Brez
04-18-2016, 08:31 AM
Ok, so a couple of days before opening, I took the dog and went scouting. The flocks (or whatever a group of turkeys are called) seemed to have dispersed. Where there were "flocks" of 30 to 80, there were half a dozen or so at best. It took a fair bit of walking but we found 3 good toms during our 10 km walk. I managed, by making my dog sit still, to get within a few feet of one tom but forgot to take any photos. On the walk back to the truck, we came across and treed a young sow bear and her cub. http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb395/Brez2/DSC02549%202.jpg
http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb395/Brez2/DSC02549%202.jpg (http://s1203.photobucket.com/user/Brez2/media/DSC02549%202.jpg.html)http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb395/Brez2/DSC02547%202_1.jpg (http://s1203.photobucket.com/user/Brez2/media/DSC02547%202_1.jpg.html)
http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb395/Brez2/DSC02547%202_1.jpg
The place was promising enough, considering that I figured all of the more mature toms had the receptive hens tucked away till they had their way with them, that I figured to set up a blind and hunt there opening day.
Well lo and behold, either the alarm malfunctioned or I slept right through it. I awoke an hour late and scrambled to get to my blind which was a half hour from home.
Nothing! At five to seven, I swallowed the last of my coffee and was about to head out to still hunt when I looked up to see two toms and three hens headed my way. One was a beaut and the hens were obviously his and the other was a satellite. I set my goal on the "herd" tom. The satellite (no slouch) came within 10 meters of me and I passed on the shot. then they all headed off in search of god-knows-what. When they all were well out of range (60 - 80 meters), a couple of jakes suddenly appeared and ran in to feed in front of me. This attracted all of the other turkeys back. I could not believe my luck when the big tom strutted up to less than 10 meters away to defend his harem.
I will tell you that I have killed many animals with my compound bows but this was just like the first time again and I was very unsure of my ability to cleanly take an animal with my recurve. Oh, and turkey fever hit me, big time.
Well I drew back well enough but plucked the string and sent the arrow over top of him. Of course, they all ran away into the brush. I could hear them 30 or 40 meters away and called like mad.
To my surprise the two jakes came back and I thought to myself that beggars cannot be choosers and I would be thrilled with any tom turkey. This time when I drew and released, I made no mistake on the jake which was almost exactly where the tom had been.
The arrow flattened him immediately. He just lay there with his head up for a few minutes. I figured he was done for and thought that even if he tried to get away, I'd be able to run him down. WRONG!
The second I left my blind, he flapped and flopped till he reached the edge of a couple hundred foot high bank and launched into the air and took off towards the Columbia River. Cursing like a mad sailor, I ran back and got my pack and headed after him, figuring that he was seriously wounded and would glide in a straight line as far as he could. Half an hour later, and just a few yards from the water, I just about turned to search back but decided to follow through with my initial plan to go right to the waters' edge. No more than 3 or 4 steps later I found him where he landed.
http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb395/Brez2/DSC02567%202.jpg (http://s1203.photobucket.com/user/Brez2/media/DSC02567%202.jpg.html)
I cannot tell you the relief and satisfaction I felt.
The jake was broad side when I released the arrow, but he must have moved and the arrow entered his thigh, severing the bone, and continued through to the breast. I've said it many times but it bears repeating that they are a very tough bird.
I apologized to the bird for a less than perfect kill and gave thanks as well for the final ending.
Well, that's my story....not pretty, but always a learning experience.
The thought of putting another arrow into it had not entered my mind.
http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb395/Brez2/DSC02549%202.jpg (http://s1203.photobucket.com/user/Brez2/media/DSC02549%202.jpg.html)http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb395/Brez2/DSC02547%202_1.jpg (http://s1203.photobucket.com/user/Brez2/media/DSC02547%202_1.jpg.html)
http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb395/Brez2/DSC02547%202_1.jpg
The place was promising enough, considering that I figured all of the more mature toms had the receptive hens tucked away till they had their way with them, that I figured to set up a blind and hunt there opening day.
Well lo and behold, either the alarm malfunctioned or I slept right through it. I awoke an hour late and scrambled to get to my blind which was a half hour from home.
Nothing! At five to seven, I swallowed the last of my coffee and was about to head out to still hunt when I looked up to see two toms and three hens headed my way. One was a beaut and the hens were obviously his and the other was a satellite. I set my goal on the "herd" tom. The satellite (no slouch) came within 10 meters of me and I passed on the shot. then they all headed off in search of god-knows-what. When they all were well out of range (60 - 80 meters), a couple of jakes suddenly appeared and ran in to feed in front of me. This attracted all of the other turkeys back. I could not believe my luck when the big tom strutted up to less than 10 meters away to defend his harem.
I will tell you that I have killed many animals with my compound bows but this was just like the first time again and I was very unsure of my ability to cleanly take an animal with my recurve. Oh, and turkey fever hit me, big time.
Well I drew back well enough but plucked the string and sent the arrow over top of him. Of course, they all ran away into the brush. I could hear them 30 or 40 meters away and called like mad.
To my surprise the two jakes came back and I thought to myself that beggars cannot be choosers and I would be thrilled with any tom turkey. This time when I drew and released, I made no mistake on the jake which was almost exactly where the tom had been.
The arrow flattened him immediately. He just lay there with his head up for a few minutes. I figured he was done for and thought that even if he tried to get away, I'd be able to run him down. WRONG!
The second I left my blind, he flapped and flopped till he reached the edge of a couple hundred foot high bank and launched into the air and took off towards the Columbia River. Cursing like a mad sailor, I ran back and got my pack and headed after him, figuring that he was seriously wounded and would glide in a straight line as far as he could. Half an hour later, and just a few yards from the water, I just about turned to search back but decided to follow through with my initial plan to go right to the waters' edge. No more than 3 or 4 steps later I found him where he landed.
http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb395/Brez2/DSC02567%202.jpg (http://s1203.photobucket.com/user/Brez2/media/DSC02567%202.jpg.html)
I cannot tell you the relief and satisfaction I felt.
The jake was broad side when I released the arrow, but he must have moved and the arrow entered his thigh, severing the bone, and continued through to the breast. I've said it many times but it bears repeating that they are a very tough bird.
I apologized to the bird for a less than perfect kill and gave thanks as well for the final ending.
Well, that's my story....not pretty, but always a learning experience.
The thought of putting another arrow into it had not entered my mind.