Post by jnrbronc on May 1, 2008 21:57:11 GMT -5
I haven't been hunting real hard, but getting out a couple of times a week. Saturday morning I was surprised by a tom who came in the exact opposite direction I was expecting. It was too thick to get a shot due to the approach path. I had him about 12 feet from the blind in thick stuff. He decided he didn't like what he saw and started to high tail it out of there. He stopped briefly in a shooting lane at about 25 yards and I missed him.
Sunday morning, I never saw a turkey, but heard some close by.
On the evening of Wednesday, April 30, I decided to go after work, even though I didn't get off work until 5 pm. I changed clothes in the restroom right before 5 and hit the highway. I figured being so late, I'd set up on a north/south running brome grass saddle between two timbers. I've hunted it twice in the morning this year, but this was my first evening sit. I was all set up and in the blind at 5:33 pm. It wasn't long and a couple of hens crossed to the north of my blind. They seemed somewhat spooked by my decoys (or my soft calling) and headed more north than west. For some reason I looked south out of the back of the blind and saw a whole flock of turkeys crossing the brome field behind me. There were 10 hens and a decent tom. They lifted their heads when I called, but showed no interest in coming in to the decoys. I'm starting to think things are futile and was tempted to get out and hunt for some morels. I fought the urge since I figured I could mushroom hunt after I killed a turkey.
By now it's approaching 7 pm and my hopes are fading. I notice movement on the edge of the closest timber. It's a hen and she sees my decoys. She heads my way and I notice that she has a beard. Bearded hens are legal birds during spring turkey. I pick up the bow and wait until she gets clear of weeds and stops. I hit the release, watch the arrow fly and hit her. It knocks her over and she moved maybe once: DRT (dead right there!). My second ever archery turkey and it's a bearded hen, 13 lbs and a 7 6/8 inch beard for a whopping NWTF score of 28.5.
I bought another tag today, even though I’m not going to have much time to hunt. It only takes a minute for things to change!
Sunday morning, I never saw a turkey, but heard some close by.
On the evening of Wednesday, April 30, I decided to go after work, even though I didn't get off work until 5 pm. I changed clothes in the restroom right before 5 and hit the highway. I figured being so late, I'd set up on a north/south running brome grass saddle between two timbers. I've hunted it twice in the morning this year, but this was my first evening sit. I was all set up and in the blind at 5:33 pm. It wasn't long and a couple of hens crossed to the north of my blind. They seemed somewhat spooked by my decoys (or my soft calling) and headed more north than west. For some reason I looked south out of the back of the blind and saw a whole flock of turkeys crossing the brome field behind me. There were 10 hens and a decent tom. They lifted their heads when I called, but showed no interest in coming in to the decoys. I'm starting to think things are futile and was tempted to get out and hunt for some morels. I fought the urge since I figured I could mushroom hunt after I killed a turkey.
By now it's approaching 7 pm and my hopes are fading. I notice movement on the edge of the closest timber. It's a hen and she sees my decoys. She heads my way and I notice that she has a beard. Bearded hens are legal birds during spring turkey. I pick up the bow and wait until she gets clear of weeds and stops. I hit the release, watch the arrow fly and hit her. It knocks her over and she moved maybe once: DRT (dead right there!). My second ever archery turkey and it's a bearded hen, 13 lbs and a 7 6/8 inch beard for a whopping NWTF score of 28.5.
I bought another tag today, even though I’m not going to have much time to hunt. It only takes a minute for things to change!
