Well it is late and I have to get to bed. So the story will come tomorrow. For now here are a few pics. They are not that great but it was late and I had some work to do. This is my first traditional turkey and my first traditional harvest on anything bigger than a rabbit!!!
(http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p278/timf24/Picture001-5.jpg)
(http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p278/timf24/Picture003-3.jpg)
How sweet it is! Congrats Tim, you more than earned it my friend.
QuoteOriginally posted by vermonster13:
How sweet it is! Congrats Tim, you more than earned it my friend.
I second that! :clapper:
A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS, TIM! :archer:
Nice Bro.....
COOL Tim!!!!!! :clapper:
congrats!
So that's what it looks like?
I have never before seen a 52" Shrew Classic Hunter next to a wild turkey.
NICE!!!!!!
Good shootin' and I look forward to learnin' the details!
Keep the wind in your face, Shinken
looks great - looks like you had some Paul Jalon arrows to do the job too.
Jer Bear
Sweet bird Tim,, Congrats buddy.
Great job Tim!!!! :clapper: :clapper: :goldtooth:
Way to go Tim :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Nicely done, Tim! Now that the principle has been set, expect to see more game offering itself to your arrows! Next stop, VENISON!! :saywhat:
Daryl
Congatulations Tim on the nice Tom!You must be stoked.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :clapper:
Great job Tim,, Nice bird.
Terry
Congrats, Tim, on a hard earned trophy!!
congrats :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Now you got the hardest the rest should come easy. Nice shooting and a beautiful bird.
Congrats and looking foward to the rest of the story.
Congrats!! :) :) :thumbsup: :) :)
Way to go Tim!! It couldn't happen to a more deserving guy! Great job!!!!
Way to go Tim. :thumbsup:
Tim
Great job on the turkey!!! A shrew bow and a Kanati Bow quiver! Great set up!
Felicidades! Looking forward to the details...
:thumbsup: Congrats to the Thunderchicken slayer! :clapper:
Congratulations Tim!! :readit:
GOOD WORK TIM!!!
Great job, Tim. That first traditional harvest of a big game animal is so special. Congrats!
Hey Tim, way to go Buddy... :readit:
Great job Tim!
Uh, it is 9:00 there right? Let's go...
Alright guys sorry it took me so long to get the story. Work keeps interfering!! :banghead:
Well this is how the story goes. It was a far cry from being a text book kill but I couldn't be happier with the way it worked out. My mother-in-law has 38 acres that is loaded with birds. My season started on the 20th of April and it was a really slow start. Between weather and home I was not spending as much time in the woods as I would have liked. I hunted all this past weekend in between thunderstorms and didn't hear or see a single bird. Last night my wife, son, and I went to my in-laws for a birthday dinner. We finished up about 7:00 and I told my brother-in-law (who I am starting to convert to traditional) to grab his bow and lets go do some stumping. So we took off. I of course had a few arrows tipped with broadheads and calls in my pocket hoping for the slight chance that I may encounter a bird. We did more walking and talking than shooting which was alright. We got to the back of the property and he was reminiscing about this past deer season. We were about 50 yards from where my blind was sitting just standing talking. A group of crows flew over cawing and all the sudden a gobbler thundered from about 100-200 yards to the south. I told him to jump in the blind. My decoys and everything were still in the blind so we quick set them up and got set up in the blind. I started calling and got an immediate response. He came in on a rope. He covered the distance in about 2-3 minuets. Instead of going to the decoys he took a turn and walked 15 yards down the south side of the blind. I had an opening so I pulled back and let the arrow fly. Just as I released he started to go into a full strut. From what I could see it looked like my arrow blew through his feather without even hesitating. The bird flew up and landed about 40 yards away and just stood there not quite sure what had just happened. I started to purr and cluck quietly on my slate call but the bird would not move. We watched him sit there for probably 15 minuets and nothing was happening. It was now 8:00 and I knew my wife would want to get home and put the kid to bed so I told my brother-in-law to call and I was going to sneak out the back side of the blind and see if I could get another shot at him. Now since I really didn't expect to see any birds that night I was wearing blue jeans, a work polo shirt, my camo sweatshirt and a green and white Michigan State hat (just like in the pics). I walked around the corner of the blind and the bird just sat there. I got to within about 20 yards and he didn't move. I couldn't get another shot because he was lying behind a downed log. I moved to about 15 yards to where I had a clean shot into his body and he started to walk away. I knew something was not right because he never ran or flew. He stopped about 40 yards away on a stump so I drew an arrow and missed by a long shot. He didn't even flinch. I drew my third and last arrow and hit the log he was on right at his feet. He jumped down and walked away but I was out of arrows. I called my brother-in-law out of the blind and told him I was out of arrows so there was nothing more I could do. At this point we still figured I had missed him with the first arrow. We went to the original spot where he was when I took the first shot and found a feather. I worked on digging my broadhead out of a log when my brother-in-law walked to the spot where he sat after the first shot. There was a puddle of blood there so I now knew I hit him. I ended up breaking the arrow that was in the log right at the back of the point so I still didn't have any arrows. My brother-in-law walked over to get my other 2 arrows and the bird was sitting there 10 yards from him. He told me to hurry up and get him but I still had no arrows. By the time I got over there to get the other arrows the bird was walking away through some really thick crap. I got my other 2 arrows and I heard my brother-in-law say that he crossed the creek. So I doubled back to go cross the bridge that we built over the creek but my brother-in-law followed the bird across. By the time I got over there he was on the bird and had wrung his neck. At final review we seen that my arrow had actually slit the bird's neck right where the feathers start on the body. If I hadn't pushed it he probably would have bled out where he was sitting but I am glad we followed it up and stayed on him. It was not exactly how I had pictured taking my first turkey with a bow but it worked out in the end.
