An old blind, a new bow, and a dead turkey

[wapiti792]

Well, it has been 4 years since I started turkey hunting with a stickbow. I have had some good years and a couple of bad! Monday was opening day in IL. I threw on my ghilli and hit the woods. My daughter and I had roosted a tom the night before and confirmed his roost tree with an owl hoot. My little girl got the biggest kick outa that bird getting fired up over an owl. We had spent all afternoon Sunday working off our Easter dinner by making me a ghilli hat.

So that first morning I took my new hat and suit and proceeded to call that bird to my lap. But as birds will do at 10 or 12 yards with a dude in a yeti suit nearby, he spooked.

So I had to go to work and stew on this bird all day! I roosted him again, same place, and then worked him yesterday. This time Don Juan had plenty of ladies and just stood there at 100 yards and gobbled...HUNDREDS of times. I ended up slipping out the back door and finding this jewel...from a buck that I had tried to kill all fall. Glad he made it!
 

I decided that bird was too tough for me and looked for another willing subject. I had been watching a group of birds near my new barn (and hopefully my new house if I ever get to build one). I snuck in there yesterday evening after work and put up my old Predator blind with it's busted poles and smelly insides. Seems I left my new blind down in Florida with 'ol Tarponut, and since I was gonna do it ghilli-style, I wouldn't need it. Let one bird walk all over me and I am hunkered down in the first blind I could get my hands on  

[maineac]

[Whip]

No wonder he spooked - look at those legs!

[Gen273]

[wapiti792]

So this morning I slipped in with my gear. I took along my new video camera to make it that much more difficult...what a nutjob    

Soon after getting settled one of the birds in the little block of timber cut loose. After a few tree yelps I had him talking hook, line and sinker. He would thunder gobbles my way so I just shut up, played hard to get, and listened for him. He hit the ground and walked every inch of that 30 acres EXCEPT for the 1 acre I needed him too. I caught a break when another bird gobbled down the ridge from me and the stand-off was over...almost.

After circling the blind several times he got directly behind me and strummed that breast like an banjo at a hoe-down. I said to heck with the video crap, unzipped the back window and finally got to see my bird about 30 yards away. I purred real soft and it was enough for him to ease my way.

Shooting from my knees through a barely open window was tough! I had never shot through the mesh before, but after talking to my friend Tracy (KS Trapper, turkey hunting savant) I knew it'd be ok. When he hit the red zone (about 20 yds) I just dropped the string!

[Tique]

What Whip said! BUT the other 2 pics look great!

[wapiti792]

My jaw dropped at what happened next...he just ran about 10 yards with his wings out and fell over dead! Quickest death of about any turkey I have ever killed. After a couple of years of heartache...I was a total trainwreck! Everything has happened to me and success snuck up on me. This is what dreams are made of!!!...so forget the helicopter that blew my birds out 2 years ago, forget my wife walking down the lane I was hunting just as I was drawing on a big gobbler last year, forget sneaky demon birds from hades that sneak in and catch you unawares, Forget 'em all!!!    

This was my bird and to say I am happy is an understatement. I have had some physical problems lately: hospitals, tubes in some bad places, but I was healthy enough to run to my bird and cry out my own rebel yell!

[wapiti792]

He ended up being the best of birds...vocal, willing, full of sound and fury. A 2 year-old looking for love in all the wrong places. The hooks were close to an inch and the beard 10 inches if you care about such things.
 
 
I killed him with a Kanati longbow 60 inches, 49 at 28. I usually shoot heavier bows but do to my treestand accident I am having some trouble drawing them. I draw to about 30 inches and like this bow real well. I traded another Tradganger for it, and boy am I greatful! The Ace broadhead made a mess of this bird, zipped though him and buried in a stump. Took me a minute to find my arra...it went farther than the turkey    :p  

 
 

[collofthewild]

Congratulations! nice turkey and great story

[wapiti792]

The entry was clean the exit a mess    

 

I took it all in and tried not to think about the work ahead. I rushed a few photos and gathered my gear, but did something I have wanted to do for some time!!!

 

[Mike Yancey]

Mike I like that!!! They will come a little easier now.

Mike

[wapiti792]

*An old smelly blind
I gathered my gear and headed home. I had just enough time to con my wife into a few pics of me with my tom and clean the bird for the table.
 
 
  *A cheesin' bowhunter

   
*Made some mighty fine protein, as well as wings for calls and fletching, and a fan/spurs that will become a little wall mount with a retired broadhead.

Thanks to all that have been good to me here, and coached me through my struggles (and off the ledge when I got stupid). I am greatful for the friendships and look forward to sharing a campfire with you soon.
     

[Terry Green]

   

[Orion]

     Thanks for sharing.

[wapiti792]

Man photobucket is about to give me vertigo...keeps tilting my pics! Maybe it's the drugs they've had me on  

[bohuntr]

Waaaaay to go Mike!!!!      

[Mudd]

Kudos brother!

   

[Gummi Bear]

Great writeup.

Spring turkey is the most exciting hunt of the year, and the one that I look forward to most.

Congrats on your success!

[rastaman]

Way to go sir!      

[yellow bow]

           :cool: