This is one of those difficult to believe stories but without doubt, I just enjoyed a once in a lifetime turkey hunt. After 38 years of bowhunting, I sometimes think I have seen it all but this day proves that wrong, big-time.
At daylight, I was hunting along a bottom and moved slowly along trying to hear a roost gobble. After a 1/2 mile stalk I came to a gas line where birds can be counted on to pass through after fly down. I placed my Avian jake decoy at ten yards in a green food plot along with to hens and felt sure that it would just be a short time until the birds showed up.
The first bird was less than 10 minutes in coming and came in from high on a hill overlooking the plot. He spotted the decoys and was easily coaxed with a soft yelp or two. He was a jake and passed very close by the blind. He lingered a few moments and left after jumping a creek. Five minutes later I heard a fly down cackle and seconds later a hen and big jake strolled into the plot. The jake took great exception to my avian decoy and started to beat up on it pretty good. The fight lasted several minutes and I remember thinking that that is the longest decoy thumping I had ever seen. Little did I know that it would pale in comparison to the tail whipping my poor decoy would endure with the next turkey.
From high on the same hill another bird showed and one look at the decoy spread had him at a dead run from 250 yards away. He jumped the creek and with a wild eye rolled up to the decoy and unleashed a furious beating on on Jake that included vicious wing beating, pecking and horrible spurring that broke the decoy stake. After five minutes I began to wonder how long this could go on. This is where it gets unbelievable. For 2.5 hours that turkey stayed with that decoy hammering it until he was exhausted and then he would enter some type of trance for 5-10 minutes only to wake up and start savagely attacking all over again. This beating/rest cycle occurred many times. At one point the big jake climbed onto the decoy and took a 5 minute nap. I have more than 35 years of turkey hunting experience and I witnessed turkey behavior today that I have never seen.

We were discussing that this was a once in a lifetime event to witness when it got much wilder. I saw a shadow pass over the fight and the turkey looked up and gobbled. Seconds later, from out of nowhere, a giant red tailed hawk HAMMERED the downed decoy but bounced off a couple of feet into the food plot. The big jake recovered from his momentary surprise and decided that this was his prize kill. Both birds faced off with wings flared but the turkey was apparently much more angry and pounced on the hawk pinning him to the ground. He spurred him a few times and the hawk decided that this was a bigger fight than he wanted and flew off. The turkey never missed a beat and immediately returned to hammering the decoy.

The most amazing part of this entire story is that I captured it all on video! The video footage from my HD camera is nothing short of amazing. I feel nothing short of blessed to have been just a part of this event.

I have decided to produce a single turkey video this year vs. the normal 4-6. Just three days into the season and I already have three birds attacking the decoys, a couple of kills and a host of other neat critters on film. It looks like a great year for turkey.

The more I think about this hunt, the more I think it will need to be a stand alone video. Man, that was an awesome experience.

Unbelievable.  Can't wait to hear where we can see it.  Congrats on your once in a lifetime experience.

Keep us posted. Can wait to see the video. Congrats. God bless.

Sounds like an incredible day!!

Sounds like a great season for sure.  Can't wait to see the video.

Sounds like you had great day!

Sounds too cool. Love to see the hawk fight.

Wow one for the ages.  Love to see some of the video footage espcially the hawk vs turkey.
John

Now that's one I gotta see!!!! I have seen some odd antics from turkeys but nothing like that.

Chris.

That sounds like a day to remember Jerry. Looking forward to the video.

Sweet. Can't wait

That sounds like a real cool thing to have seen.

BTW, Thakns for your info on the string tracker. I have now shot two animals thru netting in the last month with my string tracker (pig and turkey). I do not think I will ever get caught turkey hunting again without my string tracker!

Bisch

Bisch

Outstanding Jerry. Look forward to watching some hunting vids.RC

Holy Cow!  That must have been incredible to watch, AND you were able to get it on video!  Can't wait to see it!

WOW!  I've never heard of anything like that!  Amazing!

Let us know when the video is up and loaded

I wanna see the video... gotta be awesome

Sounds pretty wild to me. That's cool!

That is amazing! The video should be great. I guess it is a good thing for your decoy that this beating came from a mere jake and not from a well seasoned gobbler with great fighting experience. I wish there could be a way to follow up on that hawk.

Amazing!