This year has been an unusual spring for me. I had shoulder surgery in Jan. and couldn't pull my bow when season rolled around so I borrowed a crossbow and got a temp permit to use it. After shooting it a little I was not impressed with the accuracy of it and wished I could use my bow, but made the most of it. I figured that I would need to get them in close to make it feel like I was archery hunting and the confidence I had in it. I had several birds in gun range 35-50yds, outside of my comfort zone with the Xbow. Finally the Saturday of 2nd season I had a bird that I was after last year show up and come in to 15yds and I didn't drop him in his tracks. He flew off to a brush pile and tumbled and landed and managed to make it into the tangled mess. I figured I would wait him out and recover him later only to have 2 coyotes come thru the field and head right to the brush pile not long after I shot him. After I waited for the other birds to leave the field and I went to the brush pile and started looking and only found a lot of feathers. I was a little mad at this time that my tom was either ran off or drug off by the yotes. After a couple of hours of searching I gave up. The next day I tried for a head shot on a bird that would only come to about 35yds from the blind or decoys and just missed his neck. I was getting a little irritated of the birds that would skirt my setups just out of my range. I had this 1 tom I call Ole Raspy since he sounds real deep and gravely and can be picked out rather easy from the rest. He gave me the slip a number of times and I bought a 4th season tag, which I haven't for atleast 10yrs now and carried my old 870. When I had him come in and start to walk away I put the Xbow down and picked up the shotgun and dropped him. He weighed21#6oz 1 5/16" & 1 3/8" and 11.5" beard. I did have a close encounter with a badger at about 5ft and I did win, but all the commotion wrecked my hunt. I ended up shooting a tom after I discovered that the scope mount was loose and I got it zeroed in. He weighed 18.75# 11.5" 1 3/16" spurs on the last morning with the Xbow.
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