Well, I'm having a hard time believing that it finally happened. After hearing quite a bit of gobbling activity Saturday morning (that hasn't occured all year), I decided to go back yesterday afternoon to the DB blind that I had relocated earlier that morning to be closer to where I heard the birds. At 5:00 o'clock a hen came by the blind and I was elated as it was the first turkey I had seen this year. At 5:25 I was actually playing with my phone when I kept hearing a strange noise behind my DB blind. I slightly cracked open one of the viewing flaps and saw a nice gobbler all blowed up about 100 yards behind me! Just seeing a gobbler is usually an every three year occurence where I hunt. His attention was riveted on my DSD decoy sitting 12 yards from my blind in the old cutover log road.
I cracked another viewing port open on the side to watch a spot that was about 15 yards from where I would shoot. This would let me know when he was about to step in my shooting port so that I could view the bird for legality and be prepared to shoot if needed. He made the 100 yards painfully slow; taking a good 15 minutes to cover that 100 yards. He was out of sight most of time but I could hear him strumming. Finally I could hear his wing tips dragging in the hard packed rocky log road so I knew he was getting real close...though he didn't gobble even once.
The DSD hen decoy had him hooked (never can understand how a decoy that doesn't twitch in 15 minutes can so dope a bird) He stepped in my shooting hole at about 15 yards, turned 3/4 broadside and I promptly shot through his tail fan! So much for best laid plans and being cool & calm under pressure
The bird took a hop, but never as far as I can tell ever broke strut. As he hit my second port that was open at 20 yards; he had already passed the decoy but still was fascinated with the deke. I took my time, instictively aimed the Black Widow recurve lower, released, and pin wheeled the bird with a Wensel Woodsman in an imaginary 10 ring tight in the wing butt. The bird ran 15 yards down the log road in full sight and tipped over nose first in the log road.
Given that I always restrict myself to archery equipment, successes can often be years apart. Add that dismal diclosure to the fact that I'm not a very good turkey hunter to begin with... and it's quite a good feeling when it all comes together. It's definitely not the way to hunt if someone likes to eat wild turkey on an annual basis
Mark
(http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z294/Stringwacker2/P1000368.jpg)
(http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z294/Stringwacker2/P1000416.jpg)
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Congrats Mark. great looking bird. That is a neat decoy, it sure delivered for you.
Super job! Great acclomplishment. :thumbsup:
Great story and nice bird. I hope to have one similar in a few weeks. :thumbsup:
Great pictures! :thumbsup:
Excellent!!
Great job to you! :notworthy:
Excellent story, bird, and photos. I hope I'm half as lucky as you next month.
CONGRATS!! Good story and even better pictures! Thanks for takin' us along! :thumbsup:
Congratulations!!
I can't believe he gave you a second shot after actually touching him with the 1st arrow.
It was definitely your time and you came through.
Thanks for sharing with us.
God bless,Mudd
Yes great story and pics, those DSD decoys look like they could fool any old tom.
Not too "bad" if ya ask me! Congrats!
Thanks guys...I really appreciate all your comments!
Congrats. I have been trying to do this since the season opened. I have had many encounters, but my big strutting decoy keeps scaring the birds. I am going to try it again with just a plain jake and hen decoy. Glad it came together for you.
A turkey hunter with a bird hanging over his shoulder is a "Good" turkey hunter my friend. Congrats and thanks for taking the time to take photos, beautiful bird.
T.J.
When you think you are good turkey hunter and have figured them out, that's when they will take you to school.
Congratulations!!!!
QuoteOriginally posted by Spurs:
Congrats. I have been trying to do this since the season opened. I have had many encounters, but my big strutting decoy keeps scaring the birds. I am going to try it again with just a plain jake and hen decoy. Glad it came together for you.
I had the same problem...rather than attracting tom's even my jake decoy would cause a gobbler to avoid the setup. Given I see so few, that can be really frustrating. Maybe it's a Mississippi thing? Regardless, I now go with just one lone hen and that seems to work best in the local that I hunt
congrats! you didnt give up! you stayed with it ,kept calm and cool .
Nice bird, great pics and story :thumbsup:
Thanks Mark for sharing! Its turkey season here in SC and this is just what I needed to keep me motivated! Great bird!
Oh yea, so you really like those DSD decoys?
QuoteOriginally posted by Interseptor:
Oh yea, so you really like those DSD decoys?
This is my first year to use one so I don't have very much experiance. I was sold on the DSD based on what others have said about them. I sort of reasoned that for what they cost, they wouldn't have been around long if they weren't superior. Certainly yesterday made me a believer.
Congrates Mark, There can't be a better feeling in the world when your carrying out that gobbler and his head is bouncing off your back side.
I bought the Carry-lite pretty moma feeding hen this year. For the money, it looks good but I really like the DSD! That will have to be next seasons purchase. Wish I had the funds to purchase one this year.
What a handsome bird!
Congrats. :thumbsup:
Killdeer
Good job and a great story.
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Congratulations of you bird! Good story and pictures.
Superb!
I agree with KentuckyTJ 100%.
Awesome job and love the pics. Congrats!!
Dave
Congrats on a fine bird. Nice pics too.
Great looking bird! Congrats... :thumbsup: :)
Very nice! Beautiful pics and a great stroy! I second TJ about the "good turkey hunter". :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Awesome!
I'm a horrible archery turkey hunter...but looking to improve this spring!
Josh
Congrats!
Fine bird! The way I see it is a dead bird is a fine bird!
Anybody that thinks they have mastered turkey hunting ain't hunted turkeys much. They got to be the most paranoid critter I have ever seen.
Beautiful bird.
Congrats Mark! Thanx for sharing your story, Very Cool!!! :clapper:
gratz! :thumbsup:
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congrats! Nice looking bird to be sure. :thumbsup: :clapper:
Congrats,great story and a fine bird. Season comes in saturday,can't wait!!!!!
Nice bird!!!!! Congrats!
Adam
Congrats :thumbsup:
:clapper:
All you guys are good people! That's for sharing in my rare success!
Rare!....ole pro like you, your just getting started..your on a roll..Congrats.......and thank you for all you do for Bowhunters in MS......I love my Dave Smith Decoys also.....however the puffed up Jake i do not like...thank goodness Delta Airlines broke the head off....
Mark, beautiful pictures of a beautiful bird! I too appreciate all the hard work you've done for Mississippi bowhunting. Keep it up, and congratulations on that turkey!
Turkeys are scarce this year all over Mississippi due to bad hatches for several years, so this one is particularly good. I finally got to work a bird yesterday with joebuck's Wooden Hen. Got him close, but a real hen stole him away.
Great looking bird and some really nice pics you took..congrats!! :clapper: :archer2:
Looks like you did pretty good, congrats!
I painfully know what Mark means about going "hungry" :banghead: Great job Mark!
Thanks again for all your comments, I get excited about the turkeys probably more than anything else...probably because I've killed so darn few over the years for the efforts I have put in to it!
Those comments about whatever role I have in Missisippi bowhunting are being way too nice. You guys know that collectively it's all of us who are striving to make a difference here.
Good luck to all...
Mark
Congratulations on a nice bird. Travis