You should have brought backup
I've had some pretty crazy things happen to me while turkey hunting, but what happened last week takes the prize. It left me asking, “Why do we turkey hunters have such masochistic tendencies?”
Last week’s column was a brief overview on how to hunt turkey with a bow, along with some mishaps and the story of shooting my first bird with one. I mentioned that this week’s column would be about a turkey hunt that went wrong, but I'm also going to explain all that went right with the hunt, and what you can learn from it. I hope you enjoy my shortcomings as much as I do!
Having harvested a bird with a neck shot while hunting out of a pop up blind, I decided to hunt this year with no ground blind, and that I would only use conventional broad heads. This seems to be pushing the limits of what one can do with a bow, but I'm the type that enjoys completing a nearly impossible task. Harvesting a turkey was hard enough using a broad head with a four-inch cutting diameter out of a pop-up. You may ask yourself why would someone attempt a nearly unobtainable prize? The only answers I could come up with were, because they have a few screws loose, they have become bored with the relative ease of a gun hunt or they like to push the limits of their ability.
I happen to fall into all three categories. I question my sanity when I choose to go toe to toe with an animal that has vision eight times the strength of ours. I then push it even further by not using a blind and bringing the bird to within 20 yards. Throwing a bow into the mix must be a sure sign of insanity. A turkey can spot the slightest movement at 100 yards, and you expect to draw a bow on a bird at under 20. All I can think is good luck, I'm going to need it.
For the most part hunting with a gun has become kind of easy. I film most of my hunts, so it throws a bit more difficulty into the mix, but at this point rarely interferes with the hunt. I have been filming since 1998, and enjoy seeing past hunts so much that it's worth the hassle of carrying camera equipment into the woods. My biggest reason for using the bow is to push and test the limit of my abilities. I think of times past and wonder how our ancestors survived. They had only hand-made bows and arrows, but were able to harvest birds with them. I have hand-made bows and arrows from scratch for several years now. I guess a head shot with a stone point out of my long bow will be the final frontier.
Just not up for that challenge yet.
My hunt started at about 10 a.m. I like the spot because the birds return to it after feeding in the fields. It's like their midday hangout and has produced many birds over the years. I made it to my favorite spot without being detected, and set up my decoys. I use a hen and a strutting jake decoy. A dominant bird can't help himself, and nearly every time will attempt to attack the subordinate bird. I set my hen in a breeding position and make sure the jake is looking in my direction. When a big boy approaches the decoy, it will circle it to challenge it face to face. This allows you the chance to draw the bow when it either walks behind a tree, or obstructs its vision with its tail fan while strutting.
I try to sit in the shade and put my decoys in the sun if at all possible. The shadows help break up your image and the bright sun in his eyes can blind the bird a bit of your movements. I sat under a large hemlock tree about 15 yards away from my decoys. I removed my quiver of arrows and nocked one in preparation for battle. I made a few quiet calls, to which I received no response. I start off quiet with my calls and increase my volume so I do not spook birds that may be close. After about five calling sessions, I heard a faint gobble in the distance. When I realized the bird was coming from the wrong direction according to my set up, I made a move. I got to the side of my decoys, but the best tree was only about ten yards from the decoys. The bird was approaching fast and I didn't have time to move the decoys, but luckily the wind moved the jake, so it was looking right at me.
Just about the time that I spotted the bird, I realized I had left my arrows at the other tree. Panic took over as I realized, I had made a past mistake. Years back I made a move on a buck that was out of range of my call. I forgot my arrows at my previous seat, and proceeded to miss the buck and had to watch him walk around in bow range for over 10 minutes, with no chance of a follow-up shot. I prepared myself for the shot and knew it better be a good one because once again there would be no follow-up.
The bird gobbled his head off until it spotted the decoy. It then showed all the dominant signs, strutting, spitting and drumming its way in. At about 15 yards there was a large maple tree, that I decided I would draw my bow as the bird passed behind it. He was on a string and made his way to exactly where I wanted him. As he walked behind the maple, I drew my bow. I got away with it, and as he stepped into the opening at just under 15 yards, I clucked at him. He stopped and I settled my sight pin on its vitals. I made a perfect release and the arrow was on its way. Before it reached the bird, it struck a small beech sapling that I wasn't able to see. The arrow deflected and skimmed the bird's chest. He stepped back kind of spooked not knowing what had happened. A second later he puffed back up and headed at my decoy.
The bird proceeded to strut and gobble in front of me for nearly an hour and a half, all of which still under 20 yards. Oh yes it happened again! The bird finally walked off not knowing how close he came to becoming a batch of speedies.
You would think I went home dejected, but that was actually my favorite hunt ever. You don't have to harvest a bird to enjoy the hunt. Simply being out there listening, watching, and experiencing the wild is all most of us need to stay in the game. All I kept thinking was, I should have brought back up. I will now be toting my shotgun and my bow in the spring which is legal. It is not legal to pack both in the fall because deer season is on, so please don't make that mistake.
