RARE is the best way I can describe the hunt I had this morning. Extremely rare and LUCKY! I sat in one of my old Double Bull blinds beginning at 5am waiting semi-patiently for a heavy fog to lift. The temperatures read 41 when I left my house but it had to be colder where I sat, a damp creek bottom with a heavy fog pushing in on me.
The morning was slow, not a single gobble heard, and only one hen seen before 9 o'clock . . . par for the course. The early spring had turned things upset down, including the breeding period for turkeys. With nothing to listen to I sat and glassed the field before me until HE appeared on the opposite side of the field, a good 300 yards.
The gobbler was showing off relentlessly. He would walk, fan, spin, and repeat . . . this ritual repeated itself for a nearly two hours. He had hens, and they apparently weren't interested in joining me on my side of the field.
Around noon they FINALLY began working toward me. All I could think of was the little opening in the fence 10 yards to my left where turkeys routinely passed between two fields. I had a plan. The lead hen worked her way toward me but the other one held back, and so did the gobbler. The first bird walked within 12 yards of me and through the fence while his TRUE girlfriend turned around and slowly headed back to the spot where I first saw them! They stayed there for another hour which prompted me to plot something really stupid, or so it seemed at the time. I decided to go after them. HOW DUMB!
After pushing my bow and side quiver though the front window, I crawled through myself and slid to the ground. Using the ditch behind me I made like a reptile and slithered my way 50 yards to the right to where the ditch drained into a water filled creek. The plan was to slip along the muddy creek bank while remaining BELOW the field level and hopefully out of sight for as long as possible. Occasionally the creek bank would get so steep and muddy that I had to crawl into the field edge for a few yards using the stands of river cane along it's banks as cover.
This farm has cattle, and over the years they have worn a network of paths throughout the tall cane. I really took advantage of that. I had a landmark picked out on the railroad track that ran along the opposite side of the bottom so I would know where to stop and setup in the hope that the hen would drag him through the sweet spot one more time. At some point they had to come to me.
When I got to me stopping point I took a peek from the cane into the field. THERE SHE WAS, 30 yards and closing!! My heart started to race. Throughout the stalk I kept reminding myself that you can't stalk a wild turkey, much less TWO and with a bow! I kept hearing the word "idiot" each time I forgot that this was nothing more than a doomed exercise brought on by frustration and boredom.
Continuing to pretend that I really had something going I withdrew about 10 yards into the stand of cane and knelt in front of the widest tree trunk I could find, arrow knocked and bow propped on it's lower limb tip.. I still had my black gloves and pullover face mask on - standard "blind camo". With a wool jacket up top and a solid green pair of pants, well, I didn't exactly look like one of the camo clad guys on those turkey videos.
First I saw brown and just a hint of movement through the cane. When I could finally make her out I saw something dark dangling in front of her; a bearded hen! Miss Unique walked 12 yards from me, quietly feeding as she strolled into my one shooting lane, a narrow opening less than 2 feet wide. I FROZE, nearly closing my eyes, fearful that I would be picked off. She was so close that I saw her blink . . . twice.
After what seemed like an eternity she passed to my left and out of sight. YES!! Now, where was HE?? For hours he hadn't allowed more than 10-15 yards of space between the two of them so he HAD to be close, really close. Luck was still with me. Someone on the neighboring farm (who I must thank later) cranked up their chainsaw. When they did the longbeard shock gobbled! While I still couldn't see him I KNEW where he was, and he was CLOSE. Within seconds he stepped into my "lane", and on que, fanned and began to turn in a circle exactly like he had been doing all morning.
I don't remember drawing or releasing, much less picking a spot . . . but after the blur there he was, flopping back and forth with my arrow impaled in his rear where it had stuck home as he turn his fan to me - a "Texas Heart Shout"!! After a mad dash and introduction to my size 14 boots it was over. As I type this I am still shaking my head in disbelief . . . what an incredible morning. Everything that needed to go perfectly DID. How RARE is that?
(Note: Press your F5 key if the photos fail to load.)
(http://brothersofthebow.com/groundturk2.jpg)
(http://brothersofthebow.com/groundturk1.jpg)
(http://brothersofthebow.com/groundturkcane.jpg)
Congrats Gary!! Well done!
Good stuff as always. Congrats.
Very nice looking bird.
Gary, great story, and as always, great photos. Congratulations!
Congratulations Gary!
Superb telling of a great story and pics to match as always. Thanks for sharing.
That is a nice turkey. Well done
Wow! That was an exciting story! Congratulations on a very hard earned gobbler! As usual, your photography is outstanding! :clapper:
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
Dandy!!
