Author Topic: 2016 Turkey Season  (Read 6308 times)

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Offline RyanR

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2016 Turkey Season
« on: May 11, 2016, 08:43:07 pm »
I decided to hunt turkeys with a selfbow this year after not hunting them in several years.  I had several running around my neighborhood and in the woods across the road so I figured I may have a chance. The stipulations I put on the hunt were a selfbow (of course) and no camo or blind. I didnt get to go out until the 3rd day of season so after work that day I got my chores done and hurried out.  I put my decoy out and hunkered down between two small pine trees.  The second time I hit my call, I got a response.  Shortly after I heard one walking very close to me.  When it stepped out it looked small but I could see about 2 inches of beard sticking out.  Good enough for me. At 15 yards I came to full draw. It turned and started walking away. For some reason I decided to let my draw down instead of shooting.(not sure why)  It turned at 20 yards and I drew and shot and watched the arrow sail over its back. The turkey ran off.  While retrieving my arrow from an oak sapling, I noticed a wing feather that was sliced off.  (My Trophy) :) I hunted the rest of the season with no other shots.  I did have a close call with a real nice one but it was slightly out of my range and there were trees between us.  I have attached a picture of my bow I hunted with and my 'Trophy Feather'.

Offline Danzn Bar

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Re: 2016 Turkey Season
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2016, 09:15:03 pm »
Way to go Ryan.................Much closer than I have ever been..
DBar
Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is looking

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: 2016 Turkey Season
« Reply #2 on: May 12, 2016, 07:16:38 am »
Nice story RyGuy. There is something to be said about making a plan and sticking to it. Successful or not.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline Blackcoyote

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Re: 2016 Turkey Season
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2016, 08:08:10 am »
good luck Ryan..hang in there I've killed 4 or 5 turkeys with my glass bow, no blind, just run and call style. Usually the jakes will hang and give you the best shot. Use the biggest widest broadhead you can shoot (I used 3 blade 190 snuffers) and be ready to chase them down after the shot unless you want to use a string tracker.
 
Drew - St. Johns, Michigan

Offline nclonghunter

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Re: 2016 Turkey Season
« Reply #4 on: May 12, 2016, 08:10:13 am »
Great story...the shot is the exciting part but now you can stick a feather in your cap..:-)
There are no bad knappers, only bad flakes

Offline mullet

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Re: 2016 Turkey Season
« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2016, 09:40:18 pm »
Sounds like a great hunt, Ryan! Anytime you get a close shot is a good time. I'd put that feather in my hat, also.
Lakeland, Florida
 If you have to pull the trigger, is it really archery?

Offline BowEd

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Re: 2016 Turkey Season
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2016, 09:27:05 am »
Nice story Ryan.
BowEd
You got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything.
Ed

Offline bubbles

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Re: 2016 Turkey Season
« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2016, 11:14:02 am »
Nice!  I'm doing a couple more seasons with my arrow gun for  birds before I take the plunge and go selfbow on birds.  I'm thinking the setup is key. Any tips?

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: 2016 Turkey Season
« Reply #8 on: May 13, 2016, 01:05:13 pm »
Great story...the shot is the exciting part but now you can stick a feather in your cap..:-)

Clean kill or a clean miss, that's all I hope for.  You got one of the two good choices AND got to take home a prize!  That's a feather in your cap, any way you count it!
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline crooketarrow

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Re: 2016 Turkey Season
« Reply #9 on: May 17, 2016, 01:24:51 pm »
  MY HATS OFF TO YOU FOR GIVING GOBBLER HUNTING A TRY WITH YOUR SELF BOW.

  Lots of people would like to give it a try. BUTTTTTTTTTTTT they cant give up that speed which pans out to losing distance also. To a compounder or gun hunter. There no way you can get a gobbler 15 yards or under.

  I can be done and once you get a gobbler gobble a 10 yards  you set up like this every time. Not your fult you've been taught this is the way to have to hunt to kill gobblers. Nothing father from the truth.

 Y
DEAD IS DEAD NO MATTER HOW FAST YOUR ARROW GETS THERE
20 YEARS OF DOING 20 YEARS OF LEARNING 20 YEARS OF TEACHING

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: 2016 Turkey Season
« Reply #10 on: May 17, 2016, 03:21:23 pm »
Roy, how many do you hit with an arrow and not find
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline bubbles

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Re: 2016 Turkey Season
« Reply #11 on: May 17, 2016, 03:22:48 pm »
So how do you set up to get 'em close enough for a shot crooket arrow? 

