First Turkey with Traditional Gear

[emfunk]

Apr 14th, 2012
I hunt a small parcel 7acres that buts up a turkey mecca haha, and I strictly bowhunt this property because of the lay out and ease of using a blind.
Well the original set up was just 60 yds from the roost but the birds always pitched down to the open field on the adjoining landowner who I didn't know and I wasn't going to cross the fence without permission etc. So two Sundays and saw some birds and had some jakes that I could have shot but just wanted to hold out. During last Sundays hunt it was about 11:30 and I here the adjoining landowner riding his ranger around and he was coming closer, he went by once and didn't see me and as he was making his way by again he saw the blind and decoys and stopped. I got out and we were talking across the fence. He stated that he didn't want me shooting on him etc and I was very neighborly about it stated I wouldn't do it and if I had cause to come over the fence I would come and ask permission first. We exchanged goodbyes and Happy Easters and he went about his way and I packed up all my gear and blind and made my way back to the truck. Once there my buddies father n law that I hunt on came over and said Terry (the adjoining landowner) stated that since you bowhunt you can go on over the fence and hunt on him. HAPPY EASTER TO ME  
So this brings us to Friday the 13th, I get done at the academy and I have my Double Bull in my truck. I take off once released for my hour drive to the turkey mecca. I head on back along the fence row and see two strutters and 6 hens strutting it up about 200yds to my east, so I continue to the back field where the turkeys roost and fly down every morning that I have been here. The stage is set in about 10 mins of arriving, I was in and out like a shadow.
For me to make it down there in plenty of time I got up at 330am Apr 14th and take off to see how the morning is going to unfold, I am sure glad I can't see into the future I would have been a total wreck.

I get to the blind at about 5:15 and set the decoys up, hop in the blind get all the gear (bow, quiver, coffee haha) situated and open the blind, I am thinking if its anything like last Sunday they will be on the ground at 6 and start talking about 545, well they must have had a rough night because they were about 15mins off, had me worrying that I might have pushed them out. At 6am a tom gobbled across the field from me, then another, then another, (THREE TOMS) then a jake, but I hadn't heard a hen yet.
What started at 6am-ends at 6:16 but for that 15mins in between is etched in my memory for ever. At about 610 two hens pitch down, then another, but the 3rd one I swear, lands 6ft away from the blind, in between me and my one feeding hen. Then I hear another bird pitch down (TOM) okay its game time, then another Tom pitches down. When the first Tom hit the ground he looked over saw the strutter decoy and came a running, the other Tom which was bigger kinda noticed and was just takin his time coming to me.
So I wasn't going to be picky, first opportunity I have ever had and I have Tom running in to beat down my strutter, green light. Well the First tom does make it to my strutter and commences to giving my decoy a thrashing, as he is doing this I have my bow at the ready, only need him to do is give me a good angle, he thrashes him again and starts coming around front of my decoy to get eye to eye, and that when I sent arrow quartering up in him. At the thump of the string dropping, he takes off to my right and right away I can see he isn't going far. Well the other bigger Tom must have thought my decoy which at this point looks like hot mess, had whipped his buddie and here he came in, but I didn't care, the adrenaline dump was like nothing I had ever experienced, I set my bow down, and unzipped the blind and took off to see my trophy, I am sure I scared the every living crap out of the 3 hens and the Tom but I shot at 6:16 so they have all day to get back in the area again, here is the kicker, as I am bring my bird back to the blind and packing up, I can hear hens up in the tree, the roost tree hadn't even cleared yet

21lbs 10oz
11.25 inch beard
Left spur 1 1/4
Right spur 1 3/8
Taken with a 57lb St. Joe Recurve
Simmons Big Game head
 

I can only say I am grateful and fortunate, tomorrow I will be back in that blind and even if I don't hear or see a bird, the smile that is on it right now will still be there.

[sswv]

that's a NICE bird. good job        

[Terry Green]

           

[centaur]

Well done!  

[Rob W.]

Very nice!  

[Shinken]

Nice one!

Great shot with a Simmons BH!

Enjoy the feast!

Shoot straight, Shinken

 

[Alvey]

Nice bird congrats!! Still waiting on my first.  

[Green]

Huge congrats on your Gobbler!

[fnshtr]

Congrats!! you guys are killin' me with these turkey tales... I gotta wait until the 21st!!!

[Dirtybird]

That's what I call a great turkey season.  Congrats!

[yellow bow]

   

[kbetts]

Very nice. Congrats!

[turkey522]

[KSdan]

Great story.  Congrats.    

[Steve Chappell]

The first one is a special one!  Nice job!

[JoeM]

Very nice!!  Thanks for sharing nice pic!  Congrats Joe

[Archie]

Awesome!

[Shedrock]

Good job      

[Sarge11]

If you never see another turkey, this will last a lifetime.
Sarge

[Cyclic-Rivers]

One you will never forget.

Time to go and thank the Landowner for his generosity. (let him shoot your bow    )

Congrats!