Eclipse bird down

[Sixes]

After over 20 years of begging, the company I work for started letting us hunt the 1000 acres where I work, with one condition, archery tackle only. I've killed a lot of game with a bow and I have used a crossbow some over the last couple of years, so I thought using a crossbow wouldn't be that hard. I was badly mistaken, it's been very difficult over the last week+. I've hunted most of the mornings and a couple evenings and finally got lucky this afternoon on this one.

With the exception of this morning, the birds have been hammering every morning hard but after fly down, it's been tough getting the gobblers away from the hens. I've had several close calls with birds in easy shotgun range, but like I stated, a crossbow is much more difficult that I imagined.

The turkeys have been roosting around our lake and we have a road across the dam with about a 150 yard 4 foot high concrete wall and every morning after flydown, the 3 biggest gobblers have all been on the wall strutting, drumming and posing, while waiting on the hens.

Anyway, this morning, I went close to the lake and heard the fewest gobbles of the season and none of the birds fly down as normal, just one of those mornings without a lot of activity. I did see a pair of what I assume are 2 year olds, I've seen them 3 or 4 times and they never stop gobbling nor moving, I see them all over the property.

I went back this evening and made a couple of soft clucks and yelps a few times with nothing. At about 630, I called again a little louder and heard a gobble from a long ways behind me. I called again a few minutes later and heard another gobble a lot closer this time. a few minutes later, I heard the hard cluck and knew he was close.

I saw him coming down the hill beside me and the hen decoy that I was using immediately got his attention. He went into strut and finally twisted and turned his way down to me. I finally shot him at 20 yards and he jumped straight up and then walked about 25 yards and laid down and died.

I don't normally use a decoy but after a week of close calls and having to pick a place instead of moving around chasing the birds, I made the right choice to use one.

From looking on the net, I will never get to hunt a spring turkey on an eclipse day again.

[jdl80]

What a cool story! Congrats!

[WV Flopper]

 Looks like a heavy turkey, did you weigh him?

Nice hunt.

[Old Timer]

Nice story. Good job!

[Tnandy]

Thx for sharing. Bird well earned. Congratulations on a super bird too, that dude has got a rope. Like to know his measurements and weight. Can't wait til Saturday...

[Greg Massey]

congratulations on a fine gobbler..

[Turkeybutt]

Congratulations! Great story and a fine looking bird, thanks for sharing.

[Tom007]

Fine job,, congrats!!

[King Cobra]

Congratulations! beautiful bird, the Crossbow makes it even more special.

[JeffC]

Congratulations on your 1st with the bow!

[Muzzy61]

Congrats

[Sixes]

Looks like a heavy turkey, did you weigh him?

Nice hunt.

I did not weigh him.

That is something that I never even think about doing.

[3bailey3]

Congrats!

[CAPTJJ]

That's great.

[Wvgobbler]

Congratulations!!!