I used my new 55#, 56" long Shrew Classic Hunter for my turkey hunt this spring. The weather for 2nd week of season which I had a tag for was windy, cold and wet.......and no turkeys. But I had a second tag for this week and the weather was much better on this opening day. Jim a friend of mine and I headed out at 4:30AM to a spot that we had roosted some birds on a near by property. Knowing the general travel route of the local birds we set-up our blind. After having no luck at that spot we pulled out at 10:30AM and decided to check out a couple of spots close by my house. After a short period of glassing from a vantage point on my neighbors farm I spotted a Tom along a fence row behind my property.
We quickly headed to my place and set-up in my hidden hunter blind that I had left set-up from my hunt during my first season, thinking that he might be heading in that direction looking for hens. We wasted no time getting in place and set out one of my new Avian hen decoys.
We waited a short period of time so that the woods could calm down, Then I hit my old faithful Lynch box call......he gobbled on the ridge above and behind us 150 yds away! We looked at each other with that, Oh Boy!.....look. He was really hot and responded to every call, I quit calling so hopefully we wouldn't have him hang-up. We could hear another Tom coming into our calling from farther away and closing the distance also.
After a little wait I clucked and he gobbled a mere 10-15 yds behind and to our left, we had decided that I was the first shooter up for the day, so I prepared for the shot. I doubled checked my AD Trad carbon shaft tipped with a razor sharp 3 blade Woodsman elite broadhead.
I could hear him drumming and dragging his wing tips on the ground only a few yds from the blind but still out of sight. Then I caught a glimpse of him at 5yds away coming in at full strut, as he came into view in my shooting window at 7 yds I waited for him to turn and give me a better shot angle. He was in love with my decoy and as he turned I picked my spot and the next thing I knew the arrow was gone.....as the arrow struck he spun, fell and got up running. We heard him thrashing around in the brush a short distance from the blind.
But this was no time for back slapping and high fives! We had another Tom still gobbling and closing fast. We switched positions and my friend Jim readied for some action. Soon we caught some movement above and 70 yds away! We didn't have one longbeard coming in.........we had three :eek:
They wouldn't commit and come in? I tried everything in my bag of tricks that has worked for me before, but no luck! They moved off and kept heading West on the ridge. We decided to get out and look for my bird. We found him 25-30 yds from the blind where we had heard the last flapping. WOW! nice Tom......best I have taken.
26lbs, 10-3/4" beard and 1-1/8" & 1-3/8" spurs
I think this was the Boss Tom in my area and that's why the 2 yr old birds that came in later wouldn't come in, for fear of getting beat up.
It was a great hunt! With a great bow and a great friend...........Thanks Jim!
(http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk140/oldtwohairs/DSCN0347.jpg)
(http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk140/oldtwohairs/DSCN0349.jpg)
(http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk140/oldtwohairs/DSCN0351.jpg)
(http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk140/oldtwohairs/DSCN0339.jpg)
Congratulations Kevin!
Nice story and nice bird.
Thanks for sharing.
God bless,Mudd
Wow, that is great! Congratulations!!!
Martin
Great pictures and a dang nice bird!
Nice Job Kevin. :thumbsup:
Nice hunt!!! :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Awesome bird! Great pics too. Congrats!
Nice hunting, congrats on the bird.
Way to go sir! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: Awesome hunt & great pictures!
Nice and a Great story good job
Excellent write up...holy crapski what a bird. I've never seen spurs like that in Idaho. Plenty of birds, but spurs just don't get like that here...not that I've ever seen.
Nice work!!!
Travis
Great job !!!! :thumbsup:
Bill
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Wow look at the hooks on that dude!!
Excellent!! :clapper:
Congrats! Nicely written story!
Thats a good one!
Awesome! Great account of your hunt!
That is AWESOME!!!
Sounds like you were there when they were hot. Even when the other three didn't come in still an exciting day!!
Congratulations!!!
It doesn't get much better than that!
As someone else said "the smiles says it all" great bird !!!!!
Fantastic bird congrats
Great bird and fantastic pics. I love the first pic.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
very cool
Well done! With those hooks that bird qualifies as a real "limbhanger"!! Todd
Hey Kevin. Congrats. Even a blind hog finds an acorn now and then. Just pulling your leg. It's always tough getting a gobbler with a bow. Ya done good. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
I had a permit for the second period as well. Weather was so rainy/windy opening morning I didn't go out. Set up in the afternoon. Luckily, I had a nice bird with a death wish come along about a half-hour before dark. Made a good shot on him, but he got into the woods and we weren't able to find him before dark. Found him the next morning. Still quite edible. Roasted half of him the second evening. Yum. Yum.
Might you be planning to go to Bigfoot tomorrow? If so, I'll bring your book along.
Way to go Kevin!! you da man! congrats on a fine bird and awesome shot.
Congratulations! Great looking bird! I got skunked this year--my first to actually turkey hunt. I did get a shot at a nice jake but missed. Would have been an easy shot w/ a shot gun..but you know how that is! I'll be better prepared next year. Again, nice job!
That's a fine bird right there. Congrats, and Thanks for sharing!
Congrats!
Thanks everyone! It was great to get back in the turkey woods this Spring. Last year two weeks before my season I had a hip replacement, so that put a damper on my hunting last Spring. Now I'm busy planting trees, shrubs and doing habitat work on my property.......which is a never ending labor of love.
Congrats, that is a heck of a bird!!
Now thats a LIMBHANGER! Congrats, and great pics too!
Congratulations on a great bird and sharing your story!!! :thumbsup:
Nice bird. My wife has a great recipe for roast turkey stuffing. You bring the bird, I'll supply the recipe.
Alright Kevin! I guess we'll give it to ya as a trad kill even though it was aided by that high tech hip. What a thrill it must be. Congrats to you too Orion! What the heck is going on, Orion had his knee operation shortly before his hunt!
Wow! That's a big bird! Great story and pictures!
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
:clapper: Congrats
Congrats....nice long hooks and a paint brush for a beard!
CONGRATULATIONS!!! :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
That's a hog of a bird... :eek: If you haven't cut him up yet you can get him preserved in a full mount for less than the cost of a new Shrew.. :rolleyes: .... :goldtooth:
Awesome bird!! congratulations.
Nice-in. I bet that Shrew comes in handy in tight places.
Congratulations!!!!!! :wavey: :wavey:
Congratulations to both Kevin and Orion :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Nice way to break in a new shrew :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Nice bird Kevin!! Congrats. Shooting one with a stick bow is quite an accomplishment.
:thumbsup: Comgrats! Love them spurs!
Nice Kevin!!! As soon as I saw "Shrew Turkey!" I hoped it was you!
Awesome bird! 26 pounds is impressive!
Thanks Tim! Did you get any action this Spring?
Congrats, that is great!!
I had a rough season(s)... got messed up 4 times in one day in 5 setups by other hunters and farmers, and then missed another whole day working a homicide investigation.
I'll give you a ring tomorrow on some other news!