SEIowaDeerslayer
Well-Known Member
April 11th and 12th, 2011 were the two best days of turkey hunting in my life. I took off work Monday and Tuesday to try and fill my bow tags and only filled one of them, but had numerous opportunities to fill both (more to come). I had the pleasure of sharing the Double Bull with my wife this year. She wasn't hunting, just wanted to understand where my obsession comes from, and I think she got a very good understanding.
The 11th started off very early at 4am as my wife and I packed in the DB blind, chairs and decoys. We got setup on a beautiful ridge along a logging trail where traditionally early in the season the birds like to mingle. The high winds predicted by the weather man were non-existent, which brought a smile to my face.
As soon as the dark sky started to come to life with a little bit of light, the first gobbler sounded off about 100 yards away as I expected on a traditional roost site. As time progressed more and more started to wake up and within minutes the woods were alive with multiple gobbles. I knew it would be a good day regardless of the outcome. I let some soft tree yelps and clucks, getting immediate responses from the birds.
After about a half hour of tree talk, the birds decided to come down to earth to start their morning routine. By 6:45, two loud gobbles kept getting closer to our setup and I knew that I would have a chance. As their heads came into full view I came to full draw and anxiously watched them strut into my B-Mobile decoy. When the opportunity presented itself, excitement got the best of me, and I immediately knew when I released the bullhead tipped arrow that my shot was off, and I helplessly watched as my arrow narrowly missed the gobbler's head and skipped off the ground. The birds nervously went back down the ridge and started gobbling again. As I was kicking myself, my wife was right next to me shaking and whispering "Oh my gosh Brock, that was awesome, that was so awesome, oh my gosh..." I told myself to be patient, and after about 5 minutes I started my calling sequences again. After about 15 more minutes, a single strutter came in silently over the ridge and charged into my B-Mobile. I came to full draw, anchored, and got the exact same result as the first attempt. Right distance, just a hair to the right, and I saw yet another arrow kill nothing but dirt.
For the next 2 hours, the woods were silent. At about 10:30 we were both getting hungry so I said that we should sit until 11:00 and then we would go in for breakfast. Right after that I hit the slate call and there was a thundering gobble about 20 yards behind our blind. The strutter walked right beside our blind, spitting and drumming, about 5 feet from where my wife was sitting. She had a front row seat to one of the coolest shows on earth. As the gobbler came in front of the blind, I came to full draw and he didn't see something he liked and started to walk off. I rushed the shot and missed again. 3 whiffs in a row! I was sick, but my wife kept exclaiming how awesome it was. We ended up going back in for lunch and stayed in the rest of the day, but she kept saying how she couldn't wait to get back out the next morning.
Fast forward to the morning of the 12th. Same ridge top, we left the blind up with all of our gear in it all night, so we got to sleep in a little longer and have an easy walk to our setup, just had to set up the dekes. Same as the day before the early sunlight was welcomed with thunderous gobbles throughout the valley below us. I let some soft tree yelps and clucks on the mouth call, and then let the birds do their thing. Once they hit the ground I started in with the more aggressive calling and was disappointed when the gobbles trailed the other direction. Experience told me to be positive and call sparingly, so that's what I did. We sipped some coffee and I let some soft yelps every 10 minutes or so. Finally after about a half hour I got a response from 2 birds a LONG ways away. I followed up shortly after and they had gotten significantly closer. I told my wife they were coming in, so we just sat still and the gobblers just kept gobbling and making their way towards us. They actually showed up right behind the blind, and just like the day before they walked right past the blind and went up to B-Mobile. Everything went perfectly this time. I got a solid anchor, placed the pin on the lead strutter's head and made a clean release. I was welcomed with the sound of the bullhead making contact and my bird was on the ground. Unfortunately the other bird went running off so I didn't have a chance at double.
This is my heaviest bird to date, weighing in at 28 lbs 1 oz. Left spur was 1" and the right spur was 1 1/4". 9 1/2" beard. I think he's just a fat 2 year old. Anyways, that capped off the most action packed 2 days of turkey hunting I've ever had. I was glad my wife got to witness the kill and share the blind with me, she's already talking about getting a shotgun tag next year. I'll be out on Friday hunting at a different property trying to fill my 2nd tag. Enjoy the pics!
