A Couple Merriam's... and a Rio (added)

[PharmHunter]

That's all kinds of awesome!

[eggshell]

Way back when I bow hunted I hunted with a bear Kodiak at 48# and 52 inches........I couldn't even pull and hold it today LOL. I have shot turkeys with a crossbow, but that's it.

Well done sir

[ILHUNTER]

Congrats on 2 awesome birds with the recurve.

[kyturkeyhunter4]

Congrats! Those are two nice gobblers with a recurve

[CAPTJJ]

Thanks all. Put down a nice Rio yesterday evening for the KS opener.

[Wrangler95]

 

[Improvinghunter101]

Congratulations!  That is one heck of an achievement!

[Gobble!]

Awesome stuff! congrats.

[LI Outdoorsman]

beautiful bird congrats

[CAPTJJ]

Hit a WIHA in KS for the opening morning and called in 5 jakes, moved to different one for the afternoon and was able to arrow another nice tom at 6:25pm: 21.5lbs, 8 1/2 beard and 1" spurs. Most exciting turkey I have experienced, will give more details when I get a chance.

[POk3s]

Some serious skill! You are a machine! Awesome job

[tomstopper]

Impressive with traditional archery equipment. Congrats

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[CAPTJJ]

OK, so finally remembered to recap the opening day hunt in KS. Started out up the road where I had seen the birds in the cut corn when I had scouted on my way through to the hotel. Heard a bunch of gobbles early, they flew down into the field next door, can't hunt there. Kept calling on occasion and had multiple gobbles coming from across the road around 10am, five jakes soon showed up and circled around the decoys, got to within 15yds but I wasn't shooting anyway. Stayed till 1 pm then packed up and took a ride, checking some nearby walk-in spots.

Didn't see much activity, so at 4pm I headed to the spot I took my last Rio in 2015, on the same day 4/9. Wasn't sure where I would be able to set up here but got lucky when I found a couple brush piles in good spots and had made a couple hides during a quick scouting trip; also saw some scratching nearby. Heading down I heard a hen yelping pretty good just to the north, got to the bottom and 2 deer ran off and the yelping stopped, was pretty sure the birds never saw me. I called occasionally, and around 6pm I heard some light hen yelps, then spotted several fans up on the ridge where I had walked down 2 hours prior.



I could see at least 4 fans, and counted 4 hens feeding down along the cedars, plus other birds nearby. I clucked and purred, the hens headed my way, I hoped they would come around the brush pile and bring the toms along... they decided to come right to me. I had turned to look and was stuck with my fully turned neck starting to hurt. Forced myself not to move as the lead hen was inside 10 yds, then they turned back and fed under the cedars and across the dry creek. By now I had counted 8 toms with 4 hens, 4 were with the hens, and the 4 that had been struttting up on the hill were now down on the flat 30 yds behind me strutting, spitting and drumming. One tom had a noticeably white head, and he started masterbating; then did it again about 10 minutes later on a piece of wood.

The hens were now feeding on the flat across the dry creek, a young tom had come over and was eyeing my decoys from 30 yds away. Then a second tom with a nice thick beard noticed the dekes and soon headed over... all alone, too, ahead of the other birds. He strutted up to my jake, turned away and I raised the bow and started to draw. He continued to turn and I took aim on the opposite side, as he turned almost broadside I released, he tried to fly but only made it about 25 yds. Then things got exciting, the 4 strutters saw him and came right over, the lead tom went right for the downed bird, the other 3 stayed with my decoys, strutting, gobbling, knocking my jake over. They wouldn't leave as I was snapping pictures, they were in a frenzy and didn't seem to care about me. Then they would head to the downed bird, then back, over and over.







4th tom was on the dead tom for a while, the others finally went over.




Thanks guys, NY season starts tomorrow so I will be back at them after a break.

[tomstopper]

Congrats. Be back to NY on the 4th to try and get one or two as well

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[Gooserbat]

Okay, you just woke the "You d Man award". Congratulations.