Decided to start a new thread on this even though Jerry started one for me.

Took my brother-in-law on his first turkey hunt this past week. We went to a totally new place not really knowing what we would find. We were pleasantly surprised when we got there to find the birds were roosting a few fields away from camp. Some even roosted within 100 yds from camp. We also had along another friend who has turkey hunted but has never had any luck, and never with a bow.

Camp was nice, right along a creek in the timber.
 

The first night was a bit of a scouting expedition but we still managed to get within ten yards of two really nice toms while still hunting. Didn't even come close to drawing the bow back though, they spotted me making the slightest of movements. I KNOW BETTER! Rookie mistake, but we found where they roosted and were going to back in the morning with the blind.

Next morning no less than 50 turkeys were absolutely going nuts on the roost. Of course the main flock headed the other direction, but we had these four young toms/jakes come to check us out.
 

My brother-in-law (Kelly) has become a danged good shot in the year that he's been in to archery, and I fully expected him to kill a bird. I didn't take into account what a little "turkey-fever" could do to a guy's shooting though. You can see a blur of yellow that was his arrow in this picture. He was about 4 inches in front of the turkey. DANG IT!
 

I had no intentions of being the shooter later that night but the only shot we had was out of one of the blind windows that Kelly could not shoot through. I one upped Kelly by shooting through the feathers of a young jake

The next morning we moved closer to the roost hoping we could get more action, and boy did we. We had turkeys all around us all morning. We had talked a lot about where to shoot turkeys and how decieving they can be with their feathers. Kelly shot at another tom and hit right where he was aiming, the problem was, there was only feathers there. Tough lesson learned, he didn't touch the bird's body.

Some more jakes came fast and we didn't have time to switch positions in the blind so I let an arrow fly at a small jake and shot him at the base of the neck. We held tight for a bit before going out and looking for arrows and a turkey.

While we were looking I saw my Dad walking towards us. I had no clue how his morning was going but I got a good idea when a turkey jumped out of a cedar tree and started to run with an arrow sticking out of him. The turkey was on the verge of death and we chased it a real short ways before we were able to shoot it again.

When we started looking for my bird we found a blood trail bigger than some deer that I've shot. We didn't have to follow it for long until Kelly spotted some tail feathers in the creek and pointed to my bird.

He had crawled into a little creek and up and under the bank. Amazing! Goes to show how it is so easy to lose a fatally hit turkey. They can hide so well.




Dad with his bird.


The four of us. In total my Dad got two jakes, John (far left) got one jake, and Kelly (the big dude middle left) got lots of feathers!


What a fun trip!

Sunday morning my brother and I made our first Colorado hunt of the year. It was short and sweet and we managed to get it all on video which I will post as soon as I can.

We made a set up across a small gulch from where the turkeys roost. Here is our little set up.


Since I had already killed two birds this year I was going to let Danny shoot that morning. When he said he was going to hold out for a nice tom I brought my bow because I am NOT that picky!

After a little calling and having some hens within feet of our blind we spotted a tom behind us. We thought it was a jake because of its little beard, so Danny took the camera and I grabbed my bow.

Hunting in the mountains gives the turkeys an infinite amount of places to hide. If a wounded birds gets his wings he can be danged near impossible to find. So I decided to try out one of those Bullhead turkey broadheads. The results were devastating.

The tom gave me a 15+ yard shot and I hit him right above the caruncles. He started flapping and running off so we exited the blind immediately to chase him and shoot again if need be. We did NOT want to lose a bird in the mountains. The chase lasted about 75yds, he had expired, and bled A LOT.

It was a nice surprise to see that indeed it was a tom with decent spurs for that area.


I am sold on he Bullhead. I did not hit him square, but one of the blades completely severed his neck bone.
Sorry for the graphic picture.


My first Colorado turkey.

A few more pictures of our turkeys.

For those who are interested, because I always am, my Dad was shooting a Hawk recurve. He killed one turkey with an MA3 broadhead, and the other with a Bullhead.

I shot my Nebraska bird with a Mohawk longbow and a Simmons broadhead. I shot the Colorado turkey with a Rampart longbow and a Bullhead.

Good stuff Tommy!     Great story and pics.  Sounds like you were covered up with birds - what a blast!!

Congrats on the turkeys! That was amazing to see that your bird dove into the creek to hide under the undercut bank - I guess it goes to show that if you lose a blood trail to look in some unusual places that a critter could possibly hide.

Good lord you guys must have been covered up with turkeys.

I know guys who go all year and don't have that many chances you guys had.

That was amazing!!!!

  What a great trip and to be able to be with your friends and Dad!  Great pictures!

Congrats! That would be a blast. I've been 5 mornings so far  this season and have yet to hear or see a turkey. People who live where there are a lot of turkeys are very fortunate.

Good on ya, Tommy! Well-done!

Way to go guys!!!  Birds, friends, stickbows and camping...Great combo!!

Congrats!  That one Jake sure has some black wings. Looks like an osceola. I'll have to cruise into the shop and get more detail!

Mike

Now that's awesome...especially when I actually know the ppl involved...great pics and a terrific hunt.

Jer Bear

Good to see somebody having success, congrats!

Way to go!! nice birds, and story.  

You make it sound easy.  Congrats.

Thanks guys. We're pretty fortunate to live within driving distance of some of the best turkey hunting I've ever been apart of.

I love Easterns and I've killed around ten with the shotgun in Wisconsin, but for straight up fun and flinging some arrows, it's hard to beat some of what the West has to offer.

Oh, and did I stress enough how much I am a believer in the Bullhead. My buddy and my Dad killed one with it and I was still skeptical. I had to actually shoot a turkey myself before I was sold...now I will always ALWAYS shoot a Bullhead as a first choice. Not an only choice, but definitely a first choice.

Now that's a show of some skill. Congratulations, Travis.

Great shooting!!!  Congrats!!!  Thought about trying the Bullhead or Guilotine myself but the way I shoot I'd just be trimming limbs and mowing grass.