 year old! I remember riding in the truck with the window down, looking at the stars, and telling my Dad that it was the best day of my life. At the time it really was too.

So with the 20 year anniversary of that hunt falling on this year we made it a point to get out and hunt some turkeys together.

By pure happenstance a gentlemen called from Arizona claiming to have a Bighorn that used to belong to my Dad. Well dang if it wasn't the same bow. I had to have it, and bought it for myself. It's a little heavy for Dad to shoot anymore.

I did not kill a turkey on April 2nd, but I did get one on the 1st. Good enough! It was a pretty special hunt to share with Dad, and my Mom got to come along as well, she had a blast and shot through some feathers on a couple of nice toms with her Hummingbird recurve.

The story:

We were alerted to some turkeys when we heard them drumming on the hill behind us. My Mom thought I was crazy when I told her there was a tom close by, as if I had a sixth sense. She had never heard the drumming sound before.
 

I was actually going to let my Mom shoot at these toms, but as they were making their way in to the window of the blind to give her a shot they suddenly turned around and started going the other way. Because of where I was sitting in the blind I grabbed my bow as Dad dropped one of the windows.

That 20 year old Bighorn felt good as I pulled back the string. I let fly a cedar arrow with a big Snuffer leading the way. The arrow struck the turkey, who was facing away, to the feather I was aiming for. He flopped a few times, flew across a small creek, and died within seconds.
 

 

Dad and I with the turkey:
 

I made these arrows as close to what I remembered my Dad using a lot when I was growing up. A normal walnut stain with a white crown dip, no cresting, and two turkey feathers with one white cock feather.
 

[highPlains]

We also went out and hunted the previous week, opening weekend.

The first morning of the hunt I sat in the blind with my Dad while my brother and his girlfriend, Ashley, went a few hundred yards down the field in the opposite direction. There were extremely large flocks roosting at both ends of the field, as well as large flocks in adjacent properties. They all usually converge in this corn field to do their morning feeding before heading up in the open hills to spend their days.

The vocalization was intense, the first three hours of the day was non-stop hen talk. The toms and jakes were yackin' it up as well. Before they flew down the gobbling sounded like a constant thunderstorm. Once they hit the ground the gobbling slowed down more and more as the morning went on. After a few hours of being on the ground they all but quit gobbling.



After an hour or so of observing the turkeys they finally made their way to our end of the field. Once some of the hens got close we picked up our calling tempo which brought them to within feet of our decoys. Naturally, some jakes and toms followed them over.

I usually aim straight up from the legs, at about beard height. I missed a little jake by inches, but grabbed another arrow quickly because a big tom was strutting 20 yards away. My arrow hit him a little behind the legs. The turkey gimped out 75 yards or so with blood absolutely pooring out of him. He bedded down and died a very short time later.

[highPlains]

A few hundred yards down the field Ashley was getting quite the introduction to turkey hunting. Ashley played DI softball at Purdue University, and she is one tough gal. Danny was just four days out of shoulder surgery, so Ashley was the one who had to carry in the pack with two chairs and the blind.

Wave after wave of turkeys came past the corner of the field where they set their blind. Turkeys can be such easy targets to miss. On Ashley's first shot her arrow sailed harmlessly over the turkeys back. A little while later another jake came by, this time she got some feathers. She was stepping it in. The third jake that came by didn't have a prayer. The third shot was so perfect that the turkey didn't even run 3 yards, it died on the spot.

This was Ashley's first successful bowhunt, or any hunt for that matter. She has been practicing like crazy, and is quite the shot by now. Once she got her nerves under control the turkeys had no chance!

[highPlains]

The following morning my Dad and I returned to the same field but set up in a different spot.

We had a tom split from the main flock and run up to our strutting decoy. He was looking for a fight!

Dad shot him right through the breast. I was convinced he missed but Dad was sure he drilled him. The turkey rejoined the big flock in the middle of the field. About 20 minutes later we noticed a tom just standing around, not doing anything, just standing there. Soon after he went up a small hill and laid down. I was wrong, Dad was right, he did hit that turkey.

Once the turkeys left the field Dad swung around that hill and I came towards the turkey from the front. The turkey ran to the top of the hill where Dad was waiting with a Simmons Shark.

The hill where the turkey laid down.


Zoomed in and you can see him better.


Dad punching his tag.

[PA stickbow boy]

Now that's some good stuff!!  Congrats to all on the nice birds!  

[snakebit40]

Congrats! Awesome stories thanks for sharing!            

[Shan]

that is too cool. Great story and great job on those turkeys. Glad you could find that bow of your dad's. priceless

[Dirtybird]

Wow, that's stuff dreams are made of.  Sounds like fun was had by all.  Congratulations on the fine birds and that for sharing.

[kbetts]

Awesome story and beautiful pictures.

[Fritz]

Great story and pics! Congrats to all!!!          

[R. Graddy]

You are a blessed man.  Thanks for sharing.

[DGW]

Great pics and story! Its great that you can hunt with your family. You all are very Blessed.
Thanks so much for sharing this with all.

[sheephunter]

Awesome hunt, awesome story! Thanks for sharing!

[steadman]

Congrats to everyone!  

[maineac]

Great story!  Congrats to all.  I am sure the shot with your dad's bow will be a special shot that will never dim in your memory.

[OBXarcher]

wow thanksgiving dinner is taken care of !!

Congrats

[Guru]

Wow, congrats to everyone involved in these epic hunts!!

Thanx for taking so many fine pictures, you always do such a great job with your threads  

Awesome stuff!!

[FerretWYO]

Always look forward to your threads Tommy. Great work and many congrats to all. Pretty cool first as well.

[Bernie B.]

Congratulations to all three hunters!  Very nice photography also!

Bernie Bjorklund

NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin

[Michigan Mark]

Good for you folks. Now thats some quality time.