Offline BowEd

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Re: 2016 Turkey Season
« Reply #12 on: May 20, 2016, 08:08:00 pm »
Personally bubbles if crookedarrow does'nt want to say I'll say one way I know works.Take notice in the evenings where their roosting.Set yourself up within a block of them.Get there in the dark.The old gobbler will be trying to gather hens together when early sunrise comes.
Here I'm trying to call them to me from across the fence from the neighbors ground.He's getting closer but no shot yet.Later in the season while many hens will be setting the gobbler will cast out a little farther.Hopefully I'll get a shot.
He's gobbling for the hen to come to him which he's used to happening and I'm calling for him to come to me.Kinda backwards but it will work with the right turkey.I set my decoys really close to my blind.Within 5 yards.I want the gobbler close for my self bow.
BowEd
You got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything.
Ed

Offline crooketarrow

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Re: 2016 Turkey Season
« Reply #13 on: May 22, 2016, 11:59:26 am »
   I 23 years of self bow hunting. I've hit 5 gobblers I did'nt fine. 3 Of those I did'nt find were with stone heads. 2 Of those I found weeks later. Found my arrow in one.

 Not a bad adverage  I've killed 15 gobblers with a self bow.7 Of them I killed with stone points. All the rest were killed trade points (6) 2 with zwickys.

  I used ZWICKY'S for I know know 18,20 years. When glass bows and dowl arrows. I shot 17 bucks using recurves and long bows.

 That was a life time ago. Know that I think about it.
DEAD IS DEAD NO MATTER HOW FAST YOUR ARROW GETS THERE
20 YEARS OF DOING 20 YEARS OF LEARNING 20 YEARS OF TEACHING

Offline crooketarrow

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Re: 2016 Turkey Season
« Reply #14 on: May 22, 2016, 01:14:03 pm »
  Bubbles Just to prove to you this works and has worked for Egon's. I guess I can tell you this because where it came from it was common knowledge. My friend Crooketarrow taught me to set you on bucks this way. It's simple 4 things set up down wind,on the right trail at the right time, on a trail where he wants to go. Sounds just what you do know.

  The 4 th is you set up with your back to the on coming deer or gobbler.

  A lot of woodsmenship go's along with # 4. Let me help you out some.

I GREW UP WITH A COMPLETE GOBBLER NUT. I grew up beside my graddad. This might help you understand. He lived to be 98 killed his first gobbler a age 8 gobbler hunted 92 springs in a row. Killed 312 gobblers and did'nt start counting until 1928. He said those early years he hammer them so I was already a gobbler nut before I met CROOKETARROW. He said he had to be close to 450,475.

 So in time I just wove my gobbler hunting with grandaddy to Crooketarrows way of setting up. This isn't a get up and just go hunting. If your not welling to go scout and scout some more. Ex specially the 3,4 weeks before.  Get a rifle.

    Here's something you've been told never to do a t any place your going to gobbler hunt. That's simple never call up you birds before season. I don't know who started this one. But if you do it right. Call up all the gobblers you can. I've called lots 2,3 times before I moved on.One 2 year old I called in 6 times. And killed him with a shotgun.

 How Grandaddy did it foe 82 springs. And I've called up 8,10,15 gobbler up pass me every year. this teaches you how and where and you know it'll work there. It also dose this and this is a biggie. You get calling practice on live birds.

 To make it all work one simple thing. When you call him up and pass you. Just let him walk away.

  You say but he'll get to know your calling. Here's how my grandaddy explained it to me. HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU THINK. THAT A GOBBLER HERE'S A HEN RUNS OVER THERE SHE'S GONE. For what other reason she doesn't want to be found. Do you think if he heres her another time where's he going. Right to her again.

   I've gobbler hunted 44 years and I practiced calling up my gobbler early for 44 springs.

    I mainly set up on gobblers going to fields but I'll go to any gobble. This is really simple remember where you called up gobblers early I've went back and had lots of action.

   I use deer trails, bottle necks like fence crossing. Just like buck hunting.. I use a Gillie and have since 82 when I make it. But I'll still make little set ups,blade's places I might need to be. Where the gobbler can pass me from behind say 8,10,12 yards. Where ever my best set up is. Again your scoutting and woodsmenship comes totally comer's into play.

 After he pass by and gets out in front some 12,15 yards. I sling some dogwood.

 2 Things YOUR CALLING AWAY NOT PLEADING FOR HIM TO COME HERE, LIKE EVERYONE ELLLLLLLLLLLSE

  Let me say here if you thing you'll be where you can see him coming like shot gun set ups. Or where you can get that good footage. Go film some field gobblers.

 And here's the biggie YOUR WHERE HE WANTS TO GO ANYWAYS. So your calling just when you OK to GREAT.

  Here's what always turned me on about this.Even other than just being that close to a gobbler or even kill him with a self bow,self arrow and stone points.

  The one thing and if it happens to you you'll under stand what I'm saying. THAT'S TO HAVE THAT'S GOBBLER GOBBLING TO YOU FROM BEHIND IS OUT STANDING. BUT WHEN HE HITS THAT 10,15 YARDS BEHIND YOU GOBBLING.

  Something about that makes my blood boil. I've had 9 or 10 people say that's the most exciting experience or the closest they'd ever been to a wild live gobbler.

  There it is in a nut shell, kept it a simple as I could. Now you've just got to fill in the piece's.
DEAD IS DEAD NO MATTER HOW FAST YOUR ARROW GETS THERE
20 YEARS OF DOING 20 YEARS OF LEARNING 20 YEARS OF TEACHING