Congratulations Gary!...you did an excellent job and deserve this success! Great story and pics. This is the stuff that keeps me going too! Thanks! lol
Kenny :archer2:
I can see how the do it out west, but to stalk a hard hunted KY bird...very, very impressive!
INCREDIBLE :clapper: :clapper:
Great story Gary.Congratulations.
Great story, with a VERY happy ending! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :clapper: :clapper:
Thanks Gary for sharing such an awsome adventure! And thanks for the information that you shared with me earlier in the year. I have not bow killed one yet, but the information that you shared really helped me get closer to the birds and my son and I had one of the most exciting hunts that we have ever had together this spring. Congrats on that longbeard!
Congrats ! Great photoghraphy too.
Excellent story and pictures as always Gary! Congratulations on a hard earned and well deserved turkey.
-Jay
I'm not counting on it ever happening again Steve, however the memory of this one will last me a while.
I forgot to add that it was windy today, which no doubt help conceal some movement and noise I made while moving about. The keys when they came close was ZERO movement while positioned in the shadows (hen) and the fact that he was focused on her and fanning which covered his head while I made the shot . . .
Wow Gary! What a hunt, what a description, and as always what awesome photography :) This is the story I look forward to each year and you ALWAYS deliver. Way to go fellow Murray grad, way to go!!!
Congrats. Great hunt. Nice pics. Lots of green down there! Its just starting to get there around here. I used to have a jacket just like that. Don't know whatever happened to it?!
great job and nice bird!!! Congratulations :notworthy: :clapper:
Congrates Gary! Awesome hunt and pics.
:archer2: :archer2:
Great story and pics Gary.Thanks for sharing and congrats on a nice bird.
Nice. . you were blessed. Great job and great photos.
ChuckC
It's a Classic Bowman wool "double rover" style jacket Gunter. Rob Tiberio, the company owner, has registered and copywritten the plaid, so it's an exclusive. I believe he calls it the "Rothhaar Rover Plaid".
Thanks Michael! I cut my teeth chasing those tough LBL turkeys!
That's cool! Congrats!
Thanks for sharing Gary, great story.
Mark
Great story! Congrats!
:clapper:
Outstanding job there hunting bud. Also, you have a way with words and your story telling is immaculate. I felt I was with you in the blind, then I was by your side with my heart racing during the low crawl thru the muddy ditch. I could see the cane surrounding us a the time ticked by. Phenomial. Great job
Great Job! Congratulations on a wonderful trophy! Man, it's a lot greener in your part of the country than in here in SW Pa. Heck I'm supposed to see 6" of snow tomorrow.
Glenn
Cool deal!
Congrats,
Bisch
Great pics as always Gary. Congrats on a fine stalk.
Nice Turkey! Congratulations on a well planned successful hunt.
BEAUTIFUL bird!
Outstanding!
It is very green here. Several weeks ago we had days of record, or near record, high temps however the last few days have been pretty chilly. We seem to be running about 3 weeks early as far as greenup.
Good job and great pics.
That is awesome congrats
Way to go Gary! GReat story, that cane patch looks like the one I shot a bird out of last spring with a ghillie suit, if you remember! Sometimes just trying something will work out, even though the odds say it shouldnt.
Great story!!! Congrats on the bird, What a hunt!!
Great stalk and great tom!
great story & awesome turkey, congratulations!
Great story you would not have had that outcome had you stayed in the blind way to think and act it out. Nice bird.
Good job Gary. Nice green-up. It has stalled a little up here with cool weather. I hope to have your type of "rare luck" in mid-May when I drew a late season tag.
WOW. Congrats.
And how do you take such awesome pics?
Dan
Amazing story and a great bird. The pictures are outstanding!
Dan
Great job Gary. I loved the story and pictures. Opening day today in Michigan I have to babysit in the morning but will be out for the evening hunt.
Very cool! Congrats on a great bird!
Great story and a very nice bird ... :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
great Bird Well done!
great example of thinking outside the box.
someone said and i can't remember who, "some of the greatest achievements were made by those who were too stupid to know they were impossible".
you can get caught up in a certain way of doing things. now for someone like me who has never hunted turkeys, spot and stalk would be how i would have hunted them anyway.
well done mate. your 1st pic is trad to the bone! spot and stalk turkey, no camo, recurve. love it!
BTW, your right. it does seem rare when everything is perfect.
i could do with some of that cane too
Congrats Gary,it looks that you and your TT are some serious turkey hunters! :clapper:
Very nice Gary!
