A day of immeasurable emotion.

[Mike Gerardi]

For some reason I always find myself in a race with the sun during turkey season. No matter how early I get up I always cuss the sun because it seems to beat me every time. Yesterday morning was no exception. Up early with all my gear ready by the back door and what I thought was plenty of time on the clock. As soon as I shut off the rear porch light and stepped outside the sun said," Ha!" I'm already coming up." Damm! A dash to the my field edge and a bootcamp style forced march through a freshly plowed field.  Anyone who has walked through a freshly plowed field after winter knows how difficult that walk is. It is a work out. While trying to stay on my feet, wearing my rack pack w/double bull blind, bow and two decoy bags I was scanning the tree tops for roosted birds. I always seem to find spots in trees I swear are turkey's watching me and find later that it was just a bunch of leaves or a nest of vines that have not yet fallen. Evert time I see that my heart just drops.
  I got into my set along the back edge of a field just inside the tree line. I set up a feeder Hen and Jake with a real fan. I turned the fan to the side slightly to one side and into the blind for the morning hunt. This morning was quiet and I did not get a response from an owl hoot call. I know the birds in my area walk this edge to feed on the south west side of the hard woods, so I decided to just wait it out and see what happend. I had sent a text my buddy Dave Sisamis who was hunting with his brother Scotty. Wishing them good luck while they hunted on the other side of the county.  Around 8:00 am I got my first gobble after a short series of calls. They were to my right and getting closer. The Toms were just 80yds out. Due to brush and briors to the right of the blind, I could not tell if they made it over the small rise in the field to see my set.  I kept thinking they must have seen those decoys , they were too close. I began to inspect my Jake decoy and thought the beard was too long and it looked more like a mature bird than a jake. I crawled out of the blind on my belly and pulled it into the blind.
 8:45 am I looked to my right and in the field to see "FIVE" strutters with a Hen working my way.

[Dirtybird]

This is going to be good.

[Mike Gerardi]

There heads were bright red and looked almost battery operated. My pulse picked up and my heart felt like it was going to come through my chest. I laughed at myself and tried to calm down.   I was caught completely off gaurd. The strutters and hen just appeared in the field without a sound. I thought to myself , " Dude what s your problem , calm down!" My adrenaline dump only went away when I saw that the hen was taking the five strutters with her on an angle that would have them pass right infront of me at 50 to 60 yds. I could hear her calling and began to mock her every cluck. This made her close the gap , but still kept them 45 yds out. I watched them pass and move off my left. This was not a quick process. It took all of 30 min before I knew I was not going to have a shot. I went from an adrenaline dump to disappointment to extreme frustration. I just didnt have the knowlage to turn the tables in my favor and just continued to mock the lead hen as she went into the hardwoods with all five strutters.

[KentuckyTJ]

Sometimes you just have to know even the best callers in the world don't have their way. Keep after them Mike you'll get it done.

[Dirtybird]

Tom it gets better, this is early morning yet.

[Mike Gerardi]

I have only hunted turkeys for a couple of years and have never taken a long beard with a bow. I was able to take three hens with trad equipment but never a Tom. A little history with the property. These birds are pressured birds. Three properties meet right behind my property and hunters see the birds in my field and get permission from the other property owners to hunt. So these birds have it tough and are constantly being pushed.  So when the strutters went back into the hardwoods I was heart broken and doubted it would ever happen again like that. I was pumped that I had been able to see five strutters at once, but I second guessed my set up. Doubt about removing the jake, my choice of location for the set. Did I call wrong, what should I have done different, Is my feeder hen wronng, did they see me move in the blind, hear me, AAHHH!! I just did not have the answers.

[Mike Gerardi]

I sat in my blind for the next two hours driving Dave and his brother crazy with text. I would give a series of calls and get responses from the toms just below the ridge to my left. One set of gobbles told me that they were at the bottom of the property in a low area out of view of the field. I crawled back out with the Jake and set it farther in the field on a long spike so it would move and spin in the breeze. Now back in the blind I continued to drive Dave and his brother crazy and got comfortable.
  30 MIN later I gave a series of clucks and yelps. The toms gobbled and had moved back uptop to the field edge. I looked to my left and saw a big bright red head staring at my Jake. Damm. there he is. The big tom moved out into the field and took his time just trying to figure out what that jake was doing there. I grabbed my bow and told myself if he comes in,Pick a spot!!. That Big O'l Tom started to walk then ran towards the deeks.

[snakebit40]

I've been told that turkey's don't like edges. Try moving your blind out into the field 30 or so yards, they don't mind.

[Dirtybird]

   

[Dirtybird]

I'm hunting now enjoying the weather and the sweet sounds of nature.   Aaahhhh....a bad day hunting is better than a great day at work.

[Mike Gerardi]

I picked up my bow and got ready. That Tom came into the set and stood between the hen and jake decoy. He went into a strut and gave me a 10 yard perfect shot. I started to grip the arrow with my leather shooting glove and the leather began to creek. The tom looked at the blind and picked his head up a tad higher. I quickly came to full draw, anchor, and released at my spot before he had time to change his mind. The familar violent flapping of black and white wings and quick movements by the tom made it hard to see what was happening. I knew I hit him hard by the sound of the arrow making contact, but could not see the arrow with his movement. I feared he would fly away, run or try to get back into the hardwoods. Was it over, did I get him, how far would he go, was the shot good enough. All these thoughts raced through my head in a fraction of a second. In less that 5 seconds he was laying there just 3 feet from my decoys. I watched him for another couple of seconds and I did not breath. I looked at my bow and had nocked another arrow without knowing it. I let out a deep breat and began to shake. I am shaking now as I type reliving the moment. I stood up and did the dance, and tried to relase some of my built up emotion. "YOU DID IT" I told myself and he is a beautiful bird. I was stoked!!!


   

[Gen273]

 congrats on a fine bird!!!

[R. Graddy]

Great story, thanks for sharing.  Congrats!    

[Mike Gerardi]

After everything settled down the remaing four toms stood about 30 yds away for about 5 min then walked off. A hen walked up to the now dead tom and would not leave. 15 min later she decided to walk off and I was able to get out of the blind and make my way to the tom.

   

[Dirtybird]

I was on way out if the woods to go to work when I checked my phone.  I seen 5 text and 1 with an attachment.  Right then I just knew Mike had made good on his oppurtunity.  A feeling of joy and calmness came over me as many of you know.  I get just as excited when good friends and family take game as if I did.  Congratulation Mike on a fine tough Eastern Dirtybird!      

[Mike Gerardi]

[Bowwild]

Excellent tale and congratulations on making all the right decisions and moves!

[Mike Gerardi]

This tom bird has a huge body and weighed in at 25lbs. His beard was 9.5 inches and his spurs were almost an inch, just a tad over 3/4. My bow was a Black Widow MA2 60 @ 28, Kanati 4 arrow bolt on quiver. . Ceadar shaft with a razor sharop 175 grn ACE head. The natural turkey feathers were sent with alot of mojo from my good buddy Doug Campbell, The bow was given to me  by my buddy Tim Mullen AKA (Molson). and I would not have had the sucess without my good buddy Dave Sisamis who gave me the jake decoy and convinced me to buy the avian feeder hen. I am lucky and blessed to have good friends.

   

[Mike Gerardi]

 

[Terry Green]

That's good stuff right there!!!!!!

Congrats!!!!!!

Terry