Shoot straight, Shinken

 

Again..I apologize for such a long delay....

When I went outside Wednesday morning at 4:30am...it was hot, humid, and foggy!  The rain the evening  before and earlier during the night had everything soaked.

I was going to hit a spot where I hadn't been in a while, and I hoped nobody else had either. The plan was to get to a high spot in the middle of the orchard and listen for gobbling...then set-up.

I was on my high spot at 5:00 and I wasn't standing there for 2 minutes when a gobbler cut loose over in the NE corner of the orchard.  I listened to him gobble again to make sure where he was and was off!

I new I wouldn't be able to get to tight because he was roosted in a hilly part of the orchard and in an area where he could possibly see me set up....so I knew I had to hang back a bit.

I found a decent spot in a flatter area of the orchard about 200yds. away and started to set up. While doing so I heard another bird gobble off to the NW pretty far off. So I figured if it didn't work out with this first bird, I might be able to go after this other bird.

I got everything set up and got out of the blind and got as close as I thought I could to the roosted bird to try to draw him around the northern edge of the hedgerow that separated us.

I snuck up behind some good cover withing 100yds. and called softly.....he banged a gobble right back at me!  Game on!

Fast forward 10 minutes....I could tell my plan to draw him around to the north hadn't worked. he had flown down into a field over the property line. He was gobbling steadily though, so I could keep track of where he was while I sat and called once in a while and waited.

From scouting and previous hunts in the orchard, I knew these birds usually head up to the orchard after a while....so I just relaxed and waited.

After another half hr. I started hearing a hen calling from down by where the gobbler was. She was yelping loudly and aggressively, obviously not happy at all with my calling!

She called...I called.....she called....I called...back and forth we went for a few series. Then came a nice surprise....another bird boomed a gobble!  Apparently all this calling had brought in the other bird that I'd heard while setting up.  And he was closer and sounding very hot!

After another 15 minutes it sounded as though the original bird I'd set up on was further away, but this other bird was coming!

After another 10 mins. or so I hadn't heard anything...so I purred and clucked softly....nothing.....

Like gobblers like to do once they commit to coming...I hoped it was the silent approach.

A few minutes went by without any hint of where he might be when I saw movement.....there he was...only 20yds. away!

But he was barely in view and in a spot where I couldn't shoot anyway...

He strutted and drummed for a few minutes without moving. Then another red head came into view right behind him!

I'd only put out 2 hen decoys this morning. Even though it was only half way though our season and I'd normally still have a jake in my set-up. This season was different and the birds seemed to be further along in the breeding cycle so I'd been going with only hens for a week or so.  I've always noticed that gobblers coming into a set with only hens usually take their sweet time getting to the decoys...these two would be no different!

They preened their feathers, pecked some dandelions heads off, the first birds would strutt and drum a bit. But 10 mins. after they showed up they still hadn't moved a step!

A crow flew over and let loose and I was rewarded with a booming, simultaneous gobble from each bird at 20yds!!!  Awesome!!!!!

Ten minutes later they had moved about 5 yds. closer to the decoys, but they still had about 7-8yds to go before I could even consider a shot.

Again, they just pecked around, preened, the one strutted.....they were still just kinda "hangin out".

Then, about 5 mins. later it seemed they finally either just finally saw the decoys or just decided it was time to go check out the ladies. They started forward......I grabbed Miss Faith out of her holder and readied myself....

Very slowly, and mean very slowly....they walked forward. The lead bird stutting, his "wingman" just staying a step behind.

When they were within 5yds. of the decoys and about 12yds from me, the "wingman" turned around and stood facing back the way they'd just come from....the strutter just stood his ground.

I had a feeling that they were about to head back the way they'd come...hmmm...

So, I leaned over a little on my stool and found that I had a good shot at the strutter, but I'd have to be on the money as it was in a part of the window where a pole and strap formed a small triangle.The shot would also be through a small slot in the tall grass that screened the birds.

Leaning forward,I drew the GT shaft tipped with Chris' 1 1/4" VPA to anchor and released.....

As some of you might remember, I used one of Chris' bh's last year to kill 3 turkeys, and three deer. That BH is headed for the ST. Jude auction.  I thought I'd try to do it again this year with the last of his VPA's that I have. If you remember about a week ago I killed a bird, but missed my first shot that was Chris' broadhead. I needed to make this one count!

.....the arrows seemed to strike right on the money! At impact, he rolled and flapped wildly as he tried to retreat....I faintly remember hearing the other gobbler putting as he ran off....the strutter wouldn't make it far, after about 2 seconds and 10yds he was over the rise, the string stopped, and all was silent! Then, a second later he flapped and rolled wildly again, this time back toward me about 3-4yds, and everything was still and quiet again...was it over?

I held my breath waiting for any more movement or sound as I couldn't see him over the rise, but the only movement that came was from the second bird running in to stand over his partner....
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He just stood in the same spot for a minute so I knew it was over, my gobbler had to be dead just over the rise in front of me!

In this picture you can see the grass I shot through and how truly drenched the grass was...
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The little triangle part of the window I shot through....
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I waited about ten minutes for the bird to finally walk off. Even though I was 99 pecent sure he was dead, since I couldn't see him, I slowly got out of the blind, nocked an arrow on MIss Faith, and started forward....

I only made it 3-4 steps and could see my gobbler was indeed very dead just over that little rise in front of me...

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You can see he didn't make it very far at all...
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more in a bit....

Way to go Curt, hopefully you can eat this one.

 Wow Curt, such a fantastic story with so many lessons of how you hunt those birds.   Thanks for sharing and congrats on yet another successful year of turkey hunting with your bow!

         

He was wet when he came in, and then when he got to rolling and flopping after the shot he got totally soaked....
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He's a good bird...
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Always nice to have company in the blind...
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The arrow took him through the wing and right in front of the thigh on the way in...
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Exited right on the thigh on the way out...
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THANK YOU FOR SHARING CURT
         

Nice tellin' and great shot!

Another view of the set-up....
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The screen of cover that the gobblers where looking through to see the decoys. I think its better to when they don't get a very clear view of the dekes. I think it keeps them wondering...
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Two cut feathers found at the spot of the shot, one cut on the way in(clean quill), and the other cut on the way out(bloody quill)...
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Taggin'...
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Since the gobbler was so wet when I originally took my pix, I waited a while for him to dry out and went to a different part of the orchard to take a few better pix....
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Miss Faith one last time...
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It always feels so good when everything comes together and things go just as planned after all the effort....but to do it with Miss Faith and Chris' broadhead makes it so much sweeter....Thanks again for the "company"....

Autopsy later....

Awesome, great job Brother. I'd say a call to South may be a good thing for you to think about. Seems like a bond has formed.

What are those rings behind your broadhead, is that something to grab inside the bird so you dont get a passthrough ?

Great story and pics Curt,thanks for sharing.Congrats on two nice birds.

Awesome story Curt.  Thanks for sharing.  Great job!

Great pictures! And great shot    

Nice job Curt. Glad to see two birds with Faith. This one should eat better too I hope.

Congrats Curt! You always do an awesome job with the pictures. Thanks for taking the time to share.