Hey guys-
A little background on this hunt. We sat up yesterday in the same field and had turkeys gobbling everywhere but no one wanted to play. Today was a rainy cold day and I almost did not want to go out. Though I have had a lucky charm in my pocket on rainy days.
I ended up having four jakes come into the cornfield and I gave them some soft clucks with no response. They fed off and never came into range. They walked all the way across the field and left in the opposite corner. A half hour later a long beard came into view but then propmtly went back into the woods. I couldn't quite figure out why he didn't want to play but shortly later a hen walked out and past my blind at five steps or so. I figured there was other hens in the area and the longbeard hooked up with one of them.
At around 0815 hours the jakes came back into the cornfield in about the same spot they left earlier. I watched them for some time and then looked at my watch. It was close to nine and I had to be hitting the road to get to work on time. I gave an aggressive calling sequence to either see if they would come in or I would scare them and they would leave the field. Right after I called the four troops started marching in. I would call, they would stop, I go quite they start marching. This went on as they closed the distance from about 300 yards to 18 yards. They cautiously approached my two hen deeks. I drew back my Bezaleel recurve at 55#. Said a quick prayer and let the arrow go.... WHAPP!!! I see my bird jump into the air and start doing flips. My friend that was with me ended up sticking his head out the blind and touched off his shotgun.
A DOUBLE!!!! I couldn't believe what had justed happened. I have been trying for the last three years to get a spring bird with traditional gear and it finally happened. The bird was 15 lbs, 5 1/2 inch beard and 1/4 inch spurrs. This was an aboslute blast and I don't think I have jumped and hooted as much as I did when I reliezed I had accomplished my dream hunt. This bird was definately a trophy in my eyes!!! :archer2:
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/2011springturkey.jpg)
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/springturkey2011.jpg)Good luck to eveyone else this spring
Wow!! Pretty good for your first trad kill, congrats! :thumbsup:
CONGRATS!!! Still have a 11 days in our season so I hope to join you in the ranks of first turkey killed with trad gear!
Great job, good hunt, and yep, that's a trophy for sure!
Wow!!!!!! Iam hoping do somethong like that nextseason, did not happen this year. :thumbsup:
Absolutely a trophy! Congratulations!
Next year I hope to go after one with my own selfbow that I am learning to make and a stone point on a wooden arrow with my own turkey feathers for fletching from this bird...
Thats the next challenge I have placed on myself
Fantastic job! Congratulations on a tough kill.
Great Job Justin, That's just Awesome!! :thumbsup: :clapper:
My gobblers all pulled a Houdini on my this year, glad you had some up there to work on. I might abandon my home turf next year for a change of scenery?
Anytime chris come on up....NH birds are tough tho
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: Congrats!!
Cool stuff.congrats.
:thumbsup: Congrats! Great job!
Just dandy...moving a copy to the PowWow...and ignoring the oversized pic on this one. :D
Congrats,nice bird.
Awesome job. Can't wait til my first trad kill
Ditto!
Good Stuff! Congrats On The Bird!!
Awsome job Congradulations! :thumbsup:
Way to Go! Congrats on a fine trophy.
Congrats!!!
Nice going :archer2: :archer2:
Super job :thumbsup:
Good Stuff :thumbsup:
Im jelous! Congrats!
:clapper:
:thumbsup: thats the way to geterdone :thumbsup: congrats
Congratulations! Beautiful bird!!
Thanks guys for the kind words. I was so excited when I got this bird because it was with traditional tackle. I have been telling my wife that I want to sell my compound for other equipment but she insists that I keep it because she thought that I wouldn't be able to get anything with my recurve. She has supported me with my goal but lacks the information about how effective traditional archery is.
Terry sorry for the oversize picture but I could not be fast enough at the keyboard to download the pictures and put my first post of my harvest. I will make sure I slow down the next time.... GOOD LUCK to ALL!!! :archer:
great job
a big ol ATABOY to you sir
im trying to do the same. first year archery and traditional to boot. im going to keep at it till the 30th the 31st the shotgun comes out for last day.
Congrats!!! :clapper:
Congratulations!!!
Nice Job!
congrats, that's a great pic.
Very nice. It's always great on the first one.
Congratulations on a great trophy! Nice story and pictures! Tomorrow I get to go back for another try at the gobblers. I missed one last weekend, but with another tag in my pocket I'm really pumped for round two!
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
sweet, job well done
Congrats! :thumbsup:
Congrats! Nice turkey and beautiful bow!
Congrads. Nice Turkey.
AWSOME!!
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper: Congratulations!
awesome. Indeed a TROPHY!
Justin, congrats. Very nice bird. Great looking Bow and Pics. Thanks Don
Nice trophy! Beautiful bird...
Good job. I wanted to shoot a turkey this spring with my longbow but had a break down and used a benelli but have his wings and a buddys to use for fletchings.
Congratulations, you are hooked for sure now.
QuoteOriginally posted by bowhntineverythingnh03743:
Anytime chris come on up....NH birds are tough tho
I would take tough birds right at the moment, cause that's still better than no gobblers at all.
Thanks for the invite, but I was thinking a different piece of propery and not an entirely different state. LOL :D
I read your other post about selling the wheel bow, I just shipped out mine last Friday. I'm 100% all out Trad now, and shooting my own bow that I made myself. :thumbsup:
Somebody once said that you cannot serve two masters, and the wheel bow was just a crutch. No more temptation and no more crutches!
To be honest, I hardly ever picked the wheels up anymore I enjoy shooting my own home made bows so much more.
:clapper: :clapper:
I am so for selling the wheel bow. I really want to kill one with my own creation next year. With a wooden arrow and possibly stone point to boot!! The harder the challenge the more I want to succeed. I jumped one hurdle to get to another and can't wait for the challenge next year or this fall for birds.
Congrats!! I'm still working to get my first one.
Congrats on your first..Heck of a trophy :readit: :thumbsup:
awesome! thats really great.
Wayt to Get it Done!! Nice Bird!
Awesome hunt, congratulations!!!!! Where did u buy the blind from?
Awesome hunt, congratulations!!!!! Where did u buy the blind from?
Again guys thanks for the kind words.
I bought the blind off the barronetblind.com
it is a discontinued model because of the camo pattern. This thing is awesome because it is 80 inches tall and rated for three people. So many different window configurations as well. It comes with the shoot through mesh but I have never shot through any mesh and didn't want to start. I had a hen come into five steps and she didn't even see me. I was all in black like a dark ninja.
I would highly recommend this blind to any trad hunter just for the heigth alone not worrying about hitting my top limb anymore.
Congratulations! Everything else should be easy now! :)
Excellent Traditional trophy right there!!
Thats the way to start it off!