I was using a 52" Shrew Classic Hunter shooting Elite Arrows tapered cedar with Wensel Woodsman heads. The bird was 23 pounds, had an 8 & 1/2" beard and 1" spurs. This is also my first mature bird!!
Tim
QuoteOriginally posted by Tim Fishell:
This is my first traditional turkey and my first traditional harvest on anything bigger than a rabbit!!!
Dang, You're certainly starting out on the right foot! Congrats on both firsts, well done.
Thanks for all the congrats guys!!
way to go Tim Congrats Buddy
TIM....NICE JOB MAN.....YOU DID THE RIGHT THING KEEPING AFTER HIM..A TROPHY FOR SURE.
That is hunting for you, it dosn't always play out like you think it will. Thats the beauty of the sport. I noticed your from my old stomping grounds, I grew up in Zeeland. Congrats.
That's cool Tim! The more we hunt, the more we realize that things don't always go by the text book.
Maybe I missed it...where did you hit him???
Congrats bud :clapper:
Thanks again guys.
Guru, when we got up on the bird we seen that his neck had been slit right where the feathers on the body start. As I can figure I must have been left of the spot I was looking and when he tucked his head into his body going into the strut one blade of that Woodsman head must had just caught him. Gives new meaning to "I got him by the skin on his neck"!!
Congratulations! Be it a text book kill or not, the result is there.
Congrats Tim!...and thanks for sharing with us!!
Way to go! :thumbsup: Hoping for a little Shrew magic too!
Once again good job.
I got to ask Tim, Do you ever take the Michigan State Hat off.
Maybe we need an MSU alumni trad bowhinting club.
Go State!!!
Congrats on a great bird! Taking it with Traditional equipment makes it that much better.
I'm still waiting to get one in range this year. A few more days.
NICE GOING,TIM!!
:thumbsup:
Alright Tim!!!! Nice bird!!
Nice job Tim, It's always nice to read a story with a happy ending......Congrat's
Way to go Tim! Maybe them purty new arra's Paul made ya are kind of Good Luck.
Eric
Awesome bird!!! Awesome story too!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
nice :thumbsup: :notworthy:
That's what I call making memories Tim!
Thanks again guys!! I still can't believe it happened.
Blaine (last arrow), I rarely go a day with out a hat. I buy those MSU hats a couple at a time so I always have a back up ready to go.
Dave (Dave2old), Those are just some muskrat fur that I had laying around. I think it adds a nice touch to the bow. Most of my bows wear fur silencers even though they dont really need them.
Congrats Tim , good going :thumbsup: :clapper:
I'm jealous Tim, AWESOME.
Alright Tim ! Awesome Bird :thumbsup:
What can I say?????
:archer: :clapper:
QuoteOriginally posted by Roger Norris 2:
I'm jealous Tim, AWESOME.
Nothing to be jealous about here Roger. You should come over turkey hunting sometime!! :thumbsup:
Congrats :thumbsup:
Very nice, well deserved. :clapper:
Congrats Tim!
Nice bird and a great story. I hope it is the first of many!!!! :)
Good for you Tim! Hopefuly my day to shine will come soon!!!
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IN GOD WE TRUST
Thanks again guys. And good luck to all you who are still out there looking!!
Congrads Tim thats a fine bird!! :thumbsup:
So far all Ive managed to do is see hen's and hear gobbles...saw 1 tom for a second LOL but thats it.Our season started Fri
What an awesome story and tom Tim! Congratulations.
:thumbsup:
"It was a far cry from being a text book kill but I couldn't be happier with the way it worked out."
There are a lot less hunts that are "text book" than than ones that are!!
Great job!!
That is AWSOME! Congratulations, he's a dandy!
Not all turkey hunts end with: shot bird, bird falls over dead. Many people have to use, or are prepared to use, followup shots. Great story, and congrats!
Thanks guys!! I was out of town for the weekend and seen some birds in the fields strutting!! Hopefully you guys out there with unfilled tags that are still chasing birds are having some luck.