Albatross lifted, KY jinx broken with 2 arrows

[wapiti792]

Ahhh the albatross...lifted. 2 year curse broken with my longbow turkey last week here in IL. Then more redemption today...in my ghille suit: another first        

I have tried to kill a bird in Kentucky awful bad these last 5 years. The last bird I killed was with a smoothbore with a good friend, and that was cool too. However, it left me wanting more. I knew that I would only be posing for the grip and grins with my longbow in the picture from that point forward. Each time I see the beautiful pictures in one of Mr Gary Logston's turkey posts or one of Kentucky TJ's hunting yarns, I long to be the one in those pics. I went to college in Kentucky and love the rolling hills around LBL and the hardwoods I get to hunt now as an alien around Hopkinsville. It has it's own beauty as does the swamps of LA, the farmland of my new home in IL, and the majesty of the western sky states. I have had success in those places with my longbow, however. Kentucky has put me off scorned so many times I cannot count...until today.

   

[owlbait]

Congrats Mike. Nice to get rid of the bird to get your bird! Great looking arrows. Are those ACE heads?

[Shinken]

Congrats!

               

MOST-EXCELLENT shooting!

Enjoy the feast!

Shoot straight, Shinken

   

[wapiti792]

When the alarm rang out it's so-loud chime at 0300 I thought I was in some kind of torture device. After taking an elbow from my wife and young daughter who had crept in like a thief in the night to steal the covers from the two of us, I dressed cat-like quick and guzzled coffee. I bypassed my blind in the garage and grabbed my ghillie...I was taking a chance that the rain was nearly done, that the 2 hours in the truck would move quickly, and that the bird that had been gobbling on the roost last weekend would still be there.

Exiting the auto in plenty of time to walk the half-mile in, my pack felt light. I then remembered, no blind. A stool, a bushy jacket recommended on this site by John, a fellow IL Tradganger, and a hat my daughter and I had made a couple of weeks ago were all I needed today.

I took my pruners and got to work cutting out a hole to shoot through the honey-suckle, put out my new Avian X dekes dubbed "Sparky" and "Jewel" by the before-mentioned coverhog, and took a seat. Not five minutes later a goose overhead awoke the tom and he let out a raspy gobble, fit for the old bird he was.

 
*Sparky, goodboy, stay!

More to come...

[awbowman]

Congrats!  Love turkey hunting.

[wapiti792]

At 6am the bird gobbled twice more. I tree yelped and he did what all KY birds seem to do: he ignored me like I was the ugliest girl in the room. As light was breaking I heard a flutter of wings then silence. I took a peek at my watch and realized legal shooting was here. For several minutes I could hear walking behind me, maybe a drum, maybe a purr but I dare not move. Yeti-suit or not, I was terrorized by the thought that he would walk in behind me, catch a fat guy in a leafy suit and putt his way to freedom.

He finally gobbled his way to me, walking within steps of my position but offering no shot. I could see him sizing up the jake deke and puffing up more as the closed the distance. Finally I had a lane and in the warp-speed time that I told myself to get to full draw and pick a spot he had gotten too close. I dropped the string and watched the arrow fly over his back. I had mmmmmissed!!!

[medic77]

That is a great read and a great bird, congrats

[wapiti792]

Luckily he was unaware of my miss and kept close by. The second arrow caught him perfect. We went down in sight, which is always a good thing!

[Whip]

You are certainly on a roll Mike!  Way to go!!

[Mudd]

[wapiti792]

A 2 plus hour drive, a half-mile walk, and a 5 year drought all ended in a 30 minute hunt. Unbelievable    

He ended up being an old warrior with 1 1/8 inch hooks, a 12 inch beard and an injury to his foot. He wasn't that heavy but he had the look at attitude of a boss bird.
 
*Good hooks!
 
*Bum wheel

[59Alaskan]

Congrats!  Nice shot

[maineac]

Congrats on a great bird.  Sometimes it all just comes together.

[wapiti792]

I have to think that without the dekes it would have been a bust. I know when that first Ace-tipped 700 grain missle buzzed him it would have been game-over. KS Trapper turned me on to these and from now on, they are going where I go. In the time that I was wating on my bird to give up the ghost, a lonely hen walked up to the hen in the set and purred at her like she was a long-lost relative. She only left when the sideways laying don juan wanna be jake started to tip all the way over after his arse whoopin' from '

As I admired the old bird it dawned on me this was the finest turkey hunt I had ever been on, in a state I love. Scorned no more in my Old Kentucky Home. The bird left me a little melancholy as any animal I have killed most times do. Melancholy a little and mostly happy if that explains it. I thanked him for the meat and wondered how many 'yotes and bobcats he had dodged.

[wapiti792]

I was using my Tradgang Classifieds bought Kanati, 60 icnhes, 49 at 28. I draw to 30. I switched to this bow out of desperation...fingers busted from a treestand fall. I couldn't draw any of the FINE bows I own very well and lucked into this one. It spits a 711 grain 75-95 GT blem with a 100 grain brass insert and 200 grain Ace head with authority. I use an alum insert (bout 46 gr) to round out the busniess end. So far those Ace heads are winners: A giant bear, A giant whitetail and 2 turkies. I think I am an Ace-man    

Thanks for reading my tale. Good luck the rest of the spring! I am a lucky bowhunter. 6 weeks ago I had tubes in some mighty bad places and got to spend a few days in the clink (hospital). Today I did what any free man in the greatest country in the world aught to do... I went hunting!

[steadman]

Atta Boy Big Fella! See what happens when you cover them legs. LOL!! Sorry i didn't answer your text, was drivin. But I had a smile on as big as yours, well almost! Congrats Brutha!    Talk to you soon.

[Archie]

Congrats!  

That pic of the turkey hanging in the tree is one of the nicest poses I've seen for a turkey that has been harvested.  A dead turkey usually just isn't very photogenic!  

Again, congrats!

[monsterbuck]

Congrats, love the stories.  God bless.

[Bowwild]

Excellent story and terrific hunt!  Good for you.  It sounds like you had a better than classic archery turkey hunt. I've never hunted LBL but I've been there many times.

I suppose you know Mr. Bear hunted there a time or two many years ago as well.  He was in pursuit of Fallow Deer which were fairly common (although exotic) decades ago.

[Hopewell Tom]

Great story. Good work and way to take advantage of a second chance. The highs and lows of a hunt - fantastic!