Way to go, Cade! Congratulations.  

Way to go Cade! That's awesome. Thanks for sharing Curt!

This kid needs his own hunting show.

Way to go guys! You make quite a team!  

What took you so long Cade?  It looks like it had been light for 20 minutes or so! You don't waste time my little buddy. Won't be long now and we'll be shooting some fishes.

Congratulations Cade!  Great job by a great young man.
Congrats to you to Curt for bringing up such a fine young man!
Well done, both of you!

Wow! Tell Cade I'm 60 and still trying for my first trad bird.

Quite an accomplishment.

     

Well you are one up in me now, buddy!  Congrats!

I can't wait to see the video!

Very nice!  What a gift. Great job.    

Congrats on your first Bow bird Cade and congrats to you Curt for raising such a fine young hunter.

Sorry it's taken so. so long to get this one going....it always seems there's something else I need to do or someplace I need to be....family first!!

My work season got off to an early start this year, so long scouting trips during the week were out. But I've still been getting out every morning for the last month before work.....plenty of birds have been targeted for termination!!!

I've got tons of video to get together!!

Anyway, the evening before we roosted birds in 3 different spots that we hunt....I felt confident we would have a great chance in any of them.

But the spot we ended up going was a kinda new spot that I had been trying to convince Cade we needed to try first.

Well, at sundown when we walked in and glassed the birds in the trees from a couple hundred yards away, and saw at least 2 big gobblers silhouetted against the sky....that was all Cade needed to see!

The next morning we woke to the expected rain that was forecast. So, we donned our raingear and were set up in just about pitch black....

Setting up isn't as easy as it used to be....Now besides getting myself together and get the blind and decoys set.... I have to make sure Cade is all set and absolutely ready, set up the camera on the tripod and this year set up my Sony action cam as a "point of view" camera toward us for the first time.

5:35 the first gobbler let loose!

Soon we could see birds flying down 100yds away and the first one I could identify was one of the big gobblers and he was slowly making his way toward us. But boy was he taking his time!!

Soon enough, another gobbler had hit the ground as well as a few hens and they seemed to want to skirt around us.

As they did so to our right, the first gobbler that had closed now to shotgun range decided he better get over to the hens before this other gobbler had a ll the fun!

He started to our right as well. But then I looked straight out in from of us and saw two birds that had come from our left....2 jakes!!

I called to then and the started right at us....

This is the call I was using. A call made and given to us by fellow TG'er Bob Palmer...
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As they also got to about shotgun range, they too couldn't resist the real hens that had passed us to the right and they started after them as well...dang it!!

With nothing to lose now, I got on the call a bit harder....it was like flipping a switch....they were coming fast!

The dekes were set at about 7yds, and as they jockeyed around the dekes, Cade held off for a good shot(you'll see in the video).

He shot....
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The arrow disappeared thru the jake, he jumped up flapped a couple times and was quickly back down limping off with his wings out... all signs showed he was hit pretty well!

I asked Cade where he hit, he said "straight up the legs", grasshopper had learned well.

He made it about about 25yds and was down. his buddy hung around for a while trying to get him up, and did once, but he only made it a couple yards before going down again....soon he was flat and his head was down....

We gave him a half hour, it was tough, but we did it....the whole time he never moved....so we got out and started to carefully approach....

I told Cade, even though I was 99.9% convinced he was dead that if so much as flinches, SHOOT HIM AGAIN!!

I've learned this lesson the hard way with supposed "dead gobblers"!!

I videoed as he slowly walked up from behind the bird. as he got to the side of the bird, less than 10ft away the "dead" jake lifted his head!

Cade had an arrow thru his heart in the blink of an eye!!!!

My boy!  
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The Stalker recurve South built for him, and the 3 blade Grizzly "Instinct" that Bill Dunn from Zipper sent him to try out....his first 3 blade kill!

Once again a very proud dad!
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Arrow in, front edge of near thigh...
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Out on the back side of off side thigh...
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Carrying out...
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My boy sure has grown....
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Like I said, I have everything on video and will edit when I can....some good stuff!!

Great Pictures Curt.  Still anxiously awaiting the video but take your time.

Congrats again Cade!!!

Wow!!! Too cool. Congrats again young dude.

Excellent story and photos. Truly happy for both of you!

There's what it's all about way to go Cade!

Outstanding Curt and Cade! Good shooting too! Thanks for putting the story together for us. Fantastic    

What a great morning. Curt you  could not have written it any better. Congrats to you both again!!