This hunt was from the weekend of April 26-27 but due to finals and work I am just now getting around to posting it.
After school on Thursday the 24, I headed home to San Antonio to visit the family and a few friends that I hadn’t seen since my last visit there during deer season. Saturday the 26th was my 21st birthday and I couldn’t think of a way I would rather spend it than getting away for a weekend down at the CDLC filling feeders and turkey hunting.
We arrived at the ranch Friday afternoon, immediately unloaded the truck, loaded up with corn, and headed out to fill feeders. I decided that instead of rushing around to get to hunt that evening I would just fill some feeders, set up my pop-up blinds and shed hunt a little. After getting 2 blinds set up, brushed in, filling more feeders, and finding a couple small sheds, I went back to camp to eat, shower, and try to get some sleep before the morning hunt.
We were awakened in the middle of the night by a big storm that blew through. The thunder was shaking the walls, the lightning lit up the room, and the rain was so loud on the roof it sounded like hail. So much for sleeping.
Unsure of the pasture conditions, and not wanting to tear up the roads, we elected to stay back at camp for the morning hunt until we could see everything in the daylight. After a quick breakfast we loaded up to go fill more feeders and check out how the ranch had fared in the storm. Of course, when we drove by one of my set-ups, it was raked over and tore up from the hogs that had been there that morning, and the other one also had hog and turkey tracks.
The day was spent filling feeders and trimming brush, and when it came time to hunt, I decided to go sit at #29, the blind that the turkeys had visited that morning. When I arrived at the field, the turkeys were already out there, but saw me and took off running in the opposite direction. Cursing my luck thus far today, I quickly grabbed my stuff and jumped into the blind.
No sooner did I have all everything organized and my camera gear out and set up that I looked up and saw a big red head bobbing around in the field about 80 yards away to my left. I looked at the turkey, then at my mouth calls that I hadn’t touched in over a year, then back at the bird, and thought I would just see what happened instead of attempting to call and sounding like a retarded, squeaking, dying turkey/rabbit and scaring him off.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw a hen moving from my right to left about 18 yards away, and my hopes quickly soared with my new live decoy. She didn’t hang around long though, and eventually walked out of sight. About 5 minutes later, I heard the putting and clucking and all kinds of noises turkeys make…headed in my direction.
It wasn’t long before a group of 10 hens began crossing in front of me, this time from left to right, with the big gobbler I had seen earlier bringing up the rear of the group. I turned on my camera, got my bow ready, and began anxiously waiting for him to give me a clear shot as they all milled around the field. Finally, the hens began to filter off and he separated from them, presenting me with a clear shot. I centered the camera on him and the Guardian came to full attention…..after hitting the top cam on the roof and hitting the back of the blind with my elbow. Drawing in the Double Bull T-2 is a circus. (It was borrowed from a friend for the weekend).
I checked the camera once more, but the turkey had taken a few more steps and was not in the picture anymore. Drawing the first time in that blind was hard enough, and with the turkeys working their way out of range, I made the executive decision to kill the bird. I anchored, found his hips, and hit the release.
The arrow passed through and was 10 yards on the other side of the gobbler before he knew what happened. The 2 blade razor sharp Magnus cut through him like the cliché “hot knife through butter.” I found him again in the viewfinder and watched him wobble his last few steps to his final resting place. It was over in about 4 seconds. His little flock of ladies didn’t seem to mind that I had robbed them of their big stud and they slowly fed off and exited the field.
I didn’t get out and go look at him until after dark, as I was hoping to meet up with some hogs. The pigs never showed, so at dark I went to check out the turkey. He ended up being a much bigger bird than I had originally thought, with a 10.5 inch beard and spurs that measured an inch and 3/8s. Talk about a birthday present! “The Birthday Bird” had a perfect fan, had all his feathers intact, was in great condition, and will be life-size mounted.
We waited until the next morning for better light to take the pictures, which is why they are in the daylight. Huge thanks to the Rothwell family for their continued generosity. Also want to thank Les Tompkins for driving me around, listening to my ideas all weekend, helping me take care of the bird properly, and taking the pictures. Thanks buddy!
