2Rocky's 2020 Turkey.

2rocky

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Turkey Season opened Saturday the 28th. There has been a couple toms and 3 hens roosting in the grove of trees behind my house for the last couple of weeks. They would fly down into our upper pasture then feed over into the neighbor's pasture for most of the day then in the evening go to the front pasture by the creek. it was a pretty set schedule and i would wake up to gobbles every morning.

On Saturday my daughters decided to move the beef cows and calves into the front pasture as part of the rotational grazing plan. That made for interesting dynamics as a turf battle ensued between Melagris and Bovine...The curious cattle would gather around the birds until they attacked then the cows would chase them out of the field.

On Monday, that battle resulted in one Tom standing alone outside the net wire fence on the neighbors. I arrived home and saw him , slipped on a Camo hoody, and grabbed a couple of turkey decoys out of the garage. I set the decoys up in the horse pasture that adjoined the back pasture and took cover in some weeds and brush by a rock. If the tom came back into the back pasture he would see the decoys and he would come through the gate that was 40 yds. from my hiding spot. the decoys were 13 yds. from me

I hit the pot call and the tom gobbled back instantly. I could see through the weeds and trees he was against the fence onthe neighbors answering back. For 5 minutes we called back and forth. Finally I heard his gobbles moving into what sounded like the back pasture. Hunkered down i could just barely make out some movement as he made his way through the gate between pastures.

 
Turkey Season opened Saturday the 28th. There has been a couple toms and 3 hens roosting in the grove of trees behind my house for the last couple of weeks. They would fly down into our upper pasture then feed over into the neighbor's pasture for most of the day then in the evening go to the front pasture by the creek. it was a pretty set schedule and i would wake up to gobbles every morning.

On Saturday my daughters decided to move the beef cows and calves into the front pasture as part of the rotational grazing plan. That made for interesting dynamics as a turf battle ensued between Melagris and Bovine...The curious cattle would gather around the birds until they attacked then the cows would chase them out of the field.

On Monday, that battle resulted in one Tom standing alone outside the net wire fence on the neighbors. I arrived home and saw him , slipped on a Camo hoody, and grabbed a couple of turkey decoys out of the garage. I set the decoys up in the horse pasture that adjoined the back pasture and took cover in some weeds and brush by a rock. If the tom came back into the back pasture he would see the decoys and he would come through the gate that was 40 yds. from my hiding spot. the decoys were 13 yds. from me

I hit the pot call and the tom gobbled back instantly. I could see through the weeds and trees he was against the fence onthe neighbors answering back. For 5 minutes we called back and forth. Finally I heard his gobbles moving into what sounded like the back pasture. Hunkered down i could just barely make out some movement as he made his way through the gate between pastures.

Great video...so close.
 
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Here is the gate the tom came through...
 
I knew he could see the hen decoy and jake decoy in the open about where the sunrise photo was taken. He paced back and forthbehind the brush and I was worried he would come behind me through the trees. So when he went out of sight, i tried to "throw" my calls over in the direction of the decoys. He was coming from my right to my left as I was positioned. Finally he seemed to commit to the decoys.



35...31....25, the range came back on my range finder. Finally he and the decoys were in the same view. I tried to draw as he looked at the decoys hoping the shadows of the trees obscured my movement. After all I had no blind to hide me.

I held my 20 yard pin low at the junction of the leg and body, and jerked the trigger on my release.

I heard the arrow hit.


and I watched him take a few running steps and then head for an abandoned barn. He headed for the barn.

Just then, my children's dog Pandora, a mixed breed mutt with no real purpose in life came trotting over to investigate the ruckus. She took to the blood trail and followed it into the old barn. Pretty soon the tom comes sailing out of the barn with Pandora on his tail. He hit the ground and she pounced on him. She held him there as I put away my arrow I was going to finish him with. The arrow had missed the Chest cavity but had cut the jugular or carotid by the crop as it passed clear through. Had it not been for the dog he would have found cover and died.

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91884979_10221723814513299_2244237617522540544_n.jpg
91464740_10221723814273293_6077535180908658688_n.jpg


91615732_10221729000762952_4355147712031621120_o.jpg

-PAXP-deijE.gif
 
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Not sure which I am more envious of, the turkey hunt or the green grass? Nice bird!
 
Very nicely done! Unless something changes with the boys baseball schedule, the one, albeit small, bright spot is that we may have some time to turkey hunt this spring.
 
Nice Tom! From the looks of it, you didn't try the crazy archery shot of taking its head off.
 
Congrats! I believe you owe that dog a treat once a day for at least a week! (y)
 
Leupold BX-4 Rangefinding Binoculars

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