NH turkey season opened this morning 1/2 hour before daylight. Turkey sightings all winter were fantastic but for the past few weeks they have seemed to be pretty scarce. An early Spring seems to have them nesting early and when they do that they seem to get sucked up by the surrounding wood lots. Until 3 days ago I was not too sure if this season was going to go well or not. But occaisional gobbling in the surrounding woods had my hopes warming up.
Two days ago I set out 3 DB blinds (I have friends that like to come over to hunt the birds) about 100 yards apart. One was on the edge of my orchard, the second across the brook that runs by the house and the third on the opposite side of a swampy area at the base of a hill where the birds had been the most active all winter. The best omen happened just before dark last night. Laura asked me to go out to the truck to get one of the kiddie seats we use when the grandchildren are here. As I walked down the driveway, which borders the orchard, a bird roosted at the far end. He was only about 30 yards from the blind I had set up there. I had doubts that I could get in the blind, even in the dark, without arousing the bird's suspicion. Setting out a decoy so close to the roosted bird also concerned me, so I decided to hunt "old faithful" across the brook. Easier to get into without alarming the birds and a common travel route for a lot of different wild creatures.
Five AM came quickly and I downed about a half cup of coffee, several "breakfast cookies" and headed for the blind as it was already getting light despite the fact that it was overcast and there was drizzle in the air. I was carrying my chair, a decoy and my Stalker Tracker longbow that I won last year and wasn't able to bring a thermos to finish my coffee as my hands were full...I need my coffee and I hoped the morning wouldn't wear on.
My arrows were 29" Axis 400's tipped with some old four blade, single bevel Copperhead Slicers I have owned since the late 60's. These heads were the favorite of the late "Dutch" Wambold, a very popular and widely read bowhunter of that era. I was determined to break in the Stalker and getting a gobbler with one of those old broadheads seemed like the right thing to do since I had not killed anything with either one of them. With a 100 grain steel bh adapter they weighed in at about 225 grains and shot perfectly from the longbow.
More to come. While typing this I have taken two ticks off of me and need to shower and take some photos before I finish the story of the events of the morning.
:campfire:
Come on Bill!
You can't let us hang like that!!!!!!Ok,now that the rant is over,this sounds like the start of a good one.
The first hour in the blind was boring. Drizzle, chilly air, calm, song birds but that was all. Every once in while I would let out a few calls with the diaphragm and alternated with the box call. I had set out one female decoy hoping that, as has happened in the past, a roaming tom might take an interest.
I was surprised that I did not get any responses from the orchard where the bird had roosted the night before. Then I heard it...just as I had almost convinced myself to take the short walk back to the house to get the coffee. The gobble surprised me and I wasn't really sure where it had come from. I waited a bit and everything was quiet. I took the box call and stuck it outside the blind and tweaked it a bit. Two gobblers responded simultaneously and they were somewhere in or in back of the orchard.
We played with each other for about 10 minutes. I would call and they would answer. Finally I could make one out. He came from the orchard and was walking back and forth in front of the shed..about 100 yards from me. I could see one bird but not the second one. However, every time I would call both would respond. After 20 minutes I was convinced that they were hung up. There was nothing I could do but wait. So, that is what I did. It was still early....wish I had my coffee! This could take a while.
Then fate intervened. I spotted a turkey on my side of the pond (the shed and orchard were on the other side). It was walking towards me. I could not see a beard and it appeared to be a female. She came all the way to the blind and actually gave the decoy a few pecks. She then proceeded in the direction I knew several females were nesting.
While my attention was on the female I had not been paying attention to the two males across the pond. When I looked up to see what they were up to they had cut the distance in half and were walking along the pond and if they kept on their current course they would get to the brook and if they did what they normally would do they would cross it in range of my blind. It occurred to me that they, too, must have seen the female and were on their way to impress her. It was at that time I wished I had a video camera. They were beautiful as they made their way into the woods and crossed the brook. They would stop on occaision, strut and gobble and then continue on. No hurry, no fighting, just a two man parade right out of the book.
For a moment they disappeared in the ravine formed by the brook. The next time I saw them was when they crested a small knoll about 15 yards from the blind. Their attention was obviously on the female that had walked by a few minutes earlier. The first male, the smaller of the two, walked about 12 yards from the blind, stopped and displayed. I don't believe he ever saw the decoy which was partially hidden by a tree. The second, and larger of the two, came up the knoll from a slightly different angle and as he approached the spot the first tom had displayed he saw the decoy. He stopped immediately and went into full display. My shot was partially blocked by a small sapling so I held off. He stopped displaying and took a couple of steps and stopped right where I needed him to. As if on cue he again went into full display. I had thought a lot about shooting at a turkey under these circumstances and knew I had to be spot on with shot placement. The wing butt was all I could think about and before I knew it the white fletch of the arrow was there. From the time I committed to taking the shot until the arrow struck I have no memory of taking the shot except for focusing on where that arrow needed to be.