The Set Up:
Pigs:
Spurs:
Weapons of Mass Destruction:
Finally....the LDP:
After school on Thursday the 24, I headed home to San Antonio to visit the family and a few friends that I hadn’t seen since my last visit there during deer season. Saturday the 26th was my 21st birthday and I couldn’t think of a way I would rather spend it than getting away for a weekend down at the CDLC filling feeders and turkey hunting.
We arrived at the ranch Friday afternoon, immediately unloaded the truck, loaded up with corn, and headed out to fill feeders. I decided that instead of rushing around to get to hunt that evening I would just fill some feeders, set up my pop-up blinds and shed hunt a little. After getting 2 blinds set up, brushed in, filling more feeders, and finding a couple small sheds, I went back to camp to eat, shower, and try to get some sleep before the morning hunt.
We were awakened in the middle of the night by a big storm that blew through. The thunder was shaking the walls, the lightning lit up the room, and the rain was so loud on the roof it sounded like hail. So much for sleeping.
Unsure of the pasture conditions, and not wanting to tear up the roads, we elected to stay back at camp for the morning hunt until we could see everything in the daylight. After a quick breakfast we loaded up to go fill more feeders and check out how the ranch had fared in the storm. Of course, when we drove by one of my set-ups, it was raked over and tore up from the hogs that had been there that morning, and the other one also had hog and turkey tracks.
The day was spent filling feeders and trimming brush, and when it came time to hunt, I decided to go sit at #29, the blind that the turkeys had visited that morning. When I arrived at the field, the turkeys were already out there, but saw me and took off running in the opposite direction. Cursing my luck thus far today, I quickly grabbed my stuff and jumped into the blind.
No sooner did I have all everything organized and my camera gear out and set up that I looked up and saw a big red head bobbing around in the field about 80 yards away to my left. I looked at the turkey, then at my mouth calls that I hadn’t touched in over a year, then back at the bird, and thought I would just see what happened instead of attempting to call and sounding like a retarded, squeaking, dying turkey/rabbit and scaring him off.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw a hen moving from my right to left about 18 yards away, and my hopes quickly soared with my new live decoy. She didn’t hang around long though, and eventually walked out of sight. About 5 minutes later, I heard the putting and clucking and all kinds of noises turkeys make…headed in my direction.
It wasn’t long before a group of 10 hens began crossing in front of me, this time from left to right, with the big gobbler I had seen earlier bringing up the rear of the group. I turned on my camera, got my bow ready, and began anxiously waiting for him to give me a clear shot as they all milled around the field. Finally, the hens began to filter off and he separated from them, presenting me with a clear shot. I centered the camera on him and the Guardian came to full attention…..after hitting the top cam on the roof and hitting the back of the blind with my elbow. Drawing in the Double Bull T-2 is a circus. (It was borrowed from a friend for the weekend).
I checked the camera once more, but the turkey had taken a few more steps and was not in the picture anymore. Drawing the first time in that blind was hard enough, and with the turkeys working their way out of range, I made the executive decision to kill the bird. I anchored, found his hips, and hit the release.
The arrow passed through and was 10 yards on the other side of the gobbler before he knew what happened. The 2 blade razor sharp Magnus cut through him like the cliché “hot knife through butter.” I found him again in the viewfinder and watched him wobble his last few steps to his final resting place. It was over in about 4 seconds. His little flock of ladies didn’t seem to mind that I had robbed them of their big stud and they slowly fed off and exited the field.
I didn’t get out and go look at him until after dark, as I was hoping to meet up with some hogs. The pigs never showed, so at dark I went to check out the turkey. He ended up being a much bigger bird than I had originally thought, with a 10.5 inch beard and spurs that measured an inch and 3/8s. Talk about a birthday present! “The Birthday Bird” had a perfect fan, had all his feathers intact, was in great condition, and will be life-size mounted.
We waited until the next morning for better light to take the pictures, which is why they are in the daylight. Huge thanks to the Rothwell family for their continued generosity. Also want to thank Les Tompkins for driving me around, listening to my ideas all weekend, helping me take care of the bird properly, and taking the pictures. Thanks buddy!
The Set Up:
Pigs:
Spurs:
Weapons of Mass Destruction:
Finally....the LDP:
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