Sunffed Tom #3

[Skipmaster1]

The other day I hunted my spot in CT and it was perfect 5 hens came in and 4 longbeards came in to 15yds strutting all caught on film. i was using a new mask instead of face paint and i missed by a foot to the left......twice. Both CT and NY are winding down and i really want to get a bird on film. I took 2 great birds and even called in a long beard for my buddy and caught it all on film as he made a great shot... i just can't seem to get it done though. By ny calculations I have spend 17 mornings in the blind!

Today i headed back to my spot in NY

I was in my blind at 4:20am feeling excited despite working long hours and sleeping little since the begining of may. At 5:05 a gobbler sounded off not 60yds from my set up. Perfect! It was a little foggy, rainy and overcast this morning so it was still pretty darn dark then. As it grew light I played with my camera and made sure everything was working. Thats when the mosquitos came out in full force and I learned that I was out of fuel for my thermecell. They were bleeding me dry but I figured I'd be out just minutes after fly down and these birds have been on the ground about 5:30. At 5:25 he hammers again and I call back with some sweet soft clucks. He hammers back. I give a few calls every few 10 minutes or so and he hammers back everytime.......still on the roost. Ok, come down any day now, it's daylight. I check my camera again and now I have a "Eject Tape" Condinsation detected warning. With the high hummidity the camera won't run. It happens sometimes and now is not a good time. This sucks. I decide that if the bird is a Jake I'll let him walk. A longbeard and I'll shoot........if he ever flys down. 6:30 and i call, he hammers back and I sit and wait. I have the bow up and ready the whole time, arrow nocked, knowing that if this happens it could be fast. Sure enough at 6:40 he comes walking out from the side of the blind. My decoy is about 5yds in front of me and facing away. He slowly circles her and comes in to 7yds facing her and right into the blind. he is very cautious and I can't move. I'm debating making a quick move and hoping for the best, but a level head wins. I wait a full 5 minutes before he finally bursts into full strut and starts to turn. as his head disapears behind his fan i come up into full draw aim for his vent and release. My aim is true and the bird runs 25yds before tipping over!



[IMG]http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g167/skipmaster1/DSC_0880.jpg[/IMG

[Skipmaster1]

[Skipmaster1]

[Skipmaster1]

The shot was 1" above the vent and exited just below the beard!

[joevan125]

Great job

[yellow bow]

   

[shortstroke 91]

Been wanting to do that for 5 years and still haven't connected. Good for you and the shot doesn't look like it could have been better.

[Horne Shooter]

great shot and story.

[joe skipp]

Oh yeah..  

Nice going...just curious how many birds this year were "Snuffed".

Beautiful Bird...      

[drewsbow]

congrats      

[swp]

Nice bird, congrats!

[Fritz]

Awesome shot! Thanks for the pics. and congrats on the bird.

[ishiwannabe]

Another fine bird my friend. Nice job...atleast I can read along...

[korn stalker]

Way to close the deal ... with a back door shot!

[LC]

Awesome story thanks for sharing! Great pics also.

[bowhunterfrompast]

Congrats  

[flyfish1]

great shot and photos love them snuffers

[Carcajou]

Excellent story, shot placement and pics! Congrats!  

[Chris Surtees]

[Dustin Waters]

That is a horrible shot, you missed where you were aiming by about a half an inch.  All of these photos of snuffer skewered birds is giving me hope for next year to leave the shotgun behind.
Congrats on a very well executed shot.