At impact he looked astonished. He didn't know what had just happened. The bow made no noise, as I recall, and he just turned and ran the way he had come with the arrow sticking out one side and white fletch on the other. When he made it to the brook and had some daylight he took wing. He flew over the pond, over the sheds and about a second after I lost sight of him I heard a crash. Was he down, was he running, I didn't know what was going on but the shot looked perfect.
The other male had made his way back to the front of the blind. He was confused. He was clucking and running. He ran around the pond, by the sheds and I could hear him yelping near where I heard the wounded bird crash. His yelping was persistent and he seemed to be stationary. I silently hoped for the best....he was with my dead bird.
I slowly made my way over near the orchard and decided to walk up the path in the woods aways and come in thru the woods thinking that I would find the bird dead somewhere nearby. I got to the orchard, the second male still yelping but moving. I found my arrow sticking straight down in the grass and the second bird was about 50 yards into the woods and again stationary. I scanned the edge of the woods but saw no dead bird. Hmmm! Now what? I started to move in the direction of the yelping bird. He moved on and I found myself about 75 yards in the woods without my bird. I circled back to the orchard and picked up the arrow and as I glanced in the direction the yelping bird had taken I saw an unfamiliar brush pile about 5 yards in the woods. There he was...piled up as if he had actually flown into the tree and fallen at its base.
For me it was a short turkey season but a perfect one. The morning unfolded like you hope it would every time you venture out. I'm still pretty "high" with the results of the morning hunt. When I took him to the registration station he weighed in at 21 pounds. His beard was 9.75 inches long...spurs were only 3/4".
Here's the pictorial.
Me and the bird...two pics.
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a322/Arrowworks/Turkey3.jpg)
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a322/Arrowworks/Turkey5.jpg)
Bow, bird and broadhead....two pics.
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a322/Arrowworks/Turkey2.jpg)
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a322/Arrowworks/Turkey4.jpg)
Shot placement.
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a322/Arrowworks/Turkey6.jpg)
I hope the rest of you all equal luck and enjoyment in your hunting pursuits. It's just a great day here in NH.
Good job Bill. I have a lazy habit of sleeping in when I hear rain on the roof.RC
Congrats Bill! :thumbsup:
Yup,told ya all it was gonna be a good one.Great story Bill,grats
Congrats!!! Good story!
:thumbsup:
:thumbsup: Well done!!
Nice Bill, I've been out a few times but can't get them closer than 30 yards maybe tomorrow.
doug77
Congrats! :thumbsup:
Congrats!
that is AWESOME!!!!! Congratulations!! :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:
Congrats on a fine Tom bird. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Great bird! congrats. Hope you had a cup of coffee when you got home.
Congratulations!!!!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: I remember those broadheads from the old Kittredge Bow Hut catalogues. Thanks for sharing your story (as noted above, hopefully over a good cup of coffee-well deserved). :clapper:
Great story Bill. Congrats on the bird...
super job! you sure broke the stalker in quick!
All right. Way to go bill!
:bigsmyl: :bigsmyl:
Congrats!! :clapper:
Sweet dreams :thumbsup:
Awesome! Congrats!
Quote:
"More to come. While typing this I have taken two ticks off of me and need to shower and take some photos before I finish the story of the events of the morning".
Bill, you don't need to post any of those those other pics, the ones with the Turkey turned out great. They're fine...just fine.
:biglaugh: :biglaugh: :laughing:
Very nice sir :thumbsup:
Congrats, Bill, on a great bird!
Bisch
Congratulations on a great looking bird!
Glenn
Very nice!!!!
Congrats Bill!!
Very nice. Congrats. :thumbsup:
Congrats Bill.
Nothing like Turkey for dinner!
Fantastic Bill congratulations. Great story! :notworthy:
:archer:
Good deal and a great story thanks for sharing.
Glad the arrows are working out nice for you.congrats.
Well done Bill!
Great pics and story Bill see you got the Stalker into a killing machine now...Guys I have shot that bow and it is amazing
Nice bird and story Bill I hope you found all of the ticks that were on you.LOL...............
very nice
Excellent hunt, congrats on your trophy! :thumbsup:
Awesome job Bill!!
Man that is super cool! Good job!
Good job Bill!
Nice bird...nice shot
Way to go Bill I'm glad you found him.
Glad doesn't begin to cover the gamut of emotions I experienced that morning, David. It was as good as when I took my moose and my big buck. Hard to explain how a bird with a pea sized brain can make or break you. And I can't tell you how pleased I was with performance of the Tracker long bow....just beautiful performance. And that old broadhead....it was just a "Wow" moment and a sweet day.
Congrats