I was 30 feet up in my Norway Spruce at first light overlooking a meadow with a single small red pine surrounded by dusting holes. It’d been a full week since I was last out so I was really looking forward to an all morning sit. Last week all I brought home were two half wing feathers from a shot that was a few inches high and now I’m back to bring the rest of him home. I made a single gobble call at first light with no response so I slid it back into my pack and went with my “silence is golden” approach.
It was a cool start at 39 degrees and as the sun came up I enjoyed watching 7 deer work their way through the meadow. All was quiet for the next few hours until I spot a turkey slip into the meadow 125 yards away. It was a lighter brown in color so I’m hoping to see a nice Tom not too far behind her. As she got to within 65 yards I was surprised to see a long wispy beard. Last week I was at full draw on a bird using one of the dusting holes right in front of me and I let down because I identified it as a hen. It then finished up and started walking to the Red Pine when I saw a long beard hanging down. This had to be that same turkey and now I’m thinking it’s got to be a bearded hen.
Since I’m hunting from a tree stand I’ll shoot anything that’s legal so I was hoping she’d come in for a closer look. She ended up feeding off to my right and out of sight but it was only a few minutes later when this big boy slipped out of the hardwoods. He was feeding out at 120 yards but then slowly started towards the Red Pine.
Now he’s closed the distance to 33 yards and is just behind the Red Pine and starting to strut. He went just to one side as I came to full draw, put my 30 yard pin on him and squeezed off a shot. I’m in very tight quarters to keep from getting busted and unfortunately my arrow clipped some pine needles and I missed clean to the right and low.
Good thing for me he was in one of those moods and just stuck his head straight out in front of him and was like still in half strut. Not sure what that was all about but it was interesting. I was able to slowly get another arrow nocked as he went back around the back side of the Red Pine and gobbled. I quickly decided I needed to stand up and shoot through a different hole to get a clear shot to the right of the pine and I came to full draw as he cleared the pine. Squatting down to get a clear opening I squeezed off the shot for 35 yards.
I heard a loud whack and watched as he went on his death run disappearing behind some pines. I couldn’t get out of the tree fast enough and there he was 40 yards from where I arrowed him. I looked up and thanked the Lord for a beautiful day and a very nice Tom Turkey.
He weighed in at 20 lbs with 1 1/8, 1 2/8 spurs and has a 10 inch beard. And the funny thing is, he’s missing the same half wing feathers I brought home last week.

Thanks Dan for the camo cams!!!