Southern Turkey Bowhunt/Kill Thread
Turkey
Contributors to this thread:
Things ought to start jumping pretty quick. Al and Ms come in Saturday. I got a lot to do yet to get ready..decoys need patching, oil in the truck needs changing, and everything needs to get loaded up and organized. Prolly going to be a tough start...rain is expected Saturday. Both of my best areas have heavy duty logging going on in the area and it is hard to hear gobbles. Late spring means little gobbling anyway...probably only 5 % of the toms have started here. I heard 2 this am and went to about 5 spots...those 5 spots normally you would hear 6 or more gobblers. I havnt practiced my calling yet so it's going to be a rusty start...my shooting is ok but not great. Several unexpected bills that include a speeding ticket and all my small engines(tiller, mower, weedeater) quit on me and got the axe. All this and plans to elk hunt in September mean my normal Kansas Nebraska trip is probably a no go. Working 11-7 so I will be hunting after work each morning after Saturday up until around noon. Rain Saturday and pretty weather expected next week. Here We Go!!!
Rain in the fortcast through Monday now. It is suppose to fair off mid week...that when my off days are so I hope to get a kill by Thursday.
Good luck TBM and all the Bowsite turkey hunters.
Looks like Saturday morning will be OK here in north Alabama, Sunday will be wet. I will be in my rainy day spot Sunday before first light, almost 80% success at this spot in the rain.
HERE WE GO !!!!!!!!!!
Altogether not bad preseason...prabably less than 10 non recoverable shots out of 1000. Should I encounter a 2 pound gobbker like these I would be good out to 25. The 17 pounders at 12 should be toast. Packing up gear now...time to get sykodelic!!!!
Patches mist be holding.. they are staying erect.
Everything dialed in and sighted in ...unlike my deer set who's is sighted to hit low...turkey set to hit high a couple. Hi is better for turkeys...low for deer.
If I get a Saturday off, I may hunt turkeys. Sundays, I'd rather sleep in than get up again at 4:00 a.m.
-Joe
Last pre season pic...packed up and unoranused as usual. Get things dialed in later.
We just arrived at our farm in Bullock County. Can't wait for morning. Trying to get my 14 year old his first bird. Good luck to all. I brought my 8 year old last weekend but all we could get up were hens.
Be getting off work within the hour and heading to the turkey woods. Funny thing is I am not too excited about it. Maybe I let some of the lowsiters get to me. I can hanestly say this...anybody hunting turkey with a bow in the south and having success is doing something that few accomplish and it is a task that has undeniably proven harder than more prestigious game...plus, the small target prepares you for next level shooting when it is time for elk, deer etc. This morning I will be hunting woods turkeys but might spot n stalk some field birds later if it begins to rain. Will hunt till noon then sleep
Still at work. Non of the areas I will be have good reception so I probably will have trouble keeping posted and almost no chance of a live hunt. I am not videoing for the first time in several years...going to focus on trying to do the bowsite thing if I can.
Very scattered gobblin here. Some mornings ihear one or two, some mornings nothing. Season doesn't iopen here for two weeks so no big deal.
I don't use decoys or a blind so I guess I am ready to go. I'll probably just sit on the bench by the driveway if I go.
However, most likely, weather permitting, I'll go fishing instead.
We had a ton of gobbling at daybreak. We were in a blind on a field. The gobblers came in but skirted the field and crossed on the opposite side, they did not come over to the decoys. It was exciting and we saw a bunch, but nothing came in range. Off to to some farm work and then will hit it again late in the afternoon.
Pretty dead on my end. Heard a gobble or two but never got close enough to pinpoint them and get setup. Found one in a field and setup and tried to call him over the hill. He had 10 hens and wasn't buying what I was selling. Heard one fire off at crows way off while I was set up on the field. Weather us hot...felt like a cool August day...humid.
"...anybody hunting turkey with a bow in the south and having success is doing something that few accomplish and it is a task that has undeniably proven harder than more prestigious game..."
Keep drinking your own Kool-Aid, TBM...LIHOM
Had to 2 work the opposite side of the field this morning, never came into range. Quite too. No gobbling after flying down, didn't respond to calls. Rain in the morning
Of the 7 people on this thread we ain't killed nothing... I bet if we were in Nebraska we would have at least 7 on the ground...maybe 14. My kool aid taste better in Nebraska. These southern turkeys are for real bad espicially when they are not going good and the weather is off. The best is yet to come.
I sure like to see those rubber boots, as I know those turkeys can smell danger, better than pronghorns can see it! BB
A deer has to make a major mistake to get killed by a bowhunters. He can go nockturnal and unless the thermals are rising he ought to use the wind at all times. Turkeys don't have either of those options. I like hunting both of them but it is nice not having to think about scent when turkey hunting.
Looking at the forecast for the upcoming week things ought to pick up by mid week and Thursday ought to be prime. Several gobblers that havnt started gobbling yet should pick up by then. We should start to get some ground gobbling and some late morning activity too. My off days are Wednesday and Thursday and if I dontvhave one dead by noon Thursday I will have to be placed on suicide watch. I am already suffering from a mild case of depression springing from the number of gun (urp...I almost puked) hunters I saw out and about today. I hope the fish start biting soon and the rattlas start crawling early and run the recreational turkey hunters out of da woods.
Not hunting today....must of rained all nitebecause iI had 4" in the crock pot this morning. Bad weather for the weekend warrior gun (urp) hunters. I like that.
Didn't hunt today either still pouring outside - we ended up with one hen working our field yesterday afternoon and all of the birds were tight lipped. Hunting with kids is fun, but it sure does make a decidedly difficult task that much harder. I am going to catch the Georgia opener this coming weekend, then back down to Alabama the next. Good luck to all -
You send us some rain, I'll send you a truck load of prairie Merriam's-Rio hybrids. :-)
I wish - I am going to Kansas in May after Rio's - Merriam's and Gould's are going to be on the list for next spring. Any Merriam's recommendations are welcomed -
I'll be at it this week in south Mississippi TBM good luck.
Heard of at least 4 killed yesterday in AL, my season doesn't start for another month.
Hhhmmm fair weather turkey hunters never killm from the couch. Ive had many successful hunts in sideways rain, hail, and wind storms where birds are still birds doin there thing. Nothing better and funnier then a trophy turkey pic where the birds soaked and uglier then sin ha! But the success is just as sweet!
One of my most memorable easterns was when both the temp and wind were at 30. The first three roads we tried back to town were flooded.
No blind, just as soaked as the turkey but a whole lot colder. Man I'm glad I killed a bird that morning or I'd have reeeeally felt even dumber than usual for going.
Yes, TBM, shotgun kill...but if I can kill him at 12 yards with a shotgun with no blind, I'm sure I could have done it with a blind and a bow.
Killed a great Osceola in a downpour, too. Of course it was a Nebraska Osceola...they aren't nearly as smart as southern Osceola's.