The blind...
The dekes...
The bird...
The wife with the bird...
SWEET VICTORY!
The 11th started off very early at 4am as my wife and I packed in the DB blind, chairs and decoys. We got setup on a beautiful ridge along a logging trail where traditionally early in the season the birds like to mingle. The high winds predicted by the weather man were non-existent, which brought a smile to my face.
As soon as the dark sky started to come to life with a little bit of light, the first gobbler sounded off about 100 yards away as I expected on a traditional roost site. As time progressed more and more started to wake up and within minutes the woods were alive with multiple gobbles. I knew it would be a good day regardless of the outcome. I let some soft tree yelps and clucks, getting immediate responses from the birds.
After about a half hour of tree talk, the birds decided to come down to earth to start their morning routine. By 6:45, two loud gobbles kept getting closer to our setup and I knew that I would have a chance. As their heads came into full view I came to full draw and anxiously watched them strut into my B-Mobile decoy. When the opportunity presented itself, excitement got the best of me, and I immediately knew when I released the bullhead tipped arrow that my shot was off, and I helplessly watched as my arrow narrowly missed the gobbler's head and skipped off the ground. The birds nervously went back down the ridge and started gobbling again. As I was kicking myself, my wife was right next to me shaking and whispering "Oh my gosh Brock, that was awesome, that was so awesome, oh my gosh..." I told myself to be patient, and after about 5 minutes I started my calling sequences again. After about 15 more minutes, a single strutter came in silently over the ridge and charged into my B-Mobile. I came to full draw, anchored, and got the exact same result as the first attempt. Right distance, just a hair to the right, and I saw yet another arrow kill nothing but dirt.
For the next 2 hours, the woods were silent. At about 10:30 we were both getting hungry so I said that we should sit until 11:00 and then we would go in for breakfast. Right after that I hit the slate call and there was a thundering gobble about 20 yards behind our blind. The strutter walked right beside our blind, spitting and drumming, about 5 feet from where my wife was sitting. She had a front row seat to one of the coolest shows on earth. As the gobbler came in front of the blind, I came to full draw and he didn't see something he liked and started to walk off. I rushed the shot and missed again. 3 whiffs in a row! I was sick, but my wife kept exclaiming how awesome it was. We ended up going back in for lunch and stayed in the rest of the day, but she kept saying how she couldn't wait to get back out the next morning.
Fast forward to the morning of the 12th. Same ridge top, we left the blind up with all of our gear in it all night, so we got to sleep in a little longer and have an easy walk to our setup, just had to set up the dekes. Same as the day before the early sunlight was welcomed with thunderous gobbles throughout the valley below us. I let some soft tree yelps and clucks on the mouth call, and then let the birds do their thing. Once they hit the ground I started in with the more aggressive calling and was disappointed when the gobbles trailed the other direction. Experience told me to be positive and call sparingly, so that's what I did. We sipped some coffee and I let some soft yelps every 10 minutes or so. Finally after about a half hour I got a response from 2 birds a LONG ways away. I followed up shortly after and they had gotten significantly closer. I told my wife they were coming in, so we just sat still and the gobblers just kept gobbling and making their way towards us. They actually showed up right behind the blind, and just like the day before they walked right past the blind and went up to B-Mobile. Everything went perfectly this time. I got a solid anchor, placed the pin on the lead strutter's head and made a clean release. I was welcomed with the sound of the bullhead making contact and my bird was on the ground. Unfortunately the other bird went running off so I didn't have a chance at double.
This is my heaviest bird to date, weighing in at 28 lbs 1 oz. Left spur was 1" and the right spur was 1 1/4". 9 1/2" beard. I think he's just a fat 2 year old. Anyways, that capped off the most action packed 2 days of turkey hunting I've ever had. I was glad my wife got to witness the kill and share the blind with me, she's already talking about getting a shotgun tag next year. I'll be out on Friday hunting at a different property trying to fill my 2nd tag. Enjoy the pics!
The blind...
The dekes...
The bird...
The wife with the bird...
SWEET VICTORY!
Seriously, great writeup and it had to be especially rewarding to have your wife experience it with you. Congrats!
