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My 2015 Tom

Bigslam51

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
25,778
127
Stark County
This year started like the last 2 years I've turkey hunted. I didn't scout much because I have limited acres to turkey hunt and very few properties with birds. The thursday before opening day I was at the taxi shop as usual before I go to work. A guy stopped in and my taxidermist introduced me to him as the guy that bought the 20 acres just up the gas line from where I hunt at my in-laws. He got to talking about turkeys and said he has never hunted them before and his son was wanting to go. He showed me pics of birds that he took from his back deck and one of them was strutting. In the last two years during spring time almost every time I looked up that gas line towards his place I would see at least one turkey feeding. So on Friday I drove out to his place and asked for permission, he gave me the OK as long as I promised to take his boy out, not a problem. I was in Guernsey Co. all weekend hunting with buck whisperer and his kids so I couldn't take his boy out for youth. I called him on my way back on sunday and asked if I could come out and set my blind up and he said sorry, but no, his buddy was out hunting with his son then he said good luck on opening day. I thought, great, now I have to go in the dark and set my blind up without knowing where if any turkeys are roosted nearby. My alarm goes off at 5:00am on monday and I'm out of the house by 5:30 and get to his place by 5:40. I have my backpack, blind, decoy bag, and bow to carry up a big ass hill on the gas line. I get my blind set up and my decoys out pretty fast and quiet and I'm settled in by 6:00. At 6:30 I hear a gobble and it sounds pretty close, then I hear a hen yelp. I make a couple soft tree yelps and the hen yelps again and louder than me, then he gobbles again. I shut up until they flew down, and they flew the wrong way. They flew down into the cut corn field on a property that don't allow hunting. I can hear him gobbling up a storm and a hen yelping so I yelp and do some cuts. At 8:00 he pretty much shut up so I stopped calling for a while. I looked at my phone and it was 8:20, then I peak out of the window and I see a group of 7-8 birds on the gas line in front of my in-laws woods. I then kicked myself in the ass for not being down there. I pull up my binos and see 6 red headed birds, a hen, and a strutter. I thought about trying to circle around them but I quickly shut down that idea because it would be too difficult with a bow, then I hear the hen yelping, so I yelped back. She yelped again and I cut her off and yelped louder. That really must of pissed her off because I looked through my binos and I see her hauling ass from 200 yards out and shes bringing 5-6 jakes with her. It took her ass about 1 minute to run up the gas line to find out what hen was talking shit. She comes 5 yards in front of my blind with all the jakes behind her, most of the jakes were only a few feet from me. I've never had turkeys that close before. All the while I can hear the big boy gobbling up the hill taking his good old time. While the hen and jakes are wondering around my decoy spread I peaked out of the side window and I see him coming. He stops about 50 yards out and struts in circles and he does this for about 3-4 minutes but it felt like forever. By this time the hen and jakes are passed my decoys and about 20 yards to my left. He starts moving my way again going in and out of full strut and I'm thinking he's going to come right to my hen and jake decoy. I was wrong, he went inside the treeline and around my decoys and met up with the rest of the birds. To say I thought I was screwed is putting it lightly. Those damn birds hung out inside the woods 30 yards away offering me no shot at all and I thought it was over. Just then, he turns and starts coming back through the woods the same way he came in, I looked ahead and found the trail he came in on and ranged it. The shot would be 30 yards, luckily he did what I thought he would. Once he stepped out of the woods he stopped slightly quartering to me and I let him have it. I saw the arrow hit and he dropped, then he took off running. I jumped up, unzipped my blind and took off after him. I got in the woods and saw blood all over the leaves then I look up only to see him take off flying and I about lost it. Turns out he didn't fly far and I saw him drop. I slowly walked up to him, put my hands on his back, and laid on him for about 3 minutes to make sure he wasn't taking off again. When I knew he was done I got up, turned him over and noticed his beard first, then I checked his spurs and about crapped my pants. I might not ever take a bird like this again, and to do it with my bow makes it that much more special. Sorry if I rambled a bit in my story, but I'm not that good at typing them out. I looked up the NWTF record book online and this bird would be 3rd, quite possibly 2nd in the state for a typical turkey taken with a bow. He was an old and wise Tom, but he wasn't wise enough on Monday morning. Once again, the woman got the man killed. Thanks for reading, and good luck in the turkey woods!
 

