MO-Antlertips
Member
Once again, the Lord and Nebraska have been good to me...
Trpr. and I hunted in our usual "honey hole" and I had the good fortune to bring one home. We both spent several hours in the blind, and finally on our last day, around 10ish in the morning, the predictable birds did what they usually do.
Several gobbles were heard both days, however, we set up somewhat closer to the roost site on day two, and around 0945ish I stepped out of the blind to get rid of some coffee and gave some loud "box call love" only to hear an immediate response from around 100 yards east of the blind.
Fast forward 10-15 minutes, and the spitting, drumming, and strutting two figures of two adult birds came into our view out in a pasture around 70 yards out. The birds had skirted us, making a circle and coming out without us having seeing them. Some soft calls on a slate call again got their attention, and the red heads came up and we watched as they obviously saw the DS half-strut jake and upright hen. It was on...
As the birds strutted in, we whispered back and forth on how we were going to pull this off. I was seated to Trpr's right, and I told him I would shoot the right bird, he was to shoot the one on the left. Well, in theory it sounded good...
Finally, at around 15ish yards, with the birds off to our right (north) we both drew. Inside of ten, they locked up and began to get "buggary". We've all seen it, recognizing something about their demeanor that indicates, "Oops, maybe somethin' ain't right!" Well, between fatigue for having been at full draw for what seemed like several minutes and watching the birds suddenly act like they are about to spook, I put the top pin on the wingbutt on the bird on the right as he was in full strut...."WHACK!"
Both birds immediatley reacted, one with fletching sticking from his side. Trpr. was unable to get a shot off, and his bird was now standing over my bird, around 60 yards straight west of our blind in the pasture. After a couple of seconds, both birds got up again, however, one was having great difficulty taking flight. He went down after a short distance and was recovered moments later.
Here's my bird, the one that "got away", the view from the blind of DS decoys, and lastly, as Paul Harvey would say, "The rest of the story..."
I accidentally whacked the side of Trpr's blind! Oops! Not only did the 100 grain Montec piloting the Carbon Express shoot through the side of the blind, I somehow managed to shoot the DB interior support strap AND knicked the support pole and still managed to get the arrow out and somewhat close to the target.
Oh, 21 pounds, 7/8 spurs, 8.5 inch beard. Most likely a 2 year old hybrid...
Thanks, Trpr., once again it was a blast. Let's do it again next year and I'll try harder to not destroy your stuff!
Lastly, what's a die-hard Mizzou fan wearing an Iowa Hawkeye cap in this picture you ask? Well, it has a little something to do with losing a bet on a certain bowl game played last January, where the loser had to wear the opposing team's hat in a turkey harvest picture. Hope you like the cap, Limb!
MO
Trpr. and I hunted in our usual "honey hole" and I had the good fortune to bring one home. We both spent several hours in the blind, and finally on our last day, around 10ish in the morning, the predictable birds did what they usually do.
Several gobbles were heard both days, however, we set up somewhat closer to the roost site on day two, and around 0945ish I stepped out of the blind to get rid of some coffee and gave some loud "box call love" only to hear an immediate response from around 100 yards east of the blind.
Fast forward 10-15 minutes, and the spitting, drumming, and strutting two figures of two adult birds came into our view out in a pasture around 70 yards out. The birds had skirted us, making a circle and coming out without us having seeing them. Some soft calls on a slate call again got their attention, and the red heads came up and we watched as they obviously saw the DS half-strut jake and upright hen. It was on...
As the birds strutted in, we whispered back and forth on how we were going to pull this off. I was seated to Trpr's right, and I told him I would shoot the right bird, he was to shoot the one on the left. Well, in theory it sounded good...
Finally, at around 15ish yards, with the birds off to our right (north) we both drew. Inside of ten, they locked up and began to get "buggary". We've all seen it, recognizing something about their demeanor that indicates, "Oops, maybe somethin' ain't right!" Well, between fatigue for having been at full draw for what seemed like several minutes and watching the birds suddenly act like they are about to spook, I put the top pin on the wingbutt on the bird on the right as he was in full strut...."WHACK!"
Both birds immediatley reacted, one with fletching sticking from his side. Trpr. was unable to get a shot off, and his bird was now standing over my bird, around 60 yards straight west of our blind in the pasture. After a couple of seconds, both birds got up again, however, one was having great difficulty taking flight. He went down after a short distance and was recovered moments later.
Here's my bird, the one that "got away", the view from the blind of DS decoys, and lastly, as Paul Harvey would say, "The rest of the story..."
I accidentally whacked the side of Trpr's blind! Oops! Not only did the 100 grain Montec piloting the Carbon Express shoot through the side of the blind, I somehow managed to shoot the DB interior support strap AND knicked the support pole and still managed to get the arrow out and somewhat close to the target.
Oh, 21 pounds, 7/8 spurs, 8.5 inch beard. Most likely a 2 year old hybrid...
Thanks, Trpr., once again it was a blast. Let's do it again next year and I'll try harder to not destroy your stuff!
Lastly, what's a die-hard Mizzou fan wearing an Iowa Hawkeye cap in this picture you ask? Well, it has a little something to do with losing a bet on a certain bowl game played last January, where the loser had to wear the opposing team's hat in a turkey harvest picture. Hope you like the cap, Limb!
MO
