Bad Turkey Hunter Gets Lucky

[Stringwacker]

Well, I'm having a hard time believing that it finally happened. After hearing quite a bit of gobbling activity Saturday morning (that hasn't occured all year), I decided to go back yesterday afternoon to the DB blind that I had relocated earlier that morning to be closer to where I heard the birds. At 5:00 o'clock a hen came by the blind and I was elated as it was the first turkey I had seen this year. At 5:25 I was actually playing with my phone when I kept hearing a strange noise behind my DB blind. I slightly cracked open one of the viewing flaps and saw a nice gobbler all blowed up about 100 yards behind me! Just seeing a gobbler is usually an every three year occurence where I hunt. His attention was riveted on my DSD decoy sitting 12 yards from my blind in the old cutover log road.

I cracked another viewing port open on the side to watch a spot that was about 15 yards from where I would shoot. This would let me know when he was about to step in my shooting port so that I could view the bird for legality and be prepared to shoot if needed. He made the 100 yards painfully slow; taking a good 15 minutes to cover that 100 yards. He was out of sight most of time but I could hear him strumming. Finally I could hear his wing tips dragging in the hard packed rocky log road so I knew he was getting real close...though he didn't gobble even once.

The DSD hen decoy had him hooked (never can understand how a decoy that doesn't twitch in 15 minutes can so dope a bird) He stepped in my shooting hole at about 15 yards, turned 3/4 broadside and I promptly shot through his tail fan! So much for best laid plans and being cool & calm under pressure

The bird took a hop, but never as far as I can tell ever broke strut. As he hit my second port that was open at 20 yards; he had already passed the decoy but still was fascinated with the deke. I took my time, instictively aimed the Black Widow recurve lower, released, and pin wheeled the bird with a Wensel Woodsman in an imaginary 10 ring tight in the wing butt. The bird ran 15 yards down the log road in full sight and tipped over nose first in the log road.

Given that I always restrict myself to archery equipment, successes can often be years apart. Add that dismal diclosure to the fact that I'm not a very good turkey hunter to begin with... and it's quite a good feeling when it all comes together. It's definitely not the way to hunt if someone likes to eat wild turkey on an annual basis

Mark

[owlbait]

Congrats Mark. great looking bird. That is a neat decoy, it sure delivered for you.

[bolong]

Super job! Great acclomplishment.  

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Great story and nice bird.  I hope to have one similar  in a few weeks.  

[rastaman]

Great pictures!    

[swp]

Excellent!!

[frassettor]

Great job to you!  

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Excellent story, bird, and photos. I hope I'm half as lucky as you next month.

[PaPaFrank]

CONGRATS!! Good story and even better pictures! Thanks for takin' us along!  

[Mudd]

Congratulations!!

I can't believe he gave you a second shot after actually touching him with the 1st arrow.

It was definitely your time and you came through.

Thanks for sharing with us.

God bless,Mudd

[wv lungbuster]

Yes great story and pics, those DSD decoys look like they could fool any old tom.

[ottertails]

Not too "bad" if ya ask me! Congrats!

[Stringwacker]

Thanks guys...I really appreciate all your comments!

[Spurs]

Congrats.  I have been trying to do this since the season opened.  I have had many encounters, but my big strutting decoy keeps scaring the birds.  I am going to try it again  with just a plain jake and hen decoy.  Glad it came together for you.

[KentuckyTJ]

A turkey hunter with a bird hanging over his shoulder is a "Good" turkey hunter my friend. Congrats and thanks for taking the time to take photos, beautiful bird.

T.J.

[Friend]

When you think you are good turkey hunter and have figured them out, that's when they will take you to school.

Congratulations!!!!

[Stringwacker]

Originally posted by Spurs:
Congrats.  I have been trying to do this since the season opened.  I have had many encounters, but my big strutting decoy keeps scaring the birds.  I am going to try it again  with just a plain jake and hen decoy.  Glad it came together for you.

I had the same problem...rather than attracting tom's even my jake decoy would cause a gobbler to avoid the setup. Given I see so few, that can be really frustrating. Maybe it's a Mississippi thing? Regardless, I now go with just one lone hen and that seems to work best in the local that I hunt

[missagain]

congrats! you didnt give up! you stayed with it ,kept calm and cool .

[Stone Knife]

Nice bird, great pics and story  

[Interseptor]

Thanks Mark for sharing!  Its turkey season here in SC and this is just what I needed to keep me motivated!  Great bird!