Gobblapalooza 2013

[Whip]

Ok, where was I...
Oh yeah - the main flock of the morning had strutted on up the hill and left me to quiver in my chair.

Back out in the far end of the pasture a group of four toms danced a waltz around a lone hen.  She must have been really pretty in the eyes of a gobbler to attract so many suiters.  Or as Mike suggested, maybe they just figured she was easy.  The morning rush had dwindled, and she was like the last girl left in the bar at closing time.  

The group ever so slowly worked their way in my direction.  I don't think there were any other birds in sight at this point other than the two good looking ones that were a part of my decoy spread.      

One of the toms seemed to calculate his odds of success.  One hen with three other mature birds to fight with, or two seductive beauties up the hill being tended by my jake decoy.  He headed my way.  75 yards below me he stopped to strut his stuff for a good 10 minutes trying to convince the girls to come on down.

 

 

[Whip]

When his smoothest dance moves failed to impress my decoys to come on down to him the big boy finally decided to come on up the old two track and have a talking to with the jake that was keeping them so occupied.

My set up worked perfectly.  With no other live birds to worry about I was able to get my bow up and in position as he walked behind the cedar to my front.  When he stepped out in full strut at seven yards all I needed to do was bring the bow to full draw and pick a spot.  The bow blind did its job in hiding my draw.

The arrow was away so fast I wasn't even sure of the hit.  But the bird didn't seem to be acting quite right as he trotted away and headed back down the hill into a grove of cedars.  

I gave him some time, and then upon inspecting the arrow found good blood and feathers covering it.  Following in the direction he had gone reveled no blood trail, and as I went further and further in the search doubts were creeping into my mind.  I had gone probably 150 yards and had actually turned back toward the blind to search the area again when I came upon this.

   

It wasn't my first turkey with a stickbow, but it had been a long time in between, and the relief was overwhelming.  He was a beautiful bird, and I couldn't have been happier.

 

[Whip]

This picture shows the gobbler eye view of the set up.  If you look close you will see me tucked back into the second cedar tree.  I am wearing a Bush In A Bag from Big Jim and have the bow with bow blind attached held up in front of me.

   

This shows the Bush In The Bag a little better.

   

 

[Dirtybird]

Congrats Joe.  

[Greg Szalewski]

Congrats Joe. Glad to see you pulled off the blindless/bowblind setup. That place look sawesome.

[zipper bowss]

Great stories, Guys!! That ranch looks like quite the special place.

Way to go Joe! Congrat on your first blindless bird.    
Bill

[Cyclic-Rivers]

This thread keeps getting Better!        

Congrats Joe!

[wapiti792]

Man, we ain't even done with the first day    

I wanna go back now...these Easterns are hurting the team real bad    

Looks like my footage is on the internal memory of my camera. I am having trouble getting it to load. Darn it!!!

[tippit]

HELP: I have some neat video on an SD card but I'm mentally handicaped trying to get it on YouTube  

[joebuck]

Way to Go JOE!  nerves of steel!  sweet aint it.

i think you should post the Yankee Breakfast Skillet please.

[SheltonCreeker]

Dirtnap..... I have to say I like it. Now about these shower accusations.... We were in the West and I thought water was a precious item out there didn't want to use up too much! I do like me some bloody arrows and a good nap!

[tippit]

As I said earlier...this was my first real time turkey hunting.  In fact this was also my first time hunting out of a blind so I was totally unprepared what was to happen next.  The first morning I must have been dreaming of Gobbling Turkeys that is until I realised it was just Whip's alarm going off at 4:15.

I had brought my ghillie suit, a couple of turkey calls that had no idea what sound to make, my Waldrop chair, Hidden Draw bow blind (more on that later) and of course my bow.  What I didn't realise was I needed Black clothes vs my regular camo  :confused:  Having a white beard & bald head isn't exactly camo inside a black blind.  OK I'm at least starting to learn.

 


A little better...