aholdren

Senior Member
Supporting Member
5,178
151
South East Ohio
This year started like the last 2 years I've turkey hunted. I didn't scout much because I have limited acres to turkey hunt and very few properties with birds. The thursday before opening day I was at the taxi shop as usual before I go to work. A guy stopped in and my taxidermist introduced me to him as the guy that bought the 20 acres just up the gas line from where I hunt at my in-laws. He got to talking about turkeys and said he has never hunted them before and his son was wanting to go. He showed me pics of birds that he took from his back deck and one of them was strutting. In the last two years during spring time almost every time I looked up that gas line towards his place I would see at least one turkey feeding. So on Friday I drove out to his place and asked for permission, he gave me the OK as long as I promised to take his boy out, not a problem. I was in Guernsey Co. all weekend hunting with buck whisperer and his kids so I couldn't take his boy out for youth. I called him on my way back on sunday and asked if I could come out and set my blind up and he said sorry, but no, his buddy was out hunting with his son then he said good luck on opening day. I thought, great, now I have to go in the dark and set my blind up without knowing where if any turkeys are roosted nearby. My alarm goes off at 5:00am on monday and I'm out of the house by 5:30 and get to his place by 5:40. I have my backpack, blind, decoy bag, and bow to carry up a big ass hill on the gas line. I get my blind set up and my decoys out pretty fast and quiet and I'm settled in by 6:00. At 6:30 I hear a gobble and it sounds pretty close, then I hear a hen yelp. I make a couple soft tree yelps and the hen yelps again and louder than me, then he gobbles again. I shut up until they flew down, and they flew the wrong way. They flew down into the cut corn field on a property that don't allow hunting. I can hear him gobbling up a storm and a hen yelping so I yelp and do some cuts. At 8:00 he pretty much shut up so I stopped calling for a while. I looked at my phone and it was 8:20, then I peak out of the window and I see a group of 7-8 birds on the gas line in front of my in-laws woods. I then kicked myself in the ass for not being down there. I pull up my binos and see 6 red headed birds, a hen, and a strutter. I thought about trying to circle around them but I quickly shut down that idea because it would be too difficult with a bow, then I hear the hen yelping, so I yelped back. She yelped again and I cut her off and yelped louder. That really must of pissed her off because I looked through my binos and I see her hauling ass from 200 yards out and shes bringing 5-6 jakes with her. It took her ass about 1 minute to run up the gas line to find out what hen was talking shit. She comes 5 yards in front of my blind with all the jakes behind her, most of the jakes were only a few feet from me. I've never had turkeys that close before. All the while I can hear the big boy gobbling up the hill taking his good old time. While the hen and jakes are wondering around my decoy spread I peaked out of the side window and I see him coming. He stops about 50 yards out and struts in circles and he does this for about 3-4 minutes but it felt like forever. By this time the hen and jakes are passed my decoys and about 20 yards to my left. He starts moving my way again going in and out of full strut and I'm thinking he's going to come right to my hen and jake decoy. I was wrong, he went inside the treeline and around my decoys and met up with the rest of the birds. To say I thought I was screwed is putting it lightly. Those damn birds hung out inside the woods 30 yards away offering me no shot at all and I thought it was over. Just then, he turns and starts coming back through the woods the same way he came in, I looked ahead and found the trail he came in on and ranged it. The shot would be 30 yards, luckily he did what I thought he would. Once he stepped out of the woods he stopped slightly quartering to me and I let him have it. I saw the arrow hit and he dropped, then he took off running. I jumped up, unzipped my blind and took off after him. I got in the woods and saw blood all over the leaves then I look up only to see him take off flying and I about lost it. Turns out he didn't fly far and I saw him drop. I slowly walked up to him, put my hands on his back, and laid on him for about 3 minutes to make sure he wasn't taking off again. When I knew he was done I got up, turned him over and noticed his beard first, then I checked his spurs and about crapped my pants. I might not ever take a bird like this again, and to do it with my bow makes it that much more special. Sorry if I rambled a bit in my story, but I'm not that good at typing them out. I looked up the NWTF record book online and this bird would be 3rd, quite possibly 2nd in the state for a typical turkey taken with a bow. He was an old and wise Tom, but he wasn't wise enough on Monday morning. Once again, the woman got the man killed. Thanks for reading, and good luck in the turkey woods!

Would like to see video of this, oh wait on second thought no I don't LOL. Was you talking shit in his ear while you were humping him,,,,!!!!! Next time grab his neck and spin him like a helicopter. Great hunt Chad and like I told you he is a trophy bird that you will hunt along time to top. That's one hunt you wont soon forget, Congrats buddy.