Illinois Turkey, it's what's for dinner

[wapiti792]

So we are three days into our season here. I have my eye on the calendar as I have a weekend coming up in KY and four days at the Kilntworth in NE before I have another tag for home.

Opening day I awoke to rain and thunder. I headed to a near blind at home and didn't even hear a bird. Yesterday when I walked out the door I heard thunder...not rain-thunder but the hammering gobbles of at least three birds on the backside of the property. I headed to a nearby blind and after an hour here comes a wad of hens and three big puffed up gobblers. Just when I thought it was going to happen, they skirted my set and ignored my jake deke and hen...no shot. I believe they were the same trio of gobblers I got snow pics of a couple of weeks ago...
 

[rwbowman]

Stay on 'em Mike!

[Jayrod]

Yeah man    

[wapiti792]

As the birds did the hat dance in the field behind me I called some of the hens back. Wouldn't you know all three of those stud birds followed them. I had to drop my chair, unzip the back window and keep my nerves under control...what were the odds I'd get busted?

I'll be dang if I didn't get all of the above done! Just as the front gobbler was coming into range he hung up. My knees aching, my back hurting and a hen getting nervous superimposed in front of the gobbler with no shot. Then I heard it...

Something in my original window behind me now, where my jake decoy and hen are. Ppppsssssttt! Drumming, spitting, and belly bumping 'ol Sparky the jake. Like a blown up sumo wrestler whoopin' a lightweight. It was a terrible mismatch.

Before I could get turned he had won the battle gobbled like a madman and walked to the field with the other birds. Unzipping windows, sweating, cussing and trying to keep my arrow on the rest, it became too much. They all walked off....and I went to work.

That brings us to today...

[Jake Scott]

Nice!!!  I'm tuned in.  Great story.

Jake

[wapiti792]

I had plans to go back to the same blind but I was running a little late. Something about doing paperwork until midnight does that. It was almost light when I heard a gobble midway through my 100 acres of heaven. I grabbed my ghille and picked up the pace. I got as close as I dared, put down my Waldrop seat and staked my beaten jake and his lady friend out a few yards away. Using the brown honeysuckle as my backdrop, I did a few tree yelps with no answer from the 'da boys. I decided to gamble that they would be coming to the cow pasture nearby and shut up. Good plan!

I was hoping Sparky and Jewel (named by my kids) would be enough. They almost were...at 730 here came 4 hens with a big gobbler in tow. I did not blink an eye, or take a breath it seemed. I tried the Jedi mind trick..."you will come closer to whoop Sparky!" He was not weak minded. Or perhaps a quad of hens is better than a jake with a skinny hen. No matter. I got the full show: drumming, gobbling, hens cackling and breeding. Crazy!

Just when I thought it was time to go to work, and letting the turkey show pass out of range before bailing, I see some red heads in the distance...

[wapiti792]

As the red heads become more visible through the woods I realized I was about to be dealing with a whole lot of eyeballs from a whole bunch of jakes. 7 birds, 14 eyes with independent 270 degree vision, and one slightly obese bowhunter.

I am an equal opportunity turkey killer. If they are male, they are in danger. Period. Especially without a blind and especially with a bunch of hunting in front of me the next month. Besides, I have been wanting a bird for gumbo or fried or stewed or in a sauce picante...you get the picture.

So, here they were in my lap. It is 815 and I have to be at work in 45 minutes. I got the time if they got the want to. At 20 yards they finally see Sparky, and it's on! Like a group of thugs they circle Pearl and Sparky waiting to pounce. The big gobbler in the next field gobbled and in unison all 7 birds did their best to imitate him...in their own half-gobble way! It was so loud I flinched some. Bad move.

Luckily Sparky said something to them, defending Pearls honor. The closest jake turned to meet his gaze, and my bow came off my boot and into shooting position. I picked my spot, drew, and dropped the string...

Thump...that thump of "oh yeah, we're home."

[doubleo]

   

[Warden609]

Sounds good.

[wapiti792]

Better finish this up...

So thump goes the arrow then all hades broke loose. Truthfully I see my arrow in the bird and it looks great. But I lose him in the chaos of flying birds, running birds, alarm putts and tachycardia (my own). When I get a chance I look at my watch and give him 15 minutes. Gonna be late for work again. Luckily I work for myself and have some understanding clients  

I tiptoe over to Sparky and thank him for the heads up. I began to look for my arrow and find feathers but no blood. A slow panic sets in as I go into the thicket looking for sign and it increases as I find nothing. Looping back through, I am about to give up on sign when a single drop of blood jumps up from the honeysuckle. Then I see him, stone dead. What a relief!

I took some hurried pics and thanked the man upstairs for the chance to hunt these beautiful birds. As I type he is broke down, wings removed for fletchings, and tail feathers ready for the barn wall. He didn't have much of beard or spurs, but he weighed in at 17 pounds...and will eat pretty darn good tonight.
 
*A fine bird

I killed this with a green stripe Bear I picked up from Whip. It is a fine bow that made its debut today. It will get a lot more action as time goes on this spring. I used 50# limbs and a 2216 with an Ace Standard head. Made pretty good work of this jake. He only went about 50 yards.

 
This bow was made the year I starting bowhunting. In 1986 I was 16, and I pined for my friends Bear takedown he inherited from his dad. I finally came around to owning one and look forward to many more days chasing animals with it.
 

Thanks for reading my yarn. I love this time of year and can't wait to read more tales from you all!

 

[suburbanirma]

Well done, Mike!        

[Orion]

Nicely done. Thanks for sharing.      

[Jake Scott]

Great job, and storytelling.

I've got gobble fever.

Jake

[Alexander Traditional]

Way to go!

[Izzy]

Nice bro. Don't you wish for a 71 bow now? Something Ive been pondering.

[joebuck]

That a boy Mike......your starting your roll !

[Whip]

Originally posted by Izzy:
Nice bro. Don't you wish for a 71 bow now? Something Ive been pondering.

I happen to have one of those listed in the classifieds Izzy  

Congrats again Mike.  I'm amazed you were able to get drawn on em with all those eyes.  You are a stealthy dude!

[Horne Shooter]

Great stuff and a good story to boot!  Way to go>>

[Keith Zimmerman]

CONGRATULATIONS!!  A TURKEY WITHOUT A BLIND!!  THATS HOW ITS DONE!!  Ive been trying to get one off and on for years.  Lots of years I cant hunt.  I had one at 20 yds 2 yrs ago but no shot. I hope to get out this year.  Got my bows set up and ready to go.  U and Thumper and my new idols for yotes and birds:)  Ive killed yotes, but no birds with the sticks.

[wapiti792]

IZ: you bet! A 71 takedown    

JoeB: a warm up for our trip to NE!

Whip: thanks again brudda. Love this bow!

Keith, Joe Buck is my hero...he has killed more birds with a bow than I can imagine. Check out his posts! I am a mere neophyte. This is my 10th bird with a stickbow and 3rd sans blind      

Thanks for the kind comments fellas!