Good wishes and don't forget the back up gun.
Last week’s column was a brief overview on how to hunt turkey with a bow, along with some mishaps and the story of shooting my first bird with one. I mentioned that this week’s column would be about a turkey hunt that went wrong, but I'm also going to explain all that went right with the hunt, and what you can learn from it. I hope you enjoy my shortcomings as much as I do!
Having harvested a bird with a neck shot while hunting out of a pop up blind, I decided to hunt this year with no ground blind, and that I would only use conventional broad heads. This seems to be pushing the limits of what one can do with a bow, but I'm the type that enjoys completing a nearly impossible task. Harvesting a turkey was hard enough using a broad head with a four-inch cutting diameter out of a pop-up. You may ask yourself why would someone attempt a nearly unobtainable prize? The only answers I could come up with were, because they have a few screws loose, they have become bored with the relative ease of a gun hunt or they like to push the limits of their ability.
I happen to fall into all three categories. I question my sanity when I choose to go toe to toe with an animal that has vision eight times the strength of ours. I then push it even further by not using a blind and bringing the bird to within 20 yards. Throwing a bow into the mix must be a sure sign of insanity. A turkey can spot the slightest movement at 100 yards, and you expect to draw a bow on a bird at under 20. All I can think is good luck, I'm going to need it.
For the most part hunting with a gun has become kind of easy. I film most of my hunts, so it throws a bit more difficulty into the mix, but at this point rarely interferes with the hunt. I have been filming since 1998, and enjoy seeing past hunts so much that it's worth the hassle of carrying camera equipment into the woods. My biggest reason for using the bow is to push and test the limit of my abilities. I think of times past and wonder how our ancestors survived. They had only hand-made bows and arrows, but were able to harvest birds with them. I have hand-made bows and arrows from scratch for several years now. I guess a head shot with a stone point out of my long bow will be the final frontier.
Just not up for that challenge yet.
My hunt started at about 10 a.m. I like the spot because the birds return to it after feeding in the fields. It's like their midday hangout and has produced many birds over the years. I made it to my favorite spot without being detected, and set up my decoys. I use a hen and a strutting jake decoy. A dominant bird can't help himself, and nearly every time will attempt to attack the subordinate bird. I set my hen in a breeding position and make sure the jake is looking in my direction. When a big boy approaches the decoy, it will circle it to challenge it face to face. This allows you the chance to draw the bow when it either walks behind a tree, or obstructs its vision with its tail fan while strutting.
I try to sit in the shade and put my decoys in the sun if at all possible. The shadows help break up your image and the bright sun in his eyes can blind the bird a bit of your movements. I sat under a large hemlock tree about 15 yards away from my decoys. I removed my quiver of arrows and nocked one in preparation for battle. I made a few quiet calls, to which I received no response. I start off quiet with my calls and increase my volume so I do not spook birds that may be close. After about five calling sessions, I heard a faint gobble in the distance. When I realized the bird was coming from the wrong direction according to my set up, I made a move. I got to the side of my decoys, but the best tree was only about ten yards from the decoys. The bird was approaching fast and I didn't have time to move the decoys, but luckily the wind moved the jake, so it was looking right at me.
Just about the time that I spotted the bird, I realized I had left my arrows at the other tree. Panic took over as I realized, I had made a past mistake. Years back I made a move on a buck that was out of range of my call. I forgot my arrows at my previous seat, and proceeded to miss the buck and had to watch him walk around in bow range for over 10 minutes, with no chance of a follow-up shot. I prepared myself for the shot and knew it better be a good one because once again there would be no follow-up.
The bird gobbled his head off until it spotted the decoy. It then showed all the dominant signs, strutting, spitting and drumming its way in. At about 15 yards there was a large maple tree, that I decided I would draw my bow as the bird passed behind it. He was on a string and made his way to exactly where I wanted him. As he walked behind the maple, I drew my bow. I got away with it, and as he stepped into the opening at just under 15 yards, I clucked at him. He stopped and I settled my sight pin on its vitals. I made a perfect release and the arrow was on its way. Before it reached the bird, it struck a small beech sapling that I wasn't able to see. The arrow deflected and skimmed the bird's chest. He stepped back kind of spooked not knowing what had happened. A second later he puffed back up and headed at my decoy.
The bird proceeded to strut and gobble in front of me for nearly an hour and a half, all of which still under 20 yards. Oh yes it happened again! The bird finally walked off not knowing how close he came to becoming a batch of speedies.
You would think I went home dejected, but that was actually my favorite hunt ever. You don't have to harvest a bird to enjoy the hunt. Simply being out there listening, watching, and experiencing the wild is all most of us need to stay in the game. All I kept thinking was, I should have brought back up. I will now be toting my shotgun and my bow in the spring which is legal. It is not legal to pack both in the fall because deer season is on, so please don't make that mistake.
Good wishes and don't forget the back up gun.
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