Oh, wait, he doesn't count, either..TBM didn't kill him.
Yours, neither, Trkysly
Cool and damp conditions put a damper on the gobbling this am. Got one to answer and got a good setup but it had hens and went on about his business.
Cool and damp conditions put a damper on the gobbling this am. Got one to answer and got a good setup but it had hens and went on about his business.
I have killed two so far... one Saturday morning and one in a steady rain Sunday morning. Both were shot at 20 yards. Neither count however, both were killed with a shotgun!
I thought you was a bowhunters Gostbird? Those bucks you killed this year was rifle kills? I thought they were with a bow.
I thought you was a bowhunters Gostbird? Those bucks you killed this year was rifle kills? I thought they were with a bow.
The deer were indeed bow killed, although I also do some deer hunting with a rifle. I only hunt turkeys with a shotgun.
Two turkeys in the freezer with only one no.6 pellet in a breast. My wife would have a fit if her holiday turkey had a big broadhead hole in it. :)
I find it amazing that you haven't at least been "on a bird" yet Steve? I can't think of an opening day in ten years where I didn't have a shot opportunity on a Turkey. Heck last year we took five 8-12yr old kids and three had big Tom's down in the first few hours. The other two killed the following day...all with shotgun but all within 25yds, and only one from a blind I believe.
Did you do any scouting this year in preparation? If you need some pointers don't be afraid to ask. They make a "gobbling sound" and sleep in tree's...that should get you started. Good luck!
Sito, I got a decent setup this am but couldn't get the turkeys called in..it can be tough in the early going when the weather has been so cold and the birds have not started gobbling or coming to fields. You have to take it to the birds where ever you find them and if they are not talkin it is impossible to find them. This is a different world of turkey hunting and I wanted to show yall through this thread. Some seem to have it in them to disrupt the notion that turkeys are challenging with a bow and any turkey they kill with a gun would have been just as dead if they had their bow.. I just chuckle at their ignorance. It has been my experience when guiding accomplished bowhunters that turkeys called into 20 yards of their blind and decoy set has only about a 20% chance of dieing. I do better because of my experience but I still only kill about 80% of the ones I get shots at and some that get close don't offer shots so having turkeys inside of 20 usually means I have about a 60% chance of success at the most. It's thick down here...I have had them inside 5 yards and couldn't shoot. Without decoys and blinds (the way is hunted them when I first started)your chances of success on southern easterns is about 2% on turkeys called inside of 20 yards. That's 2 out if 100) Can you think of any animal that is that tough to get drawn on and kill...see why I use a blind. A great turkey hunter would kill one every three seasons. Ambushing them without calling would yield higher chances of success, but still not very high. I think my best season I killed 3 blindless and only one was a call and kill. What it takes for success down here or anywhere tough is sometimes not measured in hero shots, but shots with unpunched tags laying beside a battered bow and clean arrows. Those are the hunts and seasons that you learn something about yourself. I learned I have a REAL love for bowhunting. I also learned I have a can't quit attitude...not that I didn't want to quit...at times I was pissed at myself because I wouldn't quit, but I just couldn't. For a true bowhunter, the only path to failure is when you lay down your bowand pick up a rifle or shotgun. From that point there is nothing you can do, no animal big enough to turn a hunt into a success. There is not one reason that I am one of the few if not the only hunter in the deep south to consistantly kill the limit of longbeards, but if it were one reason it would be because I didn't quit. I stuck it out, and somewhere along the way, bit by bit I figured it out.
Somehow I lost the ability to edit my post. Auto correct and fat fingers might result in some interesting post if the inability to correct remanes. Anywho I be headed to the woots this am and beatutiful whether is suspected for the reat of the weed. Going of full attach mode.
TBM... did you say you "reek of weed"???
Gb reeks of gunpowder, deer house, and wet turkey...tell me I can't call it.RB I bet I know Whre your going.
This morning was more of the same of the past mornings. I found a tom but he had 10 hens. Its not been easy finding the dumb 2,year old to kick the season off. Hunting these flocked up toms means you have to stick em out till 11 or 12 in the morning and hope they will peal off after a while .
" It has been my experience when guiding accomplished bowhunters that turkeys called into 20 yards of their blind and decoy set has only about a 20% chance of dieing. "
20 % seems way low to me, I've only had one within 20 yards get away, he was at 2-3 yards and never was able to draw
Or you can walk out the door and shoot one.......
Gobbling and Strutting all day long in western MT.....
Heres my turkey tips 1. wake up before dark
2. Drive to hunting area
3. Honk truck horn and locate turkey
4. hide behind big tree
5. call 2-3 times
6. Shoot big bird with red head
7. Go home and cook breakfast
1. wake up before dark ??? lol
Turkey hunting from a blind would be like hunting bugling elk from a treestand, just not my cup of tea.
I prefer to turkey hunt "old school", no blind & no decoys, and I use a shotgun. Just a personal preference. I admire guys that bowhunt turkeys "old school". Bowhunting turkeys with no blind & no decoys IS TOUGH... and I like to eat wild turkey too much.
Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas dinners at my house always have wild turkey on the menu... no Butterballs at my house.
I got a buddy who is tearing them up insouth Texas. Said they are real aggressive. Weather took a turn for the better today and I hope tomorrow is the day it will happen.
All quite this morning. Cold and windy. Suppose to get warmer next couple of days
This am was a repeat of other mornings butcept it was worse. Never set up on anything. It was suppose to be clear but the morning was misty, coldish, and a little bit windy and overcast drery. The evening cleared up so hopefully tomorrow will be a good gobbling morning. Slowest start for me in a few years but bowhunting in the south is always tougher early than when things green up. Green up looks to be still two weeks away.
That's what I'm waiting on TBM. Green up. I have to travel too far to turkey hunt and will only get one shot at it, so I'm waiting until the first of May. History has shown me that is is the best time where I'll be hunting.
Same here. Weather not right yet
Just be thankfully that you have the opportunity to hunt! Here in Maine the season don't start for a while and that's a good thing or we would be hunting in white camo and on snowshoes. Just got 8 more inches of snow last nite and it sucks!Im way over this stuff and cant wait to hunt but it will have to be rabbits for now. Good luck guys
TBM, by my calculations your season is over 5 days old and you haven't shot a bird yet. In IL our first season is only 5 days long, so you would have eaten that tag. I guess that is why you don't come here... :^)
No, Bowmad...he'd have killed every bird in your county by now...it's not Alabama.
If I had been turkey hunting twice and hadn't killed one I'd have to quit. Turkey hunting isn't exciting and challenging enough to keep my interest for more than a few days.
Get on down with my bad selfie get on down
This is one of my best scoring Turkey's that I took in a while....probably will make my top 25 all time. 10 3/4 inch beard. Long sharp sspurs. The equivalent of a 160ish whitetail.
Congrats! Nice spurs! Is he a natural setup qualifier?
100 percent cotton suspended by aluminum and PVC...so...probably not. Plus I didn't video or take good pics.
The past 4 mornings I wasn't able to be too aggressive and get close to the roost because I was not getting off work until 6 am and that put me late getting to the woods and there was too much light by that time to take a chance getting in tight. That put me at a slight disadvantage, espicailly since the toms were only gobbling early. This morning was my first off day since season started so I went in early and set up in a field where turkeys normally roost near and fly down out into the field to feed and strut. I setup at the edge of the field and put out one CS hen and my Dakota jake. At day break the tom that I had seen on an earlier hunt started gobbling near the fields edge. The field is about 5 acres...large enough for them to avoid your set but small enough that they can pin you down for hours so I wasn't at all completely confident that things would work out. I knew he had at least 10 hens but they were not talking at all. My hope was that he would fly down into the field first, see my set and come straight in. I did a little calling to try and make it happen. I soon heard wing beats and then a long pause.....then I saw him land about 40 yards out and in clear view of my dekes. He marched straight in and came to the Dakota and started pecking on him. My arrow took him a little low but his breast was destroyed...the breast bone severed from the breast plate and a leg on the opposite side shattered. He hopped on one leg with the help of his wings beating but didn't go far. There was a nice blood trail but I didn't have to follow it. I got complete penetration so the extra 100 grains from the brass incert is obviously helping. One blade off the Tom O Hawk was broken and the diameter of the other 2 was reduced to leess than 2 inches. That was my 213th tom and a good one that will easily make my top 50 and maybe top 25. I had been after this turkey for 3 years so I was pleased to take him from all those hens. Ther will be another to take his place and I will try and get that one too.
Congrats! Nicely done TBM
Nice bird Steve, we knew you could do it! Question: I never set up on roost's because it makes me feel "dirty"...like cheatin'...have you any qualms with this type of set? Is this your normal approach?
Nice bird TBM.
Sito- I have had better luck not setting up on the roost. Its not a guarantee....
Now that's an all new TBM equation. We are equating Alabama Turkey's to whitetails. That's a 160 in which state though?
Good luck elk hunting this fall it'll change your life. You'll look back at a bunch if your comments and might have to admit that you were more than a little off. Truly do hope you get to experience some real elk hunting because it is a totally different world.
Great southern bird...love hooks that'll hang.
Glad the Dakota jake worked...
Sito, you'll do what- all to get a "hen", but setting up to a roost isn't right?
A lot of comments are disrespect out of ignorance but I didn't take sito's comments as disrespectful. There is just different lingo between us in the south and east compared to the mid west. Roost in the south simply means a turkey is up in a tree during the night. It could be any tree any where and they seldom roost in the same tree but there are some exceptions. There is a little advantage of knowing where they are roosted but not that much. In the Midwest the word roost means a particular tree or group of trees where the turkeys sleep over and over. Piles of droppings might be 2 feet deep under the trees where as in the south a good roost tree might have 10 piles under it. I know of one roost in Nebraska that holds around 400 turkeys and as many as 80 are longbeards. To hunt around it and to pattern the birds would take a couple of trips and after that it would be too easy to be fun. Sito probably does what he can to extend his season and not hunting roost and taking others is a way of doing that. In the south you can do whatever is legal, keep the pedal to the floor all season and still not tag out if you don't have a good system and you "A" game. I limit out almost every season here...I don't know anyone else that comes close. Hunting near roost is not a real advantage.
Congrats TBM. I heard u say your going after elk this fall. What's your plans ?
Hey, I was just taking advantage of an opp to kid Sito.... :-)
All good Mike! Some of what Steve explains here is actually believable, and I've never hunted AL so I can't compare.
I still hope you fill all your tags bro, and maybe take someone else out and show them the "ropes"!
sitO, setting up UNDER the roost is where it gets dirty. LOL
I was so intent on pulling sitO's chain I forgot to say congrats on the longbeard TBM ! Good hooks! The turkey's too !
TBM,
When you set up the Dakota jake, do you try to anticipate the direction that the gobbler is approaching from, and have the jake facing that direction....so as to look confrontational?....sometimes I feel that it draws the gobbler in to fight, allowing you can get a shot....or have you found that to not make a difference? I have used monofilament line to allow me to rotate or turn the decoy, so it faces the gobbler, if the gobbler is looking my way at say, 80 yards, and the Dakota jake is facing the wrong direction.
MM, there might be some difference but I havnt looked for it so thanks for bringing it to my attention. The weather was perfect this am and the turkeys were talking. Each time I picked one to go to and began to close in, he would go quiet and another would get fired up and I would change to him, close distance and the second would get silent. This went on for a couple of hours and I finally set up on a road near where I last heard a gobble. I got a hen fired up and another tom gobbled from up the hollow. He came fast but when he stepped into the road and saw my decoys he putted and wouldn't come any closer. After he left I went to another spot and saw 2 toms strutting for about 7 hens. There on the little 20 acres where I killed my hog and there is still acorns so I expect they will be close by in the morning so I believe I will start off there tomorrow. My elk plans are not very good. I have received lots of good advice from several bowsiters but I get so involved with the turkey season I fail to follow their advise and put in for draw areas. My goal is to just hear a bull and maybe see one or some cows and maybe that will get me more motivated to put in for draw areas and just do what you have to do to kill a bigger than average bull.
The payoff. Plan came together
Looks like I'm going to have to start a
Northern Turkey Bowhunt/Kill Thread, Thread..
Don't want to be out done by the Southern boys. Well really just one!!!
Looks like I'm going to have to start a
Northern Turkey Bowhunt/Kill Thread, Thread..
Don't want to be out done by the Southern boys. Well really just one!!!
Looks like I'm going to have to start a
Northern Turkey Bowhunt/Kill Thread, Thread..
Don't want to be out done by the Southern boys. Well really just one!!!
Still early as far as spring goes...dogwoods are not blooming yet but the redbuds are in full bloom. Turkeys gobbled good yesterday but today was quiet soon after flydown. The turkey I killed was roosted about 300 yards down the hollow and off my property. Another was roosted a little over 1/4 mile away. I just stayed put and called fairly loud while they were on the roost so they would hear me and hopefully come before the hens wrapped them up. The closest bird closed soon after flydown and gobbled to let me know he was coming in to my right. I quickly picked up the Jake decoy and moved it in the direction the toms were coming, otherwise they would see my blind before the decoy and hang up. The move payed off. Perfect shot through the thighs and he flopped 20 yards and died.
Nice work Steve. I miss the south in the springtime. This will be the first year in the last 5 that I don't get my southern fix for a week or two. If you come to Montana for elk let me know. Best of luck. HUNT
you've seen one of those things you've seen them all.
Sorry Bou, I know all them redbuds look alike but they sho look nice after a long hard winter. I will post dogwood in a couple if weeks ot you can catch one on the Masters. Alzailas prolly want be blooming my then so don't get your hopes up.
Hunt I suppose it doesn't matter where I stop coming from Alabama, so Montana will be an option. I'm not against going all the way to Oregon if that is the best option. A 6 pak of NOS, ibuprofen and a bottle of nose spray will pretty much get you coast to coast.
The weather here is going to get nasty again so gobbling will be subdued until around Thursday. I'm ahead if the game with 2 under my belt which is somewhat unbelievable...to put it in perspective I have only heard one gun shot. Usually by now almost all the easy birds are dead from gunhunters.
Took my daughter on her first turkey hunt this morning. We got real lucky and found a couple birds early. Mind you I've got a bow, two chairs, decoys and all the other ornaments to be successful along with a five year old who can't be still and loves to talk(specifically ask questions) and NO blind. Got to within 150yrds of the birds and setup. They gobbled 50+times while on the roost, I thought this was gonna be real easy but instead they flew down the other way at about 300yrds. My daughter and I are backed into a palmetto patch in a pretty good hiding spot, though not a great spot to get a shot with the bow. I started working the birds and got them headed our way. After about fifteen minutes they commited. The look on my daughters face as those gobbles got louder and louder was priceless. Couldn't have worked out any better, they came in on a narrow road that was kind of thick and that's what I needed to get to full draw. Ten yard shot with the shwacker and the hunt was over. Can't explain that feeling of taking an animal with my kid along to experience it and can't wait till she can do it herself. Great morning.
That's 3 southern bowkills in a week. I killed that mny in half a day in Nebraska.
Still grinding away at em. Get on one some days...some days not. Tough going and so far removed from turkey hunting elsewhere.
Spent a few hours out in terenchanal rainfall and wind...found 5 more toms in just 2 spots. Looking forward to getting after em next week
I notice you restrict this to southern birds. I understand the logic. It is like a bookie with a point spread.
The closer the intelligence of the game to the intelligence of the hunter the tighter the game.
Rumor is the turkeys are shaving points. :)
Rh...there are so few that kill with a bow here in the south and this thread is designed to highlight that and see just who is killing them here...who can get it done here?
Killed 2 in 3 days last weekend in Macon County Alabama. Was toting the Benelli that weekend though. First hunt was a slam dunk if I wouldn't have forgotten my bow in Birmingham. Brushed in natural blind with room to draw behind, 3 huge toms rush the decoy and attack it at 11 yards.
Both birds were pine plantation birds. I will back up some of what TBM says. Turkey hunting in many areas of the south is pretty difficult, but mainly due to the lack of fields. They certainly aren't nearly as mythical as he tries to make them... but a tougher go than their western/midwestern brethren.
I can see why folks correlate getting turkeys in close with a "if" or a "coulda" but that is a mistake. 3 toms at 10 yards would probably yield a shot about 10% of the time and it would be a tough shot at a alert bird which would be a miss most if the time. This is the frustrating part that makes people quit. 10 yard turkeys are far from dead. And forgot you bow...that was convienent
Beautiful weather next week but still no greenup yet. Turkeys should start gobbling better in the next few days. Rained Friday and been baseballing all weekend so I have not seriously hunted in several days and I am looking forward to getting my "groove" on.
Beautiful weather next week but still no greenup yet. Turkeys should start gobbling better in the next few days. Rained Friday and been baseballing all weekend so I have not seriously hunted in several days and I am looking forward to getting my "groove" on.
No 215 has fallen...TWO HUNDERED FIFTEEN GOBBLERS WITH A BOW. Thats more than all those Cali guys put together.
I'm always amazed when when I hear of someone who actually keeps score.
Steve , Why would it matter if it was more than the Cali boys put together? They like to hunt just as much as anyone. I watched a video of you on blood brothers and you talked how we are all together. Then you bash everyone. I dont understand. HUNT
Some just keep coming at me like I'm some average chump who can't backup anything I say. My methods are proven over time with success that is unmatched by anyone and proven on the toughest stage. I have almost certainly killed more Alabama spring gobblers with a bow than all other hunters combined. There is just not that many taken here...not that people don't try, but it is just difficult. Can you imagine some elk hunter in Colorado that had killed more elk that every hunter in Colorado combined, and him getting disrespected constantly by the gun hunting crowd and bowhunters too. Sometimes I just get enough and retaliate. Sorry. The BloodBrothers stuff was their "canned" stuff that they had everybody say and didn't really fit how I felt and it seemed I had to lie to say it...I didn't like that part. We ought to all be able to state who we truly are and not over sell anything. I don't have to be politically correct because I dontvhave ties with anyone and not a pro staffer for anyone. I don't have to say some pre wee broadhead is best if it is clearly not...no where close. I can say the truth, but keeping quiet about certain truths for the sake if modesty while others try to dismantle everything you have worked for is not easy. The main thing is truth...it ain't bragging if it's the truth. My goal early on was not to be some average bowhunter who was just out there having fun. My goal was to be the best bowhunter in the world. I definantly have not been able to prove that I am on numerous game animals but on the deer that I have been blessed to hunt and on the turkeys that I have hunted I feel that I have made a stab at it anyway. And yes...it is still fun. Baseball is fun too, but I have to believe it is substantially more fun for someone who could bat 1000 and never commit an error....
There are many good bowhunters around, some of the best never blow their own horn.
Thats it. Most never say a word. There are so many Badass bowhunters out there. Just in my Close circle of friends is amazing to me. TBM you are good at what you do. I have seen that. Just go with it . Dont sweat the small shit. Chive on. HUNT
Maybe so, but I seem to see those Cali guys taking out quite a few kids, and beginning friends.
Et tu, TBE?
It's one thing to be a great bowhunter,...it's more important to be a great person. Some are both, some are not.
No doubt who I respect the most, and would most want to hang with...I'd be flying west.
Hey, Slyer...let me know if/when your little girl is interested in a Kansas youth season whitetail hunt, please. They're in early September. No minimum age so it would be up to you. I know she's far too young now, but the offer stands as long as I can.
Oh, wait, that might cost me a weekend of my own, personal killing time...and I'd consider it a weekend better spent!
writer X 1000
TBM,
You were alot cooler when you were letting stuff roll of your back and took things in stride. I think you're in a competition all by yourself my friend. If someone is trying to compete with you don't let then drag you down. Rise above it man. Right now you kind of remind me of the little kid in the Kenny Rogers song playing baseball with himself.
There is a really great book with a lot of good sayings. One of the sayings is "Let the mouth of other men praise you" Same book says "Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall". Pretty sure you've prolly read this book a time or two;)
At the end of our lives when we give our account, how many trophies and hunting success stories we have won't matter a hoot. Who we were, how we conducted our lives, and the level of humility we had will.
Worked a tom all morning and he never moved. He has had one hen all season and has never left her. I will move into the small pocket where he stayed all morning before daylight UN the am and hopefully have him dead early. There are so many "unkillable" turkey right now.
TBM your hunting out of a blind and with all this time in the woods take some pictures of these bird alive before the shot throw a measuring stick next to the birds spurs. It's easy to kill a 2 year old.I want to see some hooks after all your the turkey bow master and if southern turkeys are so hard to kill there should be plenty of limb-hangers out there. 2 tags to go bud post them up and safe hunting
Before you get all worked up I by no means want to offend you I like your thread and want it to be more interesting to me
Good luck TBM. No need to make this all a competition. I have to get back to hunting some of these super smart Nebraska birds in a our snow storm.
On it split toe. Hunting the birds that I feel are older trouble making Turkey's. Not much on passing Turkey's but I be trying for old ones from now on.
Terrable day of hunting...hot, humid, bugs, turkeys no where to be found.
TBM, persevere my man, persevere ! Be going after a couple dumb-ass Rios in about a month. We will see if I am dumber than they are !
I was so tired from turkey hunting yesterday I didn't take a bath. This morning was like yesterday to start with...hot and muggy. Heard one gobble from the roost. An hour after day it got dark and a mist started falling...then rain...and thunder. I walked a lot trying to find one gobbling at thunder. I coulda used some moleskin cause my rear got so chafed I had to shove my underwear in as deep as it would go to keep my cheeks from touching. Splittoe wants more picsbut iI couldn't get that fulocused. Finally spotted a hen ina field by herself. VCame back in an hour and she had a tom with her and another hen joined while I formalated a plan. Set up my blind behind cover and used my inflated strutter as cover to get the dekes set up. He looked and gobbled but the hens took him away. $#@&@%$ hens...if we had a hen season I know a few that woyldnt make it.
Any knuckle head can kill a turkey from a pop up blind. ..case in point? TBM
"I was so tired from turkey hunting yesterday I didn't take a bath."
The good news is that unlike other animals that have full use of all senses, including smell, to evade and challenge hunters turkey do not.
You can get away with smelling like a brick of limberger cheese when turkey hunting and it will have no impact on your ability to fill a tag.
Also, TBM what is it with the spelling deal........you go from the Crimson Tide version of a Rhodes Scholar on some of your posts to a guy who spells and presents himself like the home-schooled six year old son of the banojo player in Deliverence.
What's up with that???????????????
Heard one gobble way off that's it...lots of nothing this year so far. Good thing I don't quit because this season is why everybody quits and picks up a shotgun. Late season ought to be great.
Bigswivle Very impressive to take a bird with a bow and no blind, but with your five yr old along too, pretty amazing. Nice job and great memories. Dave
Southern California!
Let's hear it for the birds from the South!
Wait... am I on the right thread?
Lets meet up Ike...I'm in LA
4x4...for all those who think I can't shoot...up yo nose
Lot of water done fell here in the south. The Sugarnookie river is hump, bump, bumpin and jumpin.
Water everywhere. Had to wade swift h2O in my dodge to get to where the turkeys were. Got wet feet...again. no need for rubber boots, it will come over the top.
I found 2 toms in a 20 acre pasture early this am. Made one setup ant u don't think I got them close enough to see the dekes. The field was basically flat with a little slope and a couple terraces with just enough grade change so I was able to belly crawl and get dekes setup in the field. After I was sure the toms were not coming in to the first setup I waited for the right moment and crawled out and picked up my dekes...belly crawling throigh 3 inches of water to get to them. I moved completely around the field skirting the field 100 yards from the edge to prevent them from seeing me. After making ny way back to the fields edge I resetup, this time I was on the highest side positioned about 50 yards from the top. Once again I waited for the turkeys to dip below a terrace and I crawled out and setup the Dakota. I barely made it back to my blind Shan the popped over and worked their way down the far edge until they were up on top and now only 80 yards straight across the field. They then started making their way to my side and it soon became apparent the tom had seen the Dakota and was slowly marching in. This tom looked young because he had a slender head but his actions told he was old. He was among the most cautious of any bird I have killed. When he was 20 yards out and still closing I went ahead and drew. I could sense something was going to go wrong. When he got to the decoy he was on the side that had a partial view of the blind and immediately knew something was wrong and began to retreat to the side where there was limited shooting. I could see a small opening between the bottom of my window and the bottom of a low overhanging limb...probably an inch and a half at most for the arrow and I had to aim through the limbs and leaves yet figured my arrow would pass around a half inch above the window and a half below the limbs...I cutter loose. A complete pass through thanks to the 100 grain brass incert and the fact that I hit a softer spot than normal. He ran 30 yards and tilted ever like the front wheel fell off a trysuckle. The elation poured through mmy body with the sensation that I had just injected a half box of hot melted Phillips muckalatus cough drops and snorted the rest. I was wet from head to toe but the prise was mine.. howd I do?
Inch and 3/8. 10 inch beard.
nice bird TBM but you need to learn how to read a tape measure. 3/8th is between 1/4 and 1/2. That would measure 1-3/16 inch.
Congratulations guys!
Nice bird TBM, way to stay with it. You might have to swim to them next time.
good mature bird rt there!
relliK, you are right of the pic, but the correct way to measure a spur is to follow the outside curve with a flexable tape. I short changed my spurs for years. You will be surprised at what a good hook will add to the length. That one spur was a solid 1 3/8 and would probably go 1 1/2 depending on who's doing the measuring.
I have either hit the heart of everyone of the 4 or been within a half inch if it. This turkey got a severed aorta, b-orta, c-orta, and d-orta,
Great hooks and beard, and a good hunt...
..but at our Gov's Turkey Hunt they measure straight out on the spur. Seems a waste of good hooks to me.
Waterproof is one thing...humidity is another. It takes a good pair of binoculars to pass the southern turkey test. This pair failed miserably.
The Tim O Hawk is still the biggest head out there even after bending it's way through heavy bone almost a thick as a deer shoulderblade.
How fast do mechanicals open?? Here are pics of a Tom O Hawks entrance and exit of just one side of his breast. The head had 2 rubber bands around the blades, one near the end and the other in the middle. The blade tips where sharpened which should have reduced tip friction and delayed the opening while enhancing penetration.
Same breast...inside view. 2" penatration later. Well on it's way to be fully deployed.
The game is about to change drastically. Going to either hunt some really old birds in some challenging areas or go blindless and solo self videoing without a blind for the blindless or bust challenge.
You are my hunting hero! Reason being is beacuse you say youre the best! Thats always an attirbute of being good at something.....the fact you say youre good! On the other hand 99% of the best hunters I know refuse to talk about themselves so a guy would really never know how good they were I guess? But you TBM the self proclamed best turkey and deer hunter in your bubble are the best! When you stop putting down other animals and actually perhaps hunt an elk someday Id be surprised if we hear from you on here anymore as I think youll be ahsamed.....or too tired for a year to type? Time will tell if you ever branch out as a hun ter so far now you can just keep calling yourself the best!
TBM, you just might be my long lost 4th cousin, twice removed. Keep it comin man.
