TTT for Swampbuck..... Head Shot!!!!! (NOT!!!!!)

[woodchucker]

Well, This morning I put my little guy Tyler on the bus,grabbed my Mikuta longbow and my turkey vest,and went down to the Fishkill Cemetary for a late morning turkey hunt.

I parked my truck,grabbed my gear,and headed into the woods.I snuck into the place I call "The Stone Circle Blind" and set my hen decoy (I usualy don't use decoys) in the old logging road below my "blind" about 15 yards away.I got myself set-up on my 5 gallon bucket,popped my diaphram call in my mouth,dug out my peg and slate,nocked one of my "Joe Skipp Specials" tipped with a green Bear Razorhead on the string of my Mikuta,and pulled down my head-net.

After about 10 minutes I scratched out a series of 7 yelps on the slate and was immediatly answered with a double-gobble from up the logging road.I gave him 4 more yelps and he double-gobbled again!!!!! I dropped the slate at my feet and got my bow ready.I figured if I needed to call again I could use my mouth call,but I didn't want to get "busted" trying to get my bow ready.

I looked up the logging road and I can see Mr. Jake strutting through the woods.When he hit the logging road he looks down,sees the hen decoy,drops his feathers and comes RUNNING down the road!!!!! When he gets to the hen decoy,he stops and puffs up into a half-strutt.....The "button" says GO.....I draw my bow,my index finger hits the corner of my mouth,I let the string slip.....AND THE ARROW FLYS RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIS BEAK!!!!!      :eek:     You should have seen him run LOL I think he set a new "land speed record" for a running turkey!!!!!

Now,I don't know why.....But I was looking at his head       :rolleyes:      So I shot at his head            Maybe it was all those years of shotgun hunting          

Well,It was a GREAT DAY!!!!! Maybe next time.....      

[vermonster13]

Better a clean miss than a bad hit. You got the pulse up, called in a bird and had a shot opportunity. All in all a real good morning.

[thp]

oh man!  just about!  

you're a good story teller.  glad to hear a story from another guy who balances hunting, work and family!

[woodchucker]

Thank You Tim!!!!!

Sometimes it's tough.....But I'm a Dad,That's my job  

[Over&Under]

Exactly what thp said!!!!!  thanks for sharing, hope ya connect next time....

jake (no pun intended)

[Jake H]

As someone else said to me this weekend:

"That's as close as you can get without putting meat in the freezer!"

Which means that you've got everything else together-- your scouting, your blind, your calling, your rythmn (knowing when to set down the calls and pick up the bow), etc.  All that is for the GOOD!

I'll keep my fingers crossed that you get another oportunity soon!

Jake
(who needs a new nickname this time of year)

[LAR43]

He'll be back there again Chuck. Pick a feather this time!!!
Great stuff ain't it?

Larry

[1/2primitive]

A succesful morning, I say. Great job.
     Sean

[mcgroundstalker]

So you had a good time but didn't get goo on your hands...Great Read Buddy!...Thanks!

... mike ...

PS...Tell me a Zombie story next!...  :D  ...

[Bill Turner]

Hay, Woodchucker, great story. I had a similar situation a couple of years ago with different results. After being busted by an alert hen I had a large gobbler extend his neck to view the landscape before departing. As he looked around I watched his head and decided that I would draw and shoot as soon as he turned his head away from me. Sure enough when he twisted his neck to look away I drew my Bob Lee recurve and released my Bear Razor tipped shaft. The arrow flew true directly toward his head and neck and promptly stuck in the ground some 18 yards away. The bird immediately flew and landed about 25 yards away with three of his buddies. As I watched the show, the birds circled, putting all the time, preparing to disappear into the Texas hillside. Low and behold as I watched, my bird hit the dirt. He tried to get up but could not. His buddies proceded to kick and peck at their fallen conrad until I climbed down from my treestand and headed their way. Upon inspection I found that I had bearly cut the throat of this unsuspecting gobbler. Actually I had cut the windpipe. There was hardly a scratch and very little blood. Back at camp I had great fun telling my hunting buddies how I had scared this poor bird to death. Like you, I was guilty of shooting where I was looking. By luck, I got my bird and you didn't but we both came away with great memories.  

[Golden Hawk]

sounds to me like another great life experience to add to the log book. you had a great day indeed. Next time you'll get em.

[joe skipp]

Hope you found the arrow Chuck...    

Now that I stopped making them you better tie a string to the nocks!  

[Ga.boy]

Great read Woodchucker. It doesn't get much more exciting than that. Just getting them into shooting range and remaining undetcted is quite an accomplishment. Getting the shot off without being busted is even harder to do. Especially without a blind! Next time I'll bet the outcome is different.

[swp]

Don't feel to bad I missed my share this year, but it was FUN!

[Huntrdfk]

Hey Chuck, sounds like a pretty good morning, how was the heart rate???  I'm with Joe, plus I know how you are with arrows.......but I know you found this one, sharpen that head back up and go back and get him!


David

[Stone Knife]

Cool story Chuck, I hope you get him next time.

[ishiwannabe]

Nice write up Chuck. I used to hunt down that way in Carmel, off of 301. Made it easy to picture it all.
Im hope ya pick a tiny feather next time. Good luck!

[woodchucker]

Thanks for all the great comments!!!!! Yes Joe,I DID find my arrow LOL    I STILL don't know how I managed to shoot at his noggin   :confused:

Well David.....Lets just say that my heart was poundin' about as fast as he was runnin'!!!!!  

I'm planning on heading back down there again saturday morning after work,(If I don't get a chance before   )

[LAR43]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHH! YEAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
   

Larry

[flinch]

I think you have got it right.  A head shot will mean no trailing and a dropped bird on the spot.  I prefer to hit them where the neck joins the body.  My friend likes to shoot them at the top of the drumsticks. He's killed a lot of them.