Amateur hour... Dan's 1st turkey with bow.
05-17-2013, 11:57 PM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Helenville WI USA
Posts: 900
Amateur hour... Dan's 1st turkey with bow.
My hunting buddy Dave hunted turkeys a bit by his buddy Craigs place... He only has a few acres and its in a no firearms zone so he used bow. He passed on some jakes and ended up bouncing an arrow off a big ones back but then his season ended... That was two weeks ago.
He told me there were a couple big ones coming thru by Craigs place again and that I could give it a shot with the ol' Forge.
We only get a week to hunt and this was my week. I have been having a heck of a week. Its really tough finding Toms on the public around my house and over by Daves. The best turkey farm I have permission on is void of birds this year, and I just can't catch a break...
I don't mind not getting a bird, but this year I have been hunting by myself cause Dave got a job thats keeping him busy, and I can't find any turkeys to chase... So, the hunting gets tougher, and I grab the bow! :lol:
I should mention that I have never gotten a spring turkey with the bow... I have shot many with the gun, just not the bow. I have not shot the Forge since hunting season so I got it out and thru a couple arrows thru it... Right on the money!
I was supposed to meet Dave at his house at 4:30 and from there we would go to Craigs... Well, I was running a little late and when his wife pulled in and started yelling at us about leaving and something about Dave attending a concert I started to understand why I was supposed to be there at 4:30 "before" she got home from work!
Anywho, I threw my stuff in Daves truck real quick ducking the objects his wife was throwing at us, and we went over to Craigs. 1st we did a drive by to make certain where the turkeys were... They where within 100 yards of the blind Dave st up for me and it would be crazy trying to sneak to the blind, but Dave assured me that I was indeed crazy enough to pull that off... That was a compliment, I think?
Well, I got all my cameras, calls and gear ready and started the belly crawl thru the wooded back yard while Dave and Craig sat in the house watching me... I was doing pretty good, I kept a large pine tree between me and the two big toms out in the field and got within 10 yards of the blind after only 20 minutes...
Thats when I realized I had no arrows! :shock: Really. The Big buck serial killer forgot his arrows.
ops:
So, I turned around and belly crawled back to the house... You would think Dave has hunted enough to know that loud laughter scares turkeys... Wouldn't you?
Anywho, one look in the back of Dave's truck confirmed my fear... In my rush to avoid getting hit by flying objects from Dave's wife, I forgot to grab my arrows out of my truck... We were running out of time, and this was the only day I could hunt at Craig's during my season, so Dave said no worries, I have some old arrows laying around that might or might not fit your bow :shock:
Well, the arrow he handed me looked close to what I shoot so what the heck?
Back to crawling to the blind.... Trouble was, now the birds were about 50 yards from the blind. I got to within 20 yards of the blind and decided I could get no closer so I leaned up against a tree and got ready. I figured they were both shooters and heading right for me, at least I only had to fool 4 eyes. I thought about how much it stinks when they come in following a bunch of hens... Just then about a dozen hens came running across the road and joined them... Oh well, I will make the best of it....
After a short wait the turkeys were inching into range when a large wind gust ( Did I mention it was very windy today?) blew down 1/2 a dead tree right next to me that came crashing down sending the birds in a different direction towards Craig's driveway. If they cross the driveway I am out of luck... Thats when super Dave jumped up from his seat on the couch put his beer down and drove over to the driveway got out of his truck and chased them back into the field in front of my blind... I used that moment to sprint to the blind while the turkeys were busy with Dave, then I sprinted back to the tree where I was and picked up my gear and sprinted back to the blind which after some detective work I realized has no door and you have to crawl thru a window...
I looked up just as the turkeys entered the part of the field where they could see the blind. I have no idea why, but they seemed really nervous. They started heading away from me and I knew there was no way they would respond to a call after being chased, and having a dozen hens with them, and having a tree crash down next to them, but I called any way.
I heard a distant gobble from behind me, and looked up to see one of the big toms turn away from the group and start heading my way... 8-) He came real slow and cautious and when I wouldn't call for a while he would look back at his friends leaving and I would hit the call again. He even gobbled a few times.
I had the new beast cam running on the bow, and got the main camera recording on the tripod, but the bird came from a direction where I did not get film till the last 30 seconds...
as he closed the gap he used the same trick I used on him getting to the blind, he kept a tree in between and if he went one way I had to film and shoot out of one window, the other way, the other window. And as if it was on purpose, he kept switching directions. finally he turned and walked past me at a mere 10 yards... I thought, well lets see how Daves arrows work... I fully expected this to be a failed attempt story... But as always, when everything is messed up to the point of looking like an idiot. Some how I get the job done... As Dave would say "Your just the idiot to get the job done!" I think thats a compliment? :?