TBM for the longest time i thought you were just playing games with the chest thumping and such and it was funny. kind of creative and new. a change of pace.
slowly, though, the possibility crept into my mind that you may actually be serious in so much of what you post and when that possibility arose it was then when i began to really feel bad for you.
much more interesting thanks tbm congrats on the last bird you earned it
Tbm yes! time to go blindless and show us an adventure southern style!
Turkeys are starting to work a little. It is fixing to get right here in a week or two. Called this one in thus am and missed. Called another to 80 yards and I think he was old and sharp and saw something. Worked another and he didn't work at all because he was on lockdown with a hen.
Today ends my 18 days off work and I start 11-7 tonight. During that time I hunted mornings and one evening and took my son a couple times during spring break. The morning hunts lasted till around 11:30 am so I got in around 5 hours each day. During my time off I killed 2 and missed one. Those are the only ones that came in to the set and one was a Jake that came in while I was working a tough bird. There were sine ballgames so u didn't hunt every day and we spent most of out evenings practicing. My sons a pitcher playing up with the 11 and 12 group..he us 10 and throws around 60mph with controll. He has an awesome cutter to go along with his fastball. So counting my other 2, So my total is 4 now with one to go. The greenup is just now starting so the rest of the season should be easier.
Worked a hot bird this am but he had hens and they took him for a ride. Didn't hear much but it was a beautiful morning.
The point of the Southern Turkey Bowkill thread is well established and going just as I knew it would. Is spite if season being in almost a month, there are only around 7 kills reported by southern hunters on bowsite. 4 of them are mine. Kansas and Nebraska are loading up already and they just got started good. There are only 4 Alabama kills...0 Mississippi, 2 Georgia, 1 Florida,and 0 lLouisiana.
You are very passionate about turkey hunting and good for you. I just don't think the vast majority are into turkey hunting like you are and that is why you are not seeing the results you are expecting. There are a lot of people that would never take a day off work to turkey hunt yet take weeks of time for big game. I'm sorry if we just don't see it the way you do, but you just can't expect it of people.
I might have been misled but I read somewhere where turkeys had replaced bear as the number 2 most bowhunted animal. I can believe that simply because they are so available....every state has them. Here in the south that are a tradition and we have had them long enough for 4 generations to have hunted them. But even so, people here take them so serious...too serious to bowhunt them. They try...fail...and try again but never have the gumption to stick it out. They just don't come easy here buy that is what makes them so rewarding. A really good tom is as hard to come by as a 350 elk or a 150 whitetail.
One less Longbeard up here near Huntsville, AL
Awesome Russell. The greenup is going to help and turkey are beginning to work. I like the chances on the last 10 days if the weather holds out and it don't get too hot. Keep punching them.
South Carolina April 12 Two year old came in from behind with jakes. Big tom had wandered off so I let one fly. First bird this season. Hunting the next couple mornings. Dave
Sorry about arrow in photo above. I just set it down on the bird next to the bow while I gathered my blind. Doesn't represent path the arrow traveled. :) Dave
Congrats on the bowkill. Not that it matters buy that looks like an older mire mature jake rather than a two year old. His tail fan would tell the story better as the feathers would be uneven. I am after a huge bird with a very short beard..he is old and don't gobble much.
Agree. Good spot. I tried for the two year old but he was a bit blind shy. ;) That jake is headed for the smoker shortly after he finishes taking a spicy brine bath. D
It is supposed to rain tonight and all day tomorrow. Not sure what my plans yet. It might be a lot of lightning so it might be a bust. Just have to play it by ear.
Rained all day today. Setup on a field early but nothing showed. Got stuck had to walk to where I could get a signal, called my dad and he pulled me out. Went to another field and spotted a tom and a hen which was joined by another hen before I could get setup. Got the dekes out in the field undetected and called the tom up to within 80 yards but he didn't want anything to do with the Dakota and CS hens I had setup. He circled behind the blind and got within 30 but too thick to see him. I feel sure this is the tom I missed so he is educated. Probably want fool with him for a couple days. Tomorrow it is suppose to blow and turn cold. My off days Wednesday and Thursday look good and I start 3-11 Friday. Going to have to close the deal in the next 10days or it want get done.
For the last several mornings I havnt got to the woods until about 6:20 due to work schedule. This placed me at a disadvantage on my early hunts as I could not use predawn to get into position near suspected roost sites. I had to stay back and wait for gobbles before moving into position and the toms are in such lockdown with hens it has been difficult to get them to move far from the hens. I am getting my coworker to come in early the next 2 mornings so I will be able to gamble on prime spots and use darkness to get there undected. In the morning I am targeting a spot where I have got a tom to shock gobble twice in the last 5 days, but he wouldn't leave "his" spot. He will have company in the morning if he is there. The severe conditions dictate terrable cut n run tactics so I expect to just wait him out and be patient in the am until around 9.
If you really want a challenge, kill your birds before noon.
Had a solid morning in spite of the wind and rain and cold temps. Finally got a gobble at around 8 and he soon came in but skirted the blind and decoys. I took a shot that I wish I could take back and missed. He wasn't too spooked and stood out at 40 looking. While I soft called to calm him down something hammered the hen decoy to my left. I looked out the side in time to see a coyote retreating fast. That's two animals I have had attack the dekes...a coyote and the bobcat that tried to take one out of my hands.
Worse ways to spend a morning, TBM.
I syill fighting them hard down here in bama town and have arrowed an undiscloseable amount of turkeys and am now going blindless or breast with no success and the skeeters are out in teams so my blood pressure dropped when they sucked it low cause I could not move for fear of being seen. I heard 5 this am and hunted two, one of which I can't seem to pattern or call even good enough to get him to see the dekes. Just about all the turkeys I am hunting I have a history with and they know me better than I know them. Soon it will be over and I already have that sinking feeling....elk will be here soon.
Caalled in three this am and got busted ) - :
Shot a big tom on monday morning here in wisconsin.
Musta been southern Wisconsin.
I guess I should ask if south of the the Mason Dixon line is "Southern" for this thread or if this is simply deep south? I will hang up and listen. :)
Cheesehead Turkey's don't qualify!
What about West Virginia? That is south of the Mason Dixon line or it least most of West Virginia is south.
They hot some nasty turkeys up there I know that. I would call them southern birds, but al, miss, are some of the toughest and southern al and miss is tougher than north state. It's been a tough year down here!!!
Its been tough here too. On the TBM scale it would be equivalent of only killing a 140 in Iowa on a Lakosky property.
Arkansas opening afternoon. So my bird had a 10 3/4" beard a full fan but had no spur on one side and only a 3/8" spur on the other. So is it a jake or adult? It was a first for me. I say a super jake. Only 17 1/2 pounds too.
Theres a southern bowkill. That's a nice 2 year old. Way to go ladd
Set up where I heard one gobble the last two nor ings
If you want a real challenge for turkeys with a bow, come and hunt the mountains of Jackson County in NE Bama. I'd bet you wouldn't sniff limiting out.