 
 

Nick got me in the blind at dark so I could get used to the confines of a small tent.  As dawn approached I could see at least 20 dark black blobs in the trees about 150 yards out one of the blind windows.  Then it happened...toms gobbling & hens squawking like being in a stadium for the opening kick off.  I could actually hear it!!!  

At first light, the fly down with 3-4 toms strutting & hens all over the place...I was mesmerized.  My blind was between round bales of hay and the birds were filter in.  At one point I had 3-6 bearded toms around me and numerous hens & jakes within five feet...what a show.  I decided right then that I would Not shoot a jake on the first day.  The morning went on like that in waves of birds.  I felt like I was becoming a Turkey Hunter for the first time in 40 years of traditional bowhunting.

 

[tippit]

That afternoon brought more birds but also strong winds.  I had a couple of shots at long beards...one in a cross wind where I watched my arrow blow off target taking out a few tail feathers.  Another shot directly down wind at 10 yards where feathers and skin were hit but no blood.  I was discovering that these birds were 50% air!   As the day wound down I decided to take my chances at two birds that were hanging around me all day.  They were both mature toms with full even tails but one had No beard and the other had a Stub beard.  I started calling them my Gay Boys as they never bothered the hens and stuck pretty close to each other.

This is Stubby.  I have numerous video of him.  Plus he will come up time and again over the course of the next few days.

 

[tippit]

Now I was frustrated so I decided to try for Stubby even though he didn't have a long beard. As he was walking by a round bale next to me, I had just started my draw when out of the corner of my eye came three Long Beards.  I instinctive swung on the lead bird and buried my arrow in him.  He ran and then started a slow walk until he came to a downed tree trunk.  He just rested there unable to get over it.  With my binoculars I could see my arrow still in him and a pool of blood forming under him.  One of his buddies was still with him and started up a hill.  My bird finally got over the tree and followed.  I saw his buddy at the top of the hill but not my bird.  Calling Nick, we started searching and found him in a brush pile.  A few more shots and a quick club by Nick landed my first ever turkey...Long Beard to boot    

 

 

 

[Benjy]

That is awesome Jeff! Great bird...

Benjy

[tippit]

All this and just the first day!

[wapiti792]

While Jeff was sitting perhaps the most "wicked hot" blind on the planet that night I was across the field from him in the black blind. It was a bit of a slow sit, but after the morning hunt with birds climbing all over me, I needed a break. Something like Otis on Andy Griffith...I needed to just lay down and get away from it all        

I couldn't see Tippit's blind but I could see the birds come and go...some of them real scared. One of them left with an arrow        My only regret was not having my camera rolling...a man only kills his first turkey once. I even got to high-five brother Jeff at the conclusion.

Believe it or not, Nick suggested that I sit in Jeff's blind the last hour of daylight. I nearly passed out when about 20 turkeys: jakes, hens, and one longbeard out of range barreled in coming to the roost. I have killed every subspecies of turkey now but a merriam. The first bird I got a chance for was a jake with all the right white on his butt and fan not 20 minutes after Jeff and Nick drove off to celebrate numeral uno...and I hit the blind with my top limb and mmmmissed. Dejected I toasted the gobbling birds on their way to the roost trees and couldn't wait for the pickup to celebrate agiain with Tippit and to hear the crazy stories I knew where brewing...I also caught a last glimpse of Stubby, a full fan dominant bird with a small beard on his way to the sleep tree. Tippit had told me about him from before, and I wanted to kill that bird so bad...

[Hud]

Congratulations to everyone, nice birds and a great story.          

[Whip]

Jeff really had his doubts about his ability to go on this hunt with his limited hearing abilities and lack of previous turkey hunting experience.  Try as I might to convince him it wouldn't matter, there was just no way for him to know what lay before him.  I've gotta say, he sure seemed to take a shine to these birds and couldn't get enough!

Before I forget, I need to thank Joebuck and Ed Schlief.  I put my Wooden Hen scratch box to good use, although it's hard to say that my calling truly made a difference with so many birds around.  Didn't hurt though - I love that call!
And those big Silver Flame XXL's that Ed left behind last year sure do put a slice in a bird!

 

[tracker1]

Keep it going.