wasnt planning on posting. its glenns fault, I guess. site traffic yada yada yada.
i am sure this thread will be a shining example of the way we interact on the www these days. fire away....i can handle it.
Turkeys, quite obviously, bring out the weird in people. Decoys, pop up blinds, TSS, etc. Its an opinionated group. At the end of the day, I really enjoy the battle, the tete-a-tete, with turkeys. I dont quite understand the population dynamics. Early harvest? well the numbers in KS have been going down since I first went there maybe ten years ago and it aint the same dynamic. I knew this year would be tough. My buddy greeted me with "I get it if you dont want to come back for a few years." Oh well. Off we went...
Set up on this barbed wire fence separating corn stubble from alfalfa in the pre dawn light. Too windy the night before to hear the birds on the roost but I've been here before and expected to hear something or at least get a good view of where they spend their time. I didnt have a great spot to hide, but found a tree big enough to get behind and enough grass between me and the field to cover my movements. I'm facing north. Alfalfa to the west. First birds of the morning start chirping. I am in a happy place. Day one of vacation. First bird gobbles to my north and another a bit farther away to the NE as planned. Its just now beginning to break light. The wind is picking up. I'm getting situated and I think i hear another bird gobble back to my SE. After a couple minutes, I hear it again. It sounds like its a good ways away but another one to keep an ear on. Fast forward a few minutes and its now getting close to sunrise. If you've ever been out west, you know that changes things....
I peak over my right shoulder as far as I can to my SE and see three black blobs. Oh shit. Dont come from that way. I dont have enough cover. I get binocs on them and its three longbeards....and they are coming on a trot. I am stuck. But, hey, its day one so who cares, right? I spin in my gobbler lounger, hit the tooter thingie once, sit down, and grab my bow. I am trying not to lose my shit not knowing which side they are coming on. I can only shoot thru a small window to the NW without being totally exposed. I catch them on my left. One is strutting and running at the same time. All hell is breaking loose. I can hear my heartbeat over the wind. Someone hand me a xanax and a shotgun and let's finish this thing. They come barreling into my decoy. The strutter turns away. I have no clue what I'm supposed to do. Its like I'm a fifth grader who has never held a bow. They turn and I draw and settle the 20yd pin on the bullseye. I take a calming breathe and let it fly. Feathers everywhere. I see the arrow disappear into the fan. I cant tell you what happened next except that the other two start in on the one I shot and I was expecting a national geographic documentary in HD of a big ass kicking. But, oh no, that's not what happens....
All three come running back to the decoy. WTF moment? I had never considered needing another arrow. I am fumbling like a kid on prom night. I get an arrow knocked. they move off to the SW and holy hell that turkey is toting my arrow out his back left side. WTH. I watch the three of them walk off to the south. Did that just happen?
I gotta get to work so let's fast forward.....
I watch turkeys for the next 4 hours. A number of times, I see my bird bed down in the alfalfa. No one seems to mess with him. Three jakes come out and piddle with him a little but i still have no freaking clue what is going on. I can see my arrow from 300 yards away.
I lose sight of the three amigos for maybe a half hour of this entire time. At one point, my buddy sneaks to the other side of the creek to help with the recon. Next thing I know three longbeards pop out into the field and come running at me again. Oh hell. They come in charging. I'm watching. Not at full draw. Cant see my arrow in any of them. WTH WTH WTH! I dont shoot. Birds walk off. Buddy texts me he sees my turkey on his end. He is trying to sneak up on it. Longer story not as long, the birds go down to the NW corner of the field next to the creek and settle in. Its about noon now. Wind is really kicking up. Three longbeards, three jakes, and maybe 5 hens. All puffed up in the wind preening. My bird beds down again. We make a plan. I am gonna sneak north up my hedgerow and duck into the woods. My buddy will get on the high bank of the creek on his side. No need to get all wet yet. I get close enough to see my tom put his head down. The others are just chilling out. I get close enough to spook the flock but mine has no clue what is happening. My buddy sees this happening and decides its time to get wet. We both charge out and he gets there first and is standing on my turkeys head. That was easy.
We can talk broadheads and I'm not gonna listen. I've shot 5 turkeys with my bow and no one was like the other. I will not use a blind. I absolutely will use a decoy. Sometimes, I use the wrong one and it doesnt work out. I do it my way and I am happy with the exhilaration it brings me. Shooting one out there with a shotgun just wouldnt bring me this type of joy. I like watching turkeys flop but I dont have to be on the gun....
22lbs 12ox
9.5" beard
1" and 1"+ spurs.
I shot a muzzy trocar at this one. I missed the bullseye by an inch to the left. It went straight up the breast and lodged under the wing butt. I was very fortunate to be able to see this flock all morning. I have a knack for making things difficult but the satisfaction afterwards is pretty dang cool.
My way
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