I switched to Trad archery 4 years ago and have hunted deer exclusively with my bow since then. Until this morning however, I still turkey hunted with my scattergun. I lost a good buck 3 years ago, completely missed a doe this past deer season, and I was wondering if it would all ever come together for me. Well this morning, thanks to my son Matt, it finally happened for me. Matt is an excellent turkey caller and has called a gobbler in for me on opening day for four straight years counting this morning. He recently bought a Double Bull blind, and told me that he was going to call a gobbler in so close that even I could hit it. I was skeptical about turkey hunting with my bow, but he convinced me to leave the shotgun at home and take the recurve. We hit the woods at 7:00 AM packing the Double Bull, a huge decoy bag, pockets full of calls, my quiver with 3 arrows and my bow. We walked the top af a long ridge, stopping to hoot every 5 minutes or so, but we got no answering gobbles. So we decided to just set the blind up off the side of an old logging road we were on and try calling for a while. First we positioned our decoys in the logging road and then paced off 15 yards and set up the blind. It was just cracking daylight when Matt made a few light tree yelps, and immediately got an answering gobble from the next ridge over! The bird didn't gobble again for about 15 minutes, and then Matt said the bird was on the ground and gobbling at the base of the ridge we were on ( I can't hear a turkey gobble unless it is within 25 yards). LOL. Well, to make a long and nerve racking story short, the bird appeared at the top of our ridge about 30 minutes later, immediately started strutting and walked to the gobbler decoy we had placed with two hen decoys. He started strutting and pecking the decoy and faced it down for several minutes, but he stayed on the opposite side of the decoy from me. I was a nervous wreck, and was afraid that the gobbler would realize the decoy was a fake and leave without giving me an open shot, but then he decided to circle the decoy. When he got to a position that was quartering toward me a little, he suddenly dropped out of strut, and I released the string. I honestly don't remember drawing the bow. The arrow flew straight and true, entering the bird a few inches behind his left wing and exiting just in front of his right leg. He flew straight up about 5 or 6 feet, landed and ran over the top of the ridge which was only about 6 feet behind him. We started to get out of the blind and chase the bird, but we decided to wait a few minutes so as not to spook him any worse in case he was not mortally wounded. We waited about 5 minutes and walked to the decoy where we found several feathers, but no blood. So we took a few steps in the direction the turkey had gone and there lay my arrow covered in blood; a complete pass through! After examining the arrow, we walked down the side of the ridge about another 15 yards, and there lay my gobbler partially under an old blow down Oak tree. I've killed lots of turkeys and deer with firearms in my life, and I have a lot of memorable hunts, but NOTHING compares with the emotions and excitement I am feeling about this morning's hunt with my son Matt. My success this morning would not have been possible without his eyes, ears, calling ability, and mostly his unselfish desire to help his old man succeed at fullfilling his dream of becoming successful with the stick and string. "Thank you Matt". I love you son.
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EQUIPTMENT: Browning Nomad Stalker I, 52", 45# @ 28". Easton XX75 2016, 29-1/2" BOP, 170 gr. Wensel Woodsman (not very fast, but deadly at 15 yards).
Double Bull Matrix blind. Carry-Lite Pretty Boy and Pretty Girl Turkey Decoy Set.
Woodhaven slate and diaphragm calls and a wing bone call by Bernie Dunn all saw action in the seduction of this gobbler.
THOSE DECOYS ARE AMAZING!
Way to go Chuck!!! What a great way to have your 1st trad kill come together for you! It's awesome that you could share that experience with your son!!!
Oh, I forgot: 10-1/2" rope of a beard, a 1" and a 7/8" spur, 19-1/2 lbs.(bathroom scales). A set of wing bones for me, a set for Bernie, a lot of feathers to strip and use for spiral wrapped flu-flus, and of course some darned good eating!
Congratulations Chuck!!!
Yahooooooo!!!!! Way to go Chuck!!!
You think Matt can call one in for me???? LOL
awesome that is a very nice story
Congradulations!!! Hap
Outstanding!Cograts!
Man is that an awesome story or what. Congrats Chuck!! Excellent pics too.
I want try that this year is it worth giving it a shot with a recurve?
good job chuck!!!!!!!!!!, now its my turn!!!!!!!
And congrats on the pending grandchild!
It don't get much better than that Chuck!!!!!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Thanks guys. This was definately the best hunt of my life and one that has given me memories that I will always cherish.
I am trying to borrow a camcorder so that I can record tomorrow's hunt. Matt is gonna try with his bow tomorrow and I would love to get the hunt on film. Just watching that gobbler attacking the decoy would have made my day; being able to make the shot was just icing on the cake. I would have never believed that a full size mature gobbler decoy would work. I had seen some videos, but I just wrote them off as being sales/advertising hype. I figured they were probably filmed in an area that was baited and overrun with turkeys, but now I am a believer.
Lewis, he would probably be happy to try to call you one in if you can furnish a place to hunt. We can't take any guests to the property we hunted this morning.
2Blade, YEP!
Ian, go get 'em.
:thumbsup: EXCELLENT :thumbsup:
That is awesome Chuck, I can't think of a better way for your first trad kill to happen. Congrats to both of you and good luck in the morning. :thumbsup:
David
Congratulations! Great story.
thanks for sharing your story chuck and congrats on a great first.
Absolutely awesome Chuck!!!!
Congratulations bud :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Father and son together :notworthy:
Ahh nice.Happy to see someone realize a goal and share with your son.Memories if a lifetime.
Congrats!! what a great trophy with a bow and to have your son call it in has to be priceless. Kansas turkey season opens April 1st for archery this year I hope I can duplicate your good fortune on opening day with my son. That wingbone call you'll be making will have some great ju-ju. Bretto
Man I'm happy it finally came together for you Chuck.That's just awesome!!!I'm gonna try using a new blind I got to duplicate your success also.Just awesome!
Crongratulations,
Crittergitter
Congratulations! The best of all worlds! A beautiful story of you & your son! It doesn't get any better!! :clapper: & memories that neither one of you will ever forget
Larry
CONGRATS :clapper:
Thanks for all the positive comments guys. As I said, this will probably be my most memorable hunt ever.
We went again this morning, but we were not even able to raise a gobble. This unseasonably warm weather has caused the birds to breed a little earlier than normal. I have a friend who jumped a hen that was on the nest this morning. That's about two to three weeks early for my area of the state. The gobblers ought to start sounding off big time now that they are losing some of their hens. I can't wait for Saturday to roll around again.
I can't decide what to do with the arrow that I got the gobbler with. I kinda want to retire it since it got me my first trad kill, but then again it would be neat to see if I can make use of its MoJo and try to make more meat with it. Again, thanks for all of your replies.
Chuck
Chuck,
Great story, great pics, great shot, great bird, and most of all great memories, congrats.
You had to do it on the first day tho, you know you got all of us all fired up now, and some have to wait till may for our chance!! :banghead: lol jk congrats again
Congratulations!!!
Great story. I'm sure having your son with you made the hunt that much better.