Congrats guys!!! I got on the board yesterday as well. John Herrmann and Clinton were out here all week and we wired the lodge and killed gobblers with bows. 4 down so far and many more to come. We have some pretty awesome footage to go with it. 3 out of the 4 were inside of 8 yards. I missed yesterday morning, I hit either my jacket sleeve or the blind, but it definitely wasn't a turkey. We were headed out and saw a tom strutting just off of a dry creek bed. We snuck down the creek bed (in our black blind gear) and got within about 50 yards. I had a jake fan with me and stuck it up just above the hill to where he could see it, spinning it slowly and yelped one time. When I knew he was coming stuck the fan about 6' from me in a bush. He came in at full strut, as his fan crested the hill, I drew. When is head popped up he immediately focused on the fan and came up the hill just enough for his vitals to show. I shot him at 21 yards. He's 2 year old but has double beards. Pretty cool to kill a bird spot and stalk with a bow on film. Pics to come later :D Here is one of the arrow in flight.
Awesome! Big-time congrats to all you guys!! I just got back late last night from our two-week straight turkey road trip with my boys. We had tacklebox along for the second week while we were in Nebraska. The boys each killed a Rio in Kansas, and my youngest tagged out with three Merriam's in Northwestern Nebraska... I never got to pick up a bow in Nebraska even though I had a tag as I was working hard to get my oldest a Merriam's longbeard. He passed on a jake the first day and we go to within 20 yards on numerous other occasions... just couldn't get the deal sealed. I'll be hunting the remainder of the season here in Missouri. We've got two weeks left for me to get on the board.
I only have 3 more days to hunt and that is in the afternoons after work. Doesn't look like I'm going to be able to pull it off with a bow this year. Good luck to everyone.
That's OK. The best part is that you were able to make it out into this gorgeous world and chase these crazy, yet clever birds around. I have one friend who was not able to make it out once during his season. He had the same Mon-Fri 5 day season here in IL. He is a construction worker who had to be at work before shooting time and was not allowed any days off that week as they were behind on a job. He did not draw any other tags. This was my first turkey with a bow. I have cleanly missed 3 birds in the Fall over the years with the closest one being 46 yds. These can be really difficult to kill with a bow IMO. By the way, this is by far the best producing team I have ever been on!
First day out is Saturday for me, season started yesterday. Cams have birds on them, so hopefully we'll get something then.
stupid, Stupid... STUPID!! Sorry guys. I should be showing you all a gorgeous Eastern longbeard after this morning Was walking back to the car this morning with my blind on my back calling sporadically with my diaphram call in my mouth out of boredome more than anything as I was walking through a big old freshly planted corn field... I approached nothing more than a fencerow in the middle that cuts around a pond, and makes a bit of a "L" shape. I was on the point of the L... called, and BOOOM!!! A gobble cut me off HARD less than 50 yards on the other side of the fenceline. I dropped the pack, nocked an arrow and hunkered in. I yelped again, and he thundered out. I waited for him to come around the corner... and nothing. Waited a few more minutes, and nothing. I got anxious and concerened I'd have nothing to focus his attention on if he DID come around, so I unzippered my backpack and dug out my Avian-X hen and started blowing her up. I had just finished and pushed the plug back in when he walked around in full strut. Yeah, he's still running...
Yep.. Got out here with the kids today and heard a bunch.. Then a shotgun go off, kids got all depressed. Then about 30 mins later, with some more calling had one gobbling back at us, he was coming, but then I think saw my son ( he couldn't sit still and we are in a home made blind that when building didn't know he was coming ) and I said for the way we setup the blind if they come from this side we are fine, but if they come from the other side we are screwed. Guess which side they come from.. But at least the kids saw some turkeys..
It's a good time of year. Good luck to those of you hunting. I will go out again tomorrow. Congrats on the birds guys.
Was out again this morning and gobbling all over, just nothing coming in my direction. Need to figure out why, 3 deer walked right in front of me though, that was cool and I guess I'm covered pretty well.
We took off Thursday with our travel trailer and trout fished for four days straight... JUST pulled back in; still have to unpack. The boys caught about 40 or so and we had a great fish fry with some good friends last night. We've got a week of season left and I'll be out every day until the season closes.
Thanks Taylor. I should be able to get one this week since I'm finally concentrating on hunting for me and not just actually guiding my boys, LOL... and if all else fails, I could still probably make a run back over to Kansas to fill one of my two unspent tags over there.
Had two this morning gobbling and came in, was about 10ft from the decoy's that I have, turned and saw my blaze orange on my hood ( I didn't move at all ), then just casually turned around then left. They were about 17 yards away, didn't know they were there at first and I think the issue was my mistake as well, that they were super close and I called again. Chances are gave away my position, the direction they came from I could not see out, so there was no way of telling. When I called that last time, they gobbled back and scared the crap out of me. Then, when they got closer, looked around and saw the blaze and it was out of the normal so they very much took their time leaving, just no where I could really get a shot. I did get a shot off eventually, but I forgot to move my single pin to 30 yards, arrow landed right at it's feet. So all in all, I'm getting a new sweatshirt tonight and probably a face mask as well. Closing the windows slightly on the blind (home made blind) and hitting the same place tomorrow. They have been roosting in the same place for the last 2 weeks, so hopefully I didn't spook them too much and they will be back tomorrow, then we will be having turkey dinner.
Ran a Muzzy MX-3 through a gobbler's vitals at 36 yards this morning. He went three feet and expired. Decent bird ... Driving back across the state for home now. I'll try to get pics up when I can.
Here ya go guys... worst-case scenario I've at least got this guy to enter. Hopefully my second bird will be bigger 10.5" beard, 20.35 lbs, and 3/4" spurs. Just a solid 2-year-old. Wanted to lop one's neck off with a guillotine but he wouldn't come close enough. Had to swap out arrows and drilled him with a Muzzy MX-3 125 grain at 36 yards and he went about four feet.
So this one was my fault.. Had 3 (boys anyways there 4 girls) 10 - 15 yards away and apparently I got the rush and jumped the shot.. I aimed for right at the junction of the leg and the first row of feathers on the wing, and hit the thing low. I tracked it for about 400 yards, but there really wasn't a blood trail, not even really where I hit it either, though my decoy would have been dead. Arrow was stuck right through it.. So I'm hoping the turkey is ok (should be he was walking with the rest of them, I'll wait a day and head out the same spot Thursday. Found their strut zone and their trails (finally), what a rush though. Still have 2.5 weeks of season left.
Well guys, I'm done... chased 'em hard all across the country this year. Had a few more close calls in the last couple weeks but couldn't get it done. Had one screaming at me from about five feet yesterday afteernoon but a hen spoiled the party. Walked three different Wildlife Management Areas today in Kansas and couldn't get anything to gobble. I'll score up my bird and add it to the scoring thread here in a bit.
Hey guys, my season is also done. We did really well. Congrats all of you who scored with the bow. Happy that I got by first turkeys, even though it was with a gun. I had 2 opportunities to get one with a bow, but they just didn't pan out. All in all, I'm happy that I was able to get it done for the first time after chasing these birds for 5 seasons and being skunked every time.
