I got the green light from my wife and young daughter to drive the 100 miles and spend Wednesday afternoon and Thursday chasing Turkey. I'd recieved permission to hunt a new ranch 2 weeks earlier on my way home from another 2 day exploratory Turkey Hunt.  In years past I Turkey hunted a ranch that has since been leased out and I have been unable to contact anyone to see if I could return.  So, this year, if I wanted to hunt Turks I was gonna have to put in some detective work first.  I got lucky on my way home from that first hunt at a small town gas station and got a hot lead.  A short drive later I was talking to the rancher and got the go ahead to return in 2 weeks.  

It was a big spread and the rancher informed me that the birds were spread out.  Sounded similar to the way things were on the last ranch I had been hunting the last 5 years.  My plan would be to carry a big pack, with stool, camo-burlap sheets, and some decoys and cover lots of ground.  Hopefully, I would bump into some birds and either, call them in to a hastilly aranged set-up, or; put them to bed and set-up for the morning.  If I didnt find birds I'd still get some exercise, shoot a lot of stumps, and at least find some hot sign (hopefully).

So I struck out into virgin territory on Wednesday afternoon with more than 4 hours of daylight left.  I hiked North at first and then after about 1 hour turned West.  I was sticking to the small ridge tops and calling often.  I hadnt heard a thing and only found one spot with a little Turkey sign.  The wind, at times, was gusting and hearing was difficult.  I noticed the beautiful little meadow ahead of me about the same time I stumbled into a few piles of chalk and turned over old cow pies.  Best sign I'd seen so far.

Standing on the edge of the meadow now I gave a few yelps on a diaphram call...then.... during a particularly loud and sudden gust of wind I faintly heard ...."Gobble, Gobble, Gobble". The first gobble I'd heard in 2 years.  And it was close.  So I jumped into fevered action.  As fast as I could I set up 3 decoys, 2 sheets of camo burlap, and my stool.  I had to put sticks in the ground to keep the dekes and the burlap from blowin around.  It took a while, probably 10 minutes, until I was satisfied.  Finally I donned my head net and gloves, nocked an arrow, pretended to shoot my Jake decoy a couple of times and took a re-grouping breath.  Then on the diaphram I called..."yelp,yelp,yelp,yelp,yelp".  His response gobble came quick and again was very close.  Two or three more times we called back and forth.  He was angling toward me from right to left and was comin-in.  "Gobble, Gobble, gobble".  Now that was real close.  Leaning slightly to my left I could look around one of the 3 trees between me and the open meaddow.  There he was, clear of the ponderosa pine and clumps of sage brush.  He was in the meadow, 50 yards away. The first time I laid eyes on him he was in full strut and apparently alone.  He deflated slightly and came on a path that would take him off my left shoulder.  Although he was in plain sight of my decoys he didnt appear to see them.  Looking toward the dekes he would have had the sun in his eyes and they must have looked like black blobs to him. I yelped for the last time and was thinking I was about to get busted as the turkey was now about to be able to see behind my burlap.  Then he finally noticed my decoys and puffed up into a full strut.  He made a bee-line and within seconds was standing feet away from the dekes.  I was hoping he'd go head to head with my Jake and give me his rear but for minutes he just stood there broadside. Being a Jake himself he must not have had the confidence to try and intimidate this other much smaller rival. This went on for entirely way too much time and I thought he couldnt believe this hoax much longer.  Finally he turned away from me and I started a super slow draw.  He still saw me!!  But my arrow was gone and through him.  I took him a little far back and he hesitated once and then split on foot. After he made cover I attempted to keep him in sight by trotting after him.  I got real lucky and watched him come to a stop, his head up.  A full 10 minutes I was back at my blind getting my bow and binocs when I heard him flapping and making a raucous.  I was nervous but hopefull.  It was risky to leave him and the eye contact I had.  Sneaking back I glassed where he was last and he was gone.  More nerves.  Sneaking forward 10 yards I thought I saw black.  A quick look with my binocs confirmed he was done, and mine.  My first bow killed Turkey. A small bird but a big trophy for me.  

Gosh, I cant wait for next year and a return to my new "Turkey spot".  

Thanks for reading. Randy.

Dekes with blind in  the backround.

Wow!  Great story Randy and thanks for sharing the hunt!

Randy............That's  AWESOME Great story and Finish up Photos.

 Congrats on JOB WELL DONE  

Randy... very cool bud!!    

Excellent photos of a great hunting set up and the results.

Alright Randy, congrats on a great hunt, thanks for sharing.        

Oh yea still got gophers that need killin up here.

YEA BABY!      

Way to go Randy...congrats my friend!

Congrats... great story, great photo's.

Nothing quite like taking a turkey with Trad. equipment.

Soon as I have pictures I'll post mine that I took yesterday.

Chris

Thanks for sharing...this truely is a great trophy!
Congratiolations!
Phil

That's great!!!  Congratulation Randy and thank you for sharing your story, makes us dream of doing what you did some day  

Daniel

Congrats! Well done...

great story        thanks for sharing

That is cool!!    Joseph

Right on, brotha! Made any plans for them feathers yet?   :D  

BTW, Lets not leave Doug hangin' on that gopher problem of his.

Nice Job Randy...How'd those Shrew limbs get those big bends in the tips?  :D      

Cool Pictures...thanks for the update!

Way to go Randy!      

David

Good job Randy!! Good pics too!