The Story and Pix of our May 3rd Gobbler Double....(all finished up)

[Guru]

....There was no denying the fact that there was more than one gobbler on the way to us, the gobbling was strong, steady, and overlapping.

Just when we wondering why in the world we couldn't see them, two gobblers emerged from the overgrown orchard 80yds. away....one look through the Leica's and I knew these where the same two big boys that had mauled my dead gobbler two days prior!
  http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=144235  


One of these was a real "Boss"!   When they where all over my dead bird, I studied them both....this guy stood out because of his huge body, head, and attitude...this was his turf and he was leading the way strutting/walking right to the decoys....

I checked focus on the vid cam, Cade pulled his custom Stalker recurve from from the bowholder and readied for the shot....these two titans were about to be on top of us as they closed on the decoys only 7yds away!

I remember whispering to Cade, "make it count bud"...

At seven yards, the tension was incredible, Cade was about to draw down on one of biggest birds he might ever shoot at...

As the "Boss" went broadside I whispered for Cade to shoot....he did the right thing letting the gobbler come to a stop....

I remember hearing the bow at release, the whirr of the string tracker, and almost immediately saw the arrow strike absolutely right where I would have tried to shoot him myself!!!

I heard and excited "perfect shot" from Cade, and blurted....he's done bud!!!

he managed to make it the 70yds or so to the wood edge and crash...we knew he was done... but since he was partially out of sight, we'd give him some time before we'd go recover him....you wanna talk about two excited bowhunters!!!

The bird that was with him started to wander off as another gobbled up on the ridge....this 3rd bird was now coming.  Time to switch seats....I still had my second tag and my Kwyk Styk "Cy" was on the ground at the front of the blind...

We watched this 3rd gobbler walk down the ridge and emerge into the field, but was really now paying more attention to a hen that was pecking around in the field corner 100yds away...I did my best to convince him to come and he was without a doubt interested.

But when the gobbler that was with Cade's bird started working his way toward the field again, it seemed as though the other gobbler didn't want him to get to the deke's before him....he started toward us...

He was getting closer by the second, and it looked as though the double might just happen.

Cade and I whispered back and forth about trying to shoot the bird before he got too close and possibly tangled in the string from his big gobbler....I told him I'd try....

He got tense at about 12-13yds and was quartering toward the blind....the arrow left the bow and the arrow disappeared thru the bird...but not exactly where I wanted it!

I'd shot low through the breast, but as the bird retreated back the way it had come from, it was very apparent that I'd hit the off leg/thigh. He managed to hobble off and stumbled down at the wood edge.....

(remember...every bit of what I've described in this story is on film!)

[wooddamon1]

Awesome!

Can't wait for the rest!

Congrats again to both of y'all!

Bisch

[Sean B]

   

[Butchie]

[Jayrod]

I will be watching

[KAZ]

Keep it coming...  

[Guru]

MY RECOVERY...


We sat and watched and talked for several minutes. My bird didn't look good, I could tell he didn't have use of the one leg, which meant he also couldn't fly.  It looked as though he was getting weaker by the second.

He was laid up in some big rocks, and I figured he would only try to hide if we went after him... And that's just what we decided to do...

I trained the camera on the bird, left it running, and we unzipped the blind to get out...

As soon as the bird saw us, he dove into the rocks and out of sight. I went high as Cade circled low...

When I got on the rocks close to where I last saw him, I saw him down in between some rocks. As I went to pounce on him, he tried  in vein to get away, but was too weak to get away before I was on him...I ended it as quickly as possible...

More late......

[KYArcher]

Congrats again. Great story, pics, and vid.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

 This is good Curt, keep it coming.

[Guru]

My arrow after it went though the bird, and got pulled through the wet grass, then stuck back into the ground....
•  


CADE'S RECOVERY...

With what we hoped would be the tougher recovery over, we walked back to the blind, keeping an eye on the spot where Cade's bird had laid up and gone just out of sight, to settle down.

We caught our breath, did a short piece in front of the camera about the recovery of my bird....still not wanting to rush going after Cade's bird.  

Although I was 99 percent sure he was dead, I just didn't want to take any chances...we had time, and I couldn't help remember his first bird from last year that we thought was dead.

It was time....I just couldn't hold Cade back any longer...he wanted to get his hands on his big boy!

I again trained the camera on the spot where he was and left it running...

We got out of the blind, both nocked arrows and slowly made our way toward the briar bush he'd disappeared behind.

Cade followed where the bird had gone in, I circled around the other side....just in case, by chance he was still alive, I could cut him off...my stomach was in a knot, I could only imagine how Cade felt!

We moved in slow....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..

Cade didn't go in two steps when he gave me the 'ol hand-across-the-neck gesture to let me know it was over.....we'd pulled off the double!!!!!!!

Cade had indeed made a great shot...
•  

What Cade walked up on...
•  

The razor sharp Grizzly Instinct given to him by Bill Dunn performed perfectly...
•  

One happy young man!!!!  So, so proud of my boy!!
•  

Perfect placement through both thighs...
•  
•  

Then we saw the hooks!!!!
•  

[Sean B]

Nice!!!!  Great job and a beautiful bird!!

[Jayrod]

That's what it all about there!!....CONGRATS TO BOTH OF YOU!

[Guru]

The Grizzly Instinct given to Cade by Bill Dunn...
•  

1 1/4" hooks!!!
•  

"Hobbles" was indeed a huge bird!! What a smile!!!
•  

10+" beard...
•  

He may never kill another with bigger hooks...
•  

Cade's bird easily had a couple pounds on mine...
•  

He had a thick 9" beard...
•  

3/4" spurs typical of a 2 yr. old bird...
•  

The same VPA 1 1/4" 3 blade that I took 3 deer and a coyote with last fall, has now taken two gobblers this spring as well...and all but the first deer with this same arrow!!!

[Guru]

Cade's Stalker and my Kwyk Styk...
•  

Since before Cade even started turkey hunting 3 seasons ago we've talked about shooting a double...
•  


By far my favorite picture...
•  

Cade's bird on top, look at the size difference of the heads...
•  

A long, tough walk out...
•  

Thanx for your patience, I hope it was worth the wait...

Congrats again, guys, on some fine birds!

Bisch

[Dirtybird]

Awesome simply awesome!!!!!

[snakebit40]

Very cool Curt! Memories you both will share for the rest of your lives. Congrats to you both!

[Seth Stevens]

Parenting done right! Congratulations!

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Curt, I like your favorite picture also, thats one to enlarge and frame.

Great recap, great Hunt.

Very Big Congrats to you both.