The turkeys in Greene County AL are not any easier!
I would love an invite to see. I'm right at green county. The mountain birds and deer are easier to hunt because the pattern better than flat land birds.
Ever heard of Dollarhide?
Coelkbowbunter....beautiful bird Infact the best looking bird on this thread. ..
If you want a real challenge for turkeys with a bow, come and hunt the mountains of Jackson County in NE Bama. I'd bet you wouldn't sniff limiting out." I been limiting out for 30 years and want sniff limitinh out... Whatever...that's pretty funny((((((-:
Well, then why don't you give it a try. A few do it with a shotgun each year, but a lot of the birds they kill are fanned up in fields or are decoyed in to foodplots. I'm talking mountainous wooded terrain, limit with a bow, it just would not happen. If you think it would, then you have obviously never hunted the wooded, rocky outcropping infested mountains of Jackson County Alabama.
If you did do it, which you wouldn't, you could legitamately claim that handle you've given yourself.
I would love to hunt wooded mountain birds...these small pocket birds are so much tougher than what you describe plus I kill wooded birds all the time. I would go through those birds like a matabo through hot butter.
You obviously have no idea, haha, go troll somewhere else, sad to see how delusional some folks can be.
Gotta love it. Someone with birds more unkillable than the birds the infamous TBM hunts. This is getting good!
I might try Jackson co. I like new area and challenges.
Tbm is just a little whiney p---- and its time someone let's him no so there it is! Y'all are welcome!
Nice...you would be a terror on Midwest birds. I killed a couple of Razorback birds on some public ground a few years back.
I see the turkeys head and I also see you modified your now with a slide cable system. You like that better?
I see the turkeys head and I also see you modified your now with a slide cable system. You like that better?
Bou'bound's Link
This is the TBM theme song as performed by Toby Keith
I wanna talk about me Wanna talk about I Wanna talk about number one Oh my, me, mine What I think, what I like, what I know, what I want, what I see I like talking about you, you, you, you, usually, but occasionally I wanna talk about me I wanna talk about me I wanna talk about me Me, me, me, me, me I wanna talk about me Me, me, me, me, me You, you, you, you you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you I wanna talk about me I wanna talk about me Wanna talk about I Wanna talk about number one Oh my, me, mine What I think, what I like, what I know, what I want, what I see I like talking about you, you, you, you, usually, but occasionally I wanna talk about me I wanna talk about me I wanna talk about me Oh, me
Read more: Toby Keith - I Wanna Talk About Me Lyrics | MetroLyrics
My bow was the first matrix that Hoyt came out with and it had a slide originally but had become defective so I changed it out. The next year they came out with rollers so I'm not sure which one I would like more.
I'm getting pretty close to the end of the 2013/2014 season. Thus season was an epic battle where the opposition yielded consistently spaced out shot opportunities and TOUGH shots. On my side I answered the bell with some of my greatest shooting ever. On deer I went 8 for 10 ending on a P&Y minium sized buck....a monster for my area. With turkey I started off 4 for 4 and finished 1 for 3. Counting the monster hog I finished with 14 kills out of 18 shots. All but a few of the shots were above 8 on a scale of 10...10 being the most difficult shot I could make before opting to pass the shot. This turkey season was an epic battle between my will to kill and their will to stay alive. It was a season where my aggressive tactics did not pay the dividends of years past. I probably had only 11 or 12 opportunities where the years prior I had 18 to 25. I think the reason for my "drought" was the number of older birds, the weather patterns, the fact that turkeys did nothing like they had in years prior, and my failure to adjust toa less aaggressive stratigy. I still killed my limit of 5 and that was the goal but I saw a downward trend in my performance,
Looking to next turkey season I think it will be a tough one and it will take everything I've got to limit out. There were few jakes so there will only be really old birds next season. My string of somewhere around 25 consecutive years limiting out in Alabama will be in jeopardy.
Now for the off season I look forward to some equipment advances and new challenges. I am looking forward to getting into elk shape and battling the bucks fall and winter. Hopefully a few bowsite friends will keep me motivated when the summer heat and humidity tops out. I got a long ways to go to stay on top of my game.
Only 4 months to get in shape for elk season. You better start now its hard to breath at "100,000 ft"! I am awaiting the results of the live TBM DIY elk hunt. The difficulty of those southern birds cannot compare to a mature wapiti.
TBM, where/what public land did you hunt in AR?
You know, TBM, there's plenty from you, about you, but do you ever do anything for others,...other than pass along a little education and a lot of how great you are?
Have you ever done something for someone like the guy in the photo...fire-fighter who lost both legs while fighting a grass fire. Some idiot drove down the road, through dense smoke, and pinned him against the firetruck while going about 60 mph?
This was the weekend I'd hoped to go to Nebraska, but I promise you this jake, which this guy insisted was a monster and was afraid he'd have a heart attack, means a lot more to me than killing yet a few more prairie hybrids, or a few more Osceolas, or southern longbeards. Been there, done that way enough, time to share.
There were many years when I was in Florida, and usually Alabama or Mississippi, before Kansas opened. Now I spend most of those days working on a property I don't hunt, for myself, in the spring. Even my 11 year-old little friend/helper/hunting buddy, said he didn't even want to hunt it until the fireman got a bird, even though the kid had probably put in 20 hours trying to help get things ready on the land for this spring!
And you know, what we did for the fireman was nothing really special...it's what people who can are supposed to do for people who can't! I coulda called any one of a half-dozen or so friends and they'd have helped, or even taken the guy themselves.
Shoot, Kyle's on call if I need help with a female Marine "Wounded Warrior" who survived some things that probably would had destroyed most of us. Kyle always gives up the first weekend of archery season to help kids and I have no doubt he'd leave a hard-gobbling bird just to come meet and congratulate someone like the fireman, and/or give up his best hunting spot to take them.
I've never met the Cali guys face-to-face. Wouldn't recognize their voices on the phone or their yelps and cutting on a good slate call (would like to hear Chris, though, to compare)...but I know enough about their character to be sure they'd burn their own tags on the last weekend of the season if they got a chance to help someone like the fireman or a wounded vet.
Nick was a whopping 22 or 23 when I first met him, and a few days back from the Middle East. I immediately knew he was the kind of man who would do the same thing in less time than it takes to type about it.
I've had two different major landowners contact me, offering their lands even before THEY got to hunt, for the kid who had lost his father, the female marine or one of several others I'm hoping to work with.
When she killed a young 10-pointer that had more potential than any deer on the managed ranch, my buddy walked up, congratulated her, hugged her, thanked her and invited her back for turkey and more deer hunting!
You know, I doubt any of the above guys can tell you how many this or that they've killed, or how many "great" shots they've made or missed.
When they die, nobody giving a eulogy will be able to say "Joe bow-killed 121 turkeys, more than anybody in California."
