Liv4Rut
Active Member
Well guys this morning Zach (ZVHOLK) and I scored a double with our bows. The story starts yesterday evening when Zach located some birds on this public area that was primarily a marsh with no trees on it. There just happened to be about 50 trees in a pasture that bordered the Marsh. He watched them roost and the game was on.
We arrived super early this morning to 30 mph winds and rain. Just the kind of morning you dread but we knew at least there were birds there. We got all set up in the dark and I couldn't believe there would even be a bird here. There is nothing for miles but these 50 trees and the good thing was it was surrounded by tall grass except for the crop field Zach gained permission on the night before. As it started to get light I could see 10-12 birds up in the big oak trees in the pasture slightly above us. I have played this game before where the birds can see the decoys from the roost and they never come in but it was the only spot to sit.
After glassing the birds I finally located the strutter up in the tree at the end of the line farthest away from us so I was a little more confident. Finally a hen flew down in the field about 50 yards away but she didn't like what she was seeing. She started to walk back to fenceline where 5 more hens joined her. Finally two red heads come running up and chased the hens back in the field. They were both jakes. The jakes were committed to coming into my strutting 360 with a jake decoy on it. It was too windy to move the Pretty boy so we elected to use a jake. The boss was standing on the fence line heading away with 4 hens and at 5 yards Zach wanted to shoot a jake because he has been hunting hard and this is his first year. I thought what the heck, the gobbler is going away and I wouldn't mind shooting a jake if we could double up on them. Plus I wanted a jake tail fan.
I let Zach shoot first and he smoked his bird. Just as I was releasing, my bird jumped up in the air and I shot low. It was one of those deals where you saw the bird starting to move but you were already committed to squeezing the trigger. I looked at Zach's bird stumbling about 20 yards away and thought to myself, this could get real good real fast. I looked over and the boss was on a dead sprint to Zach's jake. I was scrambling for an arrow and when I finally got it knocked I looked out the window and there was the boss on top of Zach's jake with his wings fanned around it and he was pecking its head.
I couldn't shoot from where I was sitting so I dropped to my knees and lowered the window a little further while Zach moved my chair. I was just about to pull back and I thought, he isn't going anywhere so I mines well range him. I ranged him at 22 yards. I pulled back and settled the pin and was just about to let go when two hens walked in front of him. It felt like I held the bow forever when I finally touched one off. The arrow smacked him with a loud thump dead center. To my suprise, the boss didn't even flinch. He just sat there beating the crap out of the jake. Now I am scrambling for arrow number 2, I finally found one tipped with a buckblaster broadhead, pulled back and shot. That arrow flew horrendous wobbling left to right and dove about 2 yards in front of the bird. Now I am scrambling for arrow number 3. I grabbed arrow number 3 and the bird jumped off the jake and started walking and falling over. We thought he was done so Zach jumped out to go get him and he takes off running. We both were in pursuit and finally caught up to him in a multiflora rose bush. Zach drug him out and dropped him at my feet. That bird jumped back up and started running again. Now I am running as fast as I can behind but just can't quite catch him. Finally I leaped and dove on him and tackled him down to the ground. Needless to say that was a rush.
Here they are. Mine was a 2 yeard old 17.5lbs , 9 1/4 inch beard and 1/2 inch spurs. Zachs was a jake. It was the coolest hunt I have ever been on since I shot him when he was mounting the jake and pecking its head. Plus it was a double with the bows. Thanks again Zach!! :way:
:way:
We arrived super early this morning to 30 mph winds and rain. Just the kind of morning you dread but we knew at least there were birds there. We got all set up in the dark and I couldn't believe there would even be a bird here. There is nothing for miles but these 50 trees and the good thing was it was surrounded by tall grass except for the crop field Zach gained permission on the night before. As it started to get light I could see 10-12 birds up in the big oak trees in the pasture slightly above us. I have played this game before where the birds can see the decoys from the roost and they never come in but it was the only spot to sit.
After glassing the birds I finally located the strutter up in the tree at the end of the line farthest away from us so I was a little more confident. Finally a hen flew down in the field about 50 yards away but she didn't like what she was seeing. She started to walk back to fenceline where 5 more hens joined her. Finally two red heads come running up and chased the hens back in the field. They were both jakes. The jakes were committed to coming into my strutting 360 with a jake decoy on it. It was too windy to move the Pretty boy so we elected to use a jake. The boss was standing on the fence line heading away with 4 hens and at 5 yards Zach wanted to shoot a jake because he has been hunting hard and this is his first year. I thought what the heck, the gobbler is going away and I wouldn't mind shooting a jake if we could double up on them. Plus I wanted a jake tail fan.
I let Zach shoot first and he smoked his bird. Just as I was releasing, my bird jumped up in the air and I shot low. It was one of those deals where you saw the bird starting to move but you were already committed to squeezing the trigger. I looked at Zach's bird stumbling about 20 yards away and thought to myself, this could get real good real fast. I looked over and the boss was on a dead sprint to Zach's jake. I was scrambling for an arrow and when I finally got it knocked I looked out the window and there was the boss on top of Zach's jake with his wings fanned around it and he was pecking its head.
I couldn't shoot from where I was sitting so I dropped to my knees and lowered the window a little further while Zach moved my chair. I was just about to pull back and I thought, he isn't going anywhere so I mines well range him. I ranged him at 22 yards. I pulled back and settled the pin and was just about to let go when two hens walked in front of him. It felt like I held the bow forever when I finally touched one off. The arrow smacked him with a loud thump dead center. To my suprise, the boss didn't even flinch. He just sat there beating the crap out of the jake. Now I am scrambling for arrow number 2, I finally found one tipped with a buckblaster broadhead, pulled back and shot. That arrow flew horrendous wobbling left to right and dove about 2 yards in front of the bird. Now I am scrambling for arrow number 3. I grabbed arrow number 3 and the bird jumped off the jake and started walking and falling over. We thought he was done so Zach jumped out to go get him and he takes off running. We both were in pursuit and finally caught up to him in a multiflora rose bush. Zach drug him out and dropped him at my feet. That bird jumped back up and started running again. Now I am running as fast as I can behind but just can't quite catch him. Finally I leaped and dove on him and tackled him down to the ground. Needless to say that was a rush.
Here they are. Mine was a 2 yeard old 17.5lbs , 9 1/4 inch beard and 1/2 inch spurs. Zachs was a jake. It was the coolest hunt I have ever been on since I shot him when he was mounting the jake and pecking its head. Plus it was a double with the bows. Thanks again Zach!! :way:
:way:
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. I will be a turkey hunter for life, thanks mike :drink1:
