Spring Fling
I was lucky enough to get a chance to take a turkey or two on a great ranch, with even better service than most resorts I have been too. The trip was one for the memory books and my next trip will have very high standards beat it! Taking turkeys with shotguns can be hard enough, and taking them with a bow is a whole new level of difficulty, but sometimes things just go purr-fect.
The plan was to meet some old and new friends. The trip consisted of Joe, a police officer who just joined the Brooklyn Park Police force. Jeff, a retired kennel owner and has been a great companion to me out on the ice and on the duck ponds. Kyle, a St. Thomas student who is a semester away from pursing his career of teaching history classes, this was his first turkey hunt he has been on. Mike, you have never have had as much fun with someone until you spend some time with him From his wild hair, turkey calling techniques and stories that are absolutely hysterical.
Josh is the oldest son of Jeff and will soon be a father and we actually had to delay the trip since his wife needed to be whisked off to the hospital. He had a lonely truck ride up, but none the less still there and still not a father yet. Jake is the youngest of Jeff?s sons and recently returned home from a tour of Iraq. He is always having a good time and likes to really keep you on your toes.
Uncle Phil is not my uncle but we still call him that anyway. He has a busy job keeping the local school district running smoothly. My dad came along and after a lot of work getting ready for graduation, a day off was much needed for him. We had the perfect set up for a great trip in the making.
We got up to the Lodge around 9 o?clock and were greeted by a friendly staff there. Rounds were made, drinks were toasted and the next morning?s plans were made. Stories were told and laughter was uncontrollable. A late night was had and with an even earlier morning to follow. Some turned in around midnight; well others opted to stay up till 2. The trip has been a blast and we haven?t even tied our boots on yet.
4:30 alarm came early as usual, dressed and ready to roll. We had breakfast, loaded up and went out to the trucks. We were greeted by a crisp cloudy morning barely tipping the thermometer at 40 degrees. It was going to be a cold one out there but hopes of gobblers was all it needed to keep going. One by one each hunter was dropped off at the spots we had picked the night before. Good lucks were exchanged in the twilight of the morning and soon found ourselves enveloped in the woods.
Scott, one of the ranch owners had told me the locations of where two trails that the birds were running pretty regularly, so I made my march to where the two trailheads meet. Once I got to the meeting point, I was ready in no time with my Double Bull Blind and its six-second set up. I was set up on the inside of where the two trails meet; about five yards back from it.
My Jake and hen decoys were set up at five yards away, partially obscured by a tree. When I heard some scratching, I stopped and looked down the trail and there was a nice looking hen working her way down, taking her sweet old time. She soon vanished just as fast as she came.
Digging into my bag it was time to get the birds going. I pulled out my Primos Heartbreaker box call and made one nice cut when two heartsick gobblers from both sides of me rudely interrupted me. We exchanged small talk for most of the morning. I could even see a couple a ways off in the distance strutting for all to see. An impressive site that will never get old and the memory will never fade away.
It wasn?t much after 6, when Joe shot and dropped his first bird. A nice looking Jake. Shortly after following his future son-in-laws ways, it was Uncle Phil?s turn to take a nice bird at about 42 yards away. More cutting and clucking from the Primos Power Crystal soon had the hillsides in a frenzy and the birds were really getting hot and the woods was getting really noisy.
Kyle was able to intercept a bird at about 10 yards away on the Jake?s search of the lonesome hen he had been hearing all morning. With bird in hand, he knew where a nice warm seat would be in the truck and nothing was stopping him from getting there. The hillsides went quiet and than Mike decided it was time to open up the ten gauge, and after being busted by two big Toms, he soon had two Jakes come in and when the 10 gauge sang the blues for those two, everybody knew it. My father was sitting in a clear-cut area with some tall grasses around him. Shots were tough and the birds were like ghosts, but when a Jealous Jake saw another Jake next to his lady, the party was over and with two shots from his Super Black Eagle and three somersaults from Jake he had his first ever turkey. Josh had his own little area and after sneaking up on a hung up bird he was able to bag one and had a long but happy walk back to the truck with his first ever bird.
Still sitting tight, I thought time was running out. I made a couple nice purrs from my super freak slate call and had three birds in full strut come down the trail for about 60 yards before coming up to investigate. The first two immediately went over to the decoy to see who is in their area. When they reached a dead spot in the blind, I drew back to full draw, the one was curious about the blind and had the nerve to stick its head into the window, keeping still took every muscle in my body to not flinch. The only thing that worried me was that he might see my heart bouncing out of my chest. Once it turned around and took a few steps out he turned broadside and I placed my ten pin right on the wing joint. Watching the pin dance was uncontrollable and as soon as I had my mark, I sent my Carbon Express 300 tipped with a Rocket Aerohead Hammerhead 3L, struck home, and breaking both wings at the joints and pinning it to the ground. One of the quickest and cleanest kills with a bow, with a few wing beats and last few breaths, I had my first turkey with a bow and it was sitting at 3 yards when I shot it.
The two other saw him go down and immediately started to peck and beat on him, still trying to entice that hen their way. With a huge sigh of relief and trying to calm my nerves, I watched this display until the birds left. Still sitting in my blind with some time, I let out a couple more putts and clucks to see if any were still near and I was being greeted by another bird strutting his way down the other path. I knocked another arrow and was waiting for this one to duck around the corner. I placed the twenty pin a little high on the white patch of the wing knowing that behind that feather was the wing joints and vitals of the bird. Estimating the bird to be right around the 20-yard mark and with his feathers going down from his strut and sway to the hen decoy. I let loose another arrow and this one going a little behind the first wing, demolishing the backside wing and passing completely through the bird. It took off with the drunken swagger of a mortally hit bird that was not going far, watching it sway and stumble down the trail till about forty yards where it laid down.
Not wanting to spook it, I let it sit before going after it. I am sold on Rocket Aeroheads, they punched nice clean holes through both side and the blood trail was undeniable and even a color blind guy like my dad could see it! Within a span of fifteen minutes I had my first two birds with a bow and respectable birds at that!
With that a lot of pictures taken and a quick demo of the Double Bull Blind, we headed out to the trucks, with 9 nice birds total for 9 guys. The owners of the lodge were fantastic hosts; the food was excellent, the conversation was even better, and the hunting wasn?t too bad either! This truly was a trip for the memory books and one I soon won?t forget!
TIM, THIS IS WHAT YOUR WALKING INTO! GET READY!
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Topic: Last Years Hunt (Read 2510 times)