The arrow flew perfect and the turkey only made it about 20 yards on a sprint.
24-1/2 pounds, 1 1/4 spurs, 10 inch beard
He told me there were a couple big ones coming thru by Craigs place again and that I could give it a shot with the ol' Forge.
We only get a week to hunt and this was my week. I have been having a heck of a week. Its really tough finding Toms on the public around my house and over by Daves. The best turkey farm I have permission on is void of birds this year, and I just can't catch a break...
I don't mind not getting a bird, but this year I have been hunting by myself cause Dave got a job thats keeping him busy, and I can't find any turkeys to chase... So, the hunting gets tougher, and I grab the bow! :lol:
I should mention that I have never gotten a spring turkey with the bow... I have shot many with the gun, just not the bow. I have not shot the Forge since hunting season so I got it out and thru a couple arrows thru it... Right on the money!
I was supposed to meet Dave at his house at 4:30 and from there we would go to Craigs... Well, I was running a little late and when his wife pulled in and started yelling at us about leaving and something about Dave attending a concert I started to understand why I was supposed to be there at 4:30 "before" she got home from work!
Anywho, I threw my stuff in Daves truck real quick ducking the objects his wife was throwing at us, and we went over to Craigs. 1st we did a drive by to make certain where the turkeys were... They where within 100 yards of the blind Dave st up for me and it would be crazy trying to sneak to the blind, but Dave assured me that I was indeed crazy enough to pull that off... That was a compliment, I think?
Well, I got all my cameras, calls and gear ready and started the belly crawl thru the wooded back yard while Dave and Craig sat in the house watching me... I was doing pretty good, I kept a large pine tree between me and the two big toms out in the field and got within 10 yards of the blind after only 20 minutes...
Thats when I realized I had no arrows! :shock: Really. The Big buck serial killer forgot his arrows.
ops: So, I turned around and belly crawled back to the house... You would think Dave has hunted enough to know that loud laughter scares turkeys... Wouldn't you?
Anywho, one look in the back of Dave's truck confirmed my fear... In my rush to avoid getting hit by flying objects from Dave's wife, I forgot to grab my arrows out of my truck... We were running out of time, and this was the only day I could hunt at Craig's during my season, so Dave said no worries, I have some old arrows laying around that might or might not fit your bow :shock:
Well, the arrow he handed me looked close to what I shoot so what the heck?
Back to crawling to the blind.... Trouble was, now the birds were about 50 yards from the blind. I got to within 20 yards of the blind and decided I could get no closer so I leaned up against a tree and got ready. I figured they were both shooters and heading right for me, at least I only had to fool 4 eyes. I thought about how much it stinks when they come in following a bunch of hens... Just then about a dozen hens came running across the road and joined them... Oh well, I will make the best of it....
After a short wait the turkeys were inching into range when a large wind gust ( Did I mention it was very windy today?) blew down 1/2 a dead tree right next to me that came crashing down sending the birds in a different direction towards Craig's driveway. If they cross the driveway I am out of luck... Thats when super Dave jumped up from his seat on the couch put his beer down and drove over to the driveway got out of his truck and chased them back into the field in front of my blind... I used that moment to sprint to the blind while the turkeys were busy with Dave, then I sprinted back to the tree where I was and picked up my gear and sprinted back to the blind which after some detective work I realized has no door and you have to crawl thru a window...
I looked up just as the turkeys entered the part of the field where they could see the blind. I have no idea why, but they seemed really nervous. They started heading away from me and I knew there was no way they would respond to a call after being chased, and having a dozen hens with them, and having a tree crash down next to them, but I called any way.
I heard a distant gobble from behind me, and looked up to see one of the big toms turn away from the group and start heading my way... 8-) He came real slow and cautious and when I wouldn't call for a while he would look back at his friends leaving and I would hit the call again. He even gobbled a few times.
I had the new beast cam running on the bow, and got the main camera recording on the tripod, but the bird came from a direction where I did not get film till the last 30 seconds...
as he closed the gap he used the same trick I used on him getting to the blind, he kept a tree in between and if he went one way I had to film and shoot out of one window, the other way, the other window. And as if it was on purpose, he kept switching directions. finally he turned and walked past me at a mere 10 yards... I thought, well lets see how Daves arrows work... I fully expected this to be a failed attempt story... But as always, when everything is messed up to the point of looking like an idiot. Some how I get the job done... As Dave would say "Your just the idiot to get the job done!" I think thats a compliment? :?
The arrow flew perfect and the turkey only made it about 20 yards on a sprint.
24-1/2 pounds, 1 1/4 spurs, 10 inch beard
