Hill Country Hunter
Well-Known Member
I was on the way to my tree on a WMA when I came over a rise and saw a flock of turkeys about 50 yards off. I ducked quickly, but they had picked up my movement and started putting and moving away. I crouched below the rise and moved into a mown strip that I could move down without being seen. I pulled a raspy hen diaphram from my pack and yelped at them several times and purred, and they seemed to calm down a little. I really have no idea how to hunt fall turkeys, so I was making it up as I went.
Crouching low in the mown strip, I quick-stepped forward about 25 yards until I thought they should be in range. I nocked an arrow, held my DXT sideways to draw, then raised it upright as I lifted my head above the grass/weeds. The birds had moved away from me while I was hidden, though, so they were not at 25-30 yards as I had hoped. As I came on target, my gut said to go with the 40 yard pin. They were all facing way from me,so I settled the pin on the back of the closest hen and squeezed the release. At the "thwunk" of the bow, she took a hopping leap and a couple steps forward and I thought the arrow was going under her until she did a cartwheel and came up flapping. I got a new arrow ready, but she flopped back down and was still after several seconds. The NAP Spitire worked perfectly in the fethers, cutting all the way out the far side but preventing a complete passthrough.
After filling out the temporary kill tag, I went on to my tree and climbed in. I had gotten too sweaty crawling around and chasing the turkey, then rushing to my stand, though, and the wind was not where I expected it to be. I got busted by a whole herd of deer downwind of me about 20 minutes before sunset, then had another hunter come through 30 minutes later. But the herd confirmed how the deer are using the food source and cover, so I will be on them next time. All in all, a successful hunt, in my opinion.
My first fall turkey, and first one ever with a bow:
Crouching low in the mown strip, I quick-stepped forward about 25 yards until I thought they should be in range. I nocked an arrow, held my DXT sideways to draw, then raised it upright as I lifted my head above the grass/weeds. The birds had moved away from me while I was hidden, though, so they were not at 25-30 yards as I had hoped. As I came on target, my gut said to go with the 40 yard pin. They were all facing way from me,so I settled the pin on the back of the closest hen and squeezed the release. At the "thwunk" of the bow, she took a hopping leap and a couple steps forward and I thought the arrow was going under her until she did a cartwheel and came up flapping. I got a new arrow ready, but she flopped back down and was still after several seconds. The NAP Spitire worked perfectly in the fethers, cutting all the way out the far side but preventing a complete passthrough.
After filling out the temporary kill tag, I went on to my tree and climbed in. I had gotten too sweaty crawling around and chasing the turkey, then rushing to my stand, though, and the wind was not where I expected it to be. I got busted by a whole herd of deer downwind of me about 20 minutes before sunset, then had another hunter come through 30 minutes later. But the herd confirmed how the deer are using the food source and cover, so I will be on them next time. All in all, a successful hunt, in my opinion.
My first fall turkey, and first one ever with a bow:
