Crimson Arrows
Well-Known Member
Well, my buddy and I headed for a quick Nebraska hunt on Saturday night with plans to hunt Sunday. We both had to work back here early Tuesday so it was going to be a quick hunt. Early Sunday morning he harvested his very first Merriams, a jake that worked its way into the deeks. I was as excited as if I shot one and we decided to try to hunt all day and see what happened. I had a couple other set ups with no success and then late in the afternoon we saw a group of gobblers and hens in the distance. We circled around them and asked permission with the landowner if we could hunt. He said he didn’t care and off we went.
I was dead tired after working all day Saturday, driving 8 hours and then getting three hours of shut eye. I have been chasing birds hard in Iowa and was actually looking at my back pack as a pretty nice pillow. We called together, him cutting, me yelping and cutting. No answer. For those who bowhunt these critters you know that it takes some effort to haul a blind, decoys, bow, stool etc, set up and then break down again. We decided to let them have it again and we finally talked one into a solo gobble. We decided to shut up then after we knew they heard us, and the wait began.
The whispering began and the, “man I’m glad you got your first Merriams, the hunting is tough this year etc” when I looked up and saw 2 hens coming down the lane. Now, I hadn’t used pretty boy in the morning but we decided to this time and what was about to happen is something I can almost guarantee will never happen to me again. I said,” don’t move, hens coming and I bet the gobs are behind them.” No sooner had a said that than they hammered RIGHT NEXT TO THE BLIND!!!! They had snuck in behind us and left their hens.
We both froze as three longbeards cam crashing in to let this “Eastern” gobbler know he wasn’t welcome. As they began thrashing PB I came to full draw and dropped the first. The other two began thrashing their former friend as my buddy drew and dropped the 4 beared monster. Then I knocked another arrow as in Nebraska we can kill two birds, and waited at full draw patiently until the last gobbler, now in half strut and alternating between flogging his two buddies and PB circled around. It must have been pecking order heaven for him! I hate the frontal shot and waited until his drum stick pocket opened up and pin wheeled him. He did a back flip and lay stone dead. There were feathers EVERYWHERE and we were speechless as all of that happened in about 2 minutes. Then..the first bird stood up !!!!
I tried to knock another but he was taking off and then took flight. I busted out of the blind and crashed through the cedars to an empty field. Luckily, Adam was glassing the field from a hill top and saw this turkey land in the Pasteur. We located the gobbler and I was stressed out. I knew if he made it this far he could fly again and the bluff in front of us made me nervous knowing if he made it I was out of luck. I snuck to 40 yards, then 25 and could just see what appeared to be a small garbage bag in the field. I decided to try the shot. The weeds were in front of him but I had no choice and I knew I just had to get one more in him and chase him down. The shot hit the wing butt and like I have said before…BOUNCED OFF!! It sliced the skin but he took off again although I knew he was in bad shape. I dropped my bow and took off running as fast as I could but knowing I had no chance.
Then I saw him. Adams giant Labrador came blowing past me like a gust of wind and the distance between him and the gobbler, flying 3 feet of the ground, shortened. They both disappeared over the hill and as I FINALLY made it there, Drenched in sweat and sucking wind, Hoakie crested the ridge, not dragging the turkey, but having him in his mouth like a rooster pheasant. I don’t think I have ever loved a dog more and couldn’t believe what had just happened. 3 birds in less than two minutes, our first out of state hunt together, a wild chase and a cardio session left me just shaking my head. You gotta love bowhunting
I was dead tired after working all day Saturday, driving 8 hours and then getting three hours of shut eye. I have been chasing birds hard in Iowa and was actually looking at my back pack as a pretty nice pillow. We called together, him cutting, me yelping and cutting. No answer. For those who bowhunt these critters you know that it takes some effort to haul a blind, decoys, bow, stool etc, set up and then break down again. We decided to let them have it again and we finally talked one into a solo gobble. We decided to shut up then after we knew they heard us, and the wait began.
The whispering began and the, “man I’m glad you got your first Merriams, the hunting is tough this year etc” when I looked up and saw 2 hens coming down the lane. Now, I hadn’t used pretty boy in the morning but we decided to this time and what was about to happen is something I can almost guarantee will never happen to me again. I said,” don’t move, hens coming and I bet the gobs are behind them.” No sooner had a said that than they hammered RIGHT NEXT TO THE BLIND!!!! They had snuck in behind us and left their hens.
We both froze as three longbeards cam crashing in to let this “Eastern” gobbler know he wasn’t welcome. As they began thrashing PB I came to full draw and dropped the first. The other two began thrashing their former friend as my buddy drew and dropped the 4 beared monster. Then I knocked another arrow as in Nebraska we can kill two birds, and waited at full draw patiently until the last gobbler, now in half strut and alternating between flogging his two buddies and PB circled around. It must have been pecking order heaven for him! I hate the frontal shot and waited until his drum stick pocket opened up and pin wheeled him. He did a back flip and lay stone dead. There were feathers EVERYWHERE and we were speechless as all of that happened in about 2 minutes. Then..the first bird stood up !!!!
I tried to knock another but he was taking off and then took flight. I busted out of the blind and crashed through the cedars to an empty field. Luckily, Adam was glassing the field from a hill top and saw this turkey land in the Pasteur. We located the gobbler and I was stressed out. I knew if he made it this far he could fly again and the bluff in front of us made me nervous knowing if he made it I was out of luck. I snuck to 40 yards, then 25 and could just see what appeared to be a small garbage bag in the field. I decided to try the shot. The weeds were in front of him but I had no choice and I knew I just had to get one more in him and chase him down. The shot hit the wing butt and like I have said before…BOUNCED OFF!! It sliced the skin but he took off again although I knew he was in bad shape. I dropped my bow and took off running as fast as I could but knowing I had no chance.
Then I saw him. Adams giant Labrador came blowing past me like a gust of wind and the distance between him and the gobbler, flying 3 feet of the ground, shortened. They both disappeared over the hill and as I FINALLY made it there, Drenched in sweat and sucking wind, Hoakie crested the ridge, not dragging the turkey, but having him in his mouth like a rooster pheasant. I don’t think I have ever loved a dog more and couldn’t believe what had just happened. 3 birds in less than two minutes, our first out of state hunt together, a wild chase and a cardio session left me just shaking my head. You gotta love bowhunting