I just awoke and had to pinch myself. Yep, the birds still in the freezer, HA. I forgot to measure the beard, nothing great but a pretty decent one. Spurs over an inch. The foliage is green but looks even greener in those photos because the sunlight was defused by mid-day passing clouds creating an eerie glow.
Congrats, how did you end up with Bamboo in Kentucky
Way to go Gary! :thumbsup:
Excellent Gary!...loved that story.
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
GAry...congrats, i always love reading your stories and seeing your pictures.....it's like i'm walking the creek bank with you!
CONGRATS!
WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!Turkey with a baw, Does it get much better than that!
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
My parents wanted me to pick up breakfast for them this morning so I threw on the closest pair of pants I saw, which happened to be the ones I hunted in yesterday. My mom asked "Where did all of that mud come from?" I told her that it was a LONG story.
Tim, that "bamboo" grows a lot of places in west-central KY. That's what we use to cut to make everything from fishing poles to arrow shafts.
Jeff, a 300 grain VPA 3 blade put him on the ground!
Congratulations!!
Congrats. That first picture is absolutely gorgeous. That needs to be hung somewhere it can be appreciated.
"Jeff, a 300 grain VPA 3 blade put him on the ground!"
Got out the heavy artillery. Sweet!
Gary......the clarity in your photos is incredible! Congrats. :thumbsup:
Gary,
This was a great story and a great piece of hunting. Congratulations!!!
Todd
Good on ya, Gary :thumbsup: :campfire:
Great hunt Gary! Congrats! :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :clapper: :clapper: God bless.
Great story and pictures. Nice camo, I like it. :thumbsup:
who da man you da man great read thanks for sharing n congrats on a hunt well done
:clapper: :clapper: :cool:
Grand story!! Congratulations on it all coming together!
Nice bird Gary...and as always excellent photo's.
Thanks for posting.
Art
Cedar Ridge Leather Works
That's doing it the hard way...what a great hunt! Congrats...love the pics!
Gary another great story and a nice bird to boot congatulations.
I have a few more pix I may post later . . . need to take the beard and spurs out of the "critter freezer" and measure them.
Great hunt !
The extra effort you go to setting up your photos makes them very appealing.. Well done.
The spirit of the hunt...captured through words and pictures, and shared with us all.
Thank you...heartfelt congrats! :wavey: :campfire:
:clapper: :clapper:
Great job and wonderful story Gary.
Thanks for sharing.
That is a great story which was very well told. Congrats on a nice bird.
Joe
Here's a few more pix, including one last photo I took before wading the creek I have to cross each morning. You can see the cattle path I used on part of the stalk. It allowed me to slip quietly below the level of the adjoining field where the birds were. Once I was close to them I climbed up the bank and set up in a stand of river cane until the gobbler walked by following the bearded hen. Probably a 2-3 yr old bird.
(Note: Press your F5 key to refresh the page if the photos fail to download.)
(http://brothersofthebow.com/groundturk3.jpg)
(http://brothersofthebow.com/groundturk4.jpg)
More pics! Awesome! Congrats again! :clapper:
Impressive Mr. Logsdon. The way you told it made my heart start thumping. Love that powder horn also.just got mine also
Wonderful. I love your camo.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
The wife has me building new picket fence around the patio but I have this darn second turkey tag burning a hole in my pocket:^)
QuoteOriginally posted by Gary Logsdon:
The wife has me building new picket fence around the patio but I have this darn second turkey tag burning a hole in my pocket:^)
Gary,there's plenty of times for "Honey Do's" after May 6th.. :D Now go fill your other tag..Congrats of your bird..
Congrats
thanks for sharing and congrats!
Very nice, Congrats Gary!!
Things have really slowed down around here. The hens are on the nest, or hanging close to them, and the gobblers are scattered about . . . very unresponsive to calls and ignoring decoys. I saw several longbeards combing freshly plowed fields this morning traveling solo. May try an ambush strategy along the fields edges. Only three more days left in the season. Our early spring has made turkey hunting extra tough this year!
congrats and thanks for sharing
The battle continues!
Nice work, that is why we keep hunting. For the few moments it works out perfectly!
Very impressive. That's a well earned trophy right there.
:bigsmyl: :bigsmyl:
Awesome story. Great hunt congrats!
Where does it say "You can't stalk a turkey" ? Congratulations. A GREAT memory! :saywhat:
It can be done IF the terrain allows an approach, the wind helps hide your movement,the birds make the last move, AND luck is with you:^)