Chances are, though, someone speaking about any one of them may say something like "He's the one that got me started in the outdoors...he called up my first turkey or rattled in my first deer."
...and I'm guessing plenty of heads in the crowd will be giving "me, too!" kinds of nods during the service. How many?..20? ...40?
The number won't be important at all...the main thing is that it will be a lot that might not have gotten to experience it otherwise.
I pm you...don't want everybody to know my places:-)
"but do you ever do anything for others...."
I have to comment on this.....Those I know who truly "do for others", do it anonymously and without expectation of recognition. If they were called out like this, they most likely would not stoop to the level of responding with their list of good deeds.
Writer, I took my preacher one time if that counts ...
I wanna talk about me Wanna talk about I Wanna talk about number one Oh my, me, mine What I think, what I like, what I know, what I want, what I see I like talking about you, you, you, you, usually, but occasionally I wanna talk about me I wanna talk about me I wanna talk about me Me, me, me, me, me I wanna talk about me Me, me, me, me, me You, you, you, you you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you I wanna talk about me I wanna talk about me Wanna talk about I Wanna talk about number one Oh my, me, mine What I think, what I like, what I know, what I want, what I see I like talking about you, you, you, you, usually, but occasionally I wanna talk about me I wanna talk about me I wanna talk about me Oh, me
Read more: Toby Keith - I Wanna Talk About Me Lyrics | MetroLyrics
That was terrible timing...I will unstoop now...my back hurts.
I'm more if a "ba ba ba bad to the bone" guy
Ladd...great picture great bird....nice to see someone hunt them the right way...no blind sitting out in the open....
One bird killed witout a blind is worth 20 with...congrats
TBM- some nice hooks!
Shrug- thank you. Wish I could say my other birds came this way, but I can't. I had a fun day though.
I've killed birds that could not have been killed with a blind because they were so blind shy they would not come near them even if they were brushed in they would see the hole and spook. With birds like that one with a blind would equal 3 blindless. But on average you are not far off. Ibwould say one blindless is equal to 10 with a blind...maybe more, but not quite 20.
That's efervesent tom turkey gobblers...most pretty and makes deer seem easy to kill.
Just read some guy in IL killed his 1st turkey and it was a record. It had a 9.5 inch beard and 3/4 inch spurs but it weighed 40 LBS. Can you imagine.
Sounds like a tame escaped from captivity.
Maybe. I just saw it last night. You might be able to look it up if you are interested. It was in IL and it was a record and just happened a few days ago.
I didn't get to Georgia so my 2014 season is officially over. I tried several new things and want to recap what I learned this year. First I want to recap what I learned about using a heavy full body realistic decoy...in this case Dakota. I started off just using the Dakota and sometimes used a CS hen along with it. I didn't get a lot of turkeys in close enough to see it but the ones hat did came right in. Still I didn't feel it was decisive evedence that it produced better than the CS dekes so I did a side by side comparison. Here the tom difunantly chose to stay near to the Dakota and seemed scared of the CS strutter.
Here they ignored the Dakota and went straight fir the CS. I was in a natural setup and although hadn't moved theey were keeping an eye in me all the time.
One positive note for the Dakota was I only had one tom that positively could see it fail to come in. My dad used CS all season and consistently had turkeys fail to come in but im really not sure how he implemented the use of them so I can't judge on that. I will say the main reason to use CS is their ease if packing and lightweight, but I will also mention that the Dakota was not that big a deal to carry. The downside is it never produced any movement in our mild winds compared to the CS strutter which moves easy in mild winds and drafts.
Another change was make a partial switch to brass incerts and also went to a dropaway rest. I saw a definant increase in penetration and punched out the side of all but one and even got a complete passthrough. Arrows often ended up centered through turkeys with equall parts hanging out bith sides. Could it be the heavier arrow or less drag and better tunes arrow with the dropaway? The head pictured above was shot on an arrow with a standard incert and it too seemed to get better penetration. This leads me to believe the whisker Buscuit has been robbing me my arrows of needed energy.
In summary of the season and the Southern Turkey Hunt/Kill thread I think it made a valid point and accomplish my goals. In spite of it being an off season for my..late spring, rainy weather, poor gobbling..etc, I still killed the Bama Slam...the limit if 5. In spite of the south having the world's best compilation of turkey hunters and some stout bowhunters, the southern kills amounted to what??? 10 kills. It's just tough down here...so tough that though many tried it...many failed to kill even one with a bow and went back to a shotgun. To kill 5 in Alabama with a bow might be one of the toughest accomplishments in archery...3 in Mississippi Ain't far from it and 5 in SC is tough too. This is just a different world and we hunt a different kind of turkey from the rest of he country.
Ouch!!! One of the mane reasons Turkey in the south are tough...this one was toting a #6 and I almost broke a tooth on it. I usually get one or two toying lead every season.
Be sure to chew your turkey carefully.
... glad you did not break your tooth!
Thanks. I don't believe that was lead...it didn't have any give to it.
BowSite is TBM (aka: Steve Grace's) current landing spot, an unfortunately he found the audience he is looking for - an audience that makes him feel worthy and feeds his illness. If you do some simple Yahoo / Google searches you can see his self glorification/promotion demeaning of others pattern of behavior is not new. Go to his youTube channel or facebook page and look at his comments - even when he tries to compliment someone - he beats them down. Since he wasn't able to promote himself and have everyone recognize him as the worlds greatest turkey bowhunter on those other sites, he is now moving on to Bowsite. Somewhere out there he has an argument with himself regarding who is the best turkey hunter ever - him or his dad, and in the end he proclaims that his undocumented 200+ archery kills are a greater accomplishment than his dads 400+ shotgun kills.
Go to his facebook page and see how he is upset because an article regarding a new potential world record deer upstaged his article related to a 6 bearded turkey. His behavior on bowsite is nothing but a continuation of that - yet he has found a receptive audience for 'only his opinions matter'
There was a posting regarding starting a Bowhunters Bugles and Screams club. Steve didn't bite because maybe that's a sore spot for him. Try Googling Bowhunters Beards and Spurs club (go to the archery talk link). Steve tried to start a Bowhunters turkey club that now appears defunct (don't think it ever got much further than the press release really). He even says he has paid to go turkey hunting (now that's not DIY). I wonder who won the bowhunter of the year award. Maybe it was his ego and arrogance that got in the way of that club becoming something.
Unfortunately - Bowsite appears to feeding his self glorification chest thumping ego at the expense of Bowsite quality.
will tbm GO AWAY or CHANGE his ways? We can only hope for the credibility of Bowsite and the sake of humanity he CHOOSES ONE of the options.
Please please please!!!
parasite
[ ?par??s?t ]
NOUN
noun: parasite · plural noun: parasites
an organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host's expense.
•a person who habitually relies on or exploits others and gives nothing in return.
synonyms: hanger-on · cadger · leech · passenger · bloodsucker
WELCOME to 2015
Please! Anyone! For TBM's sake! David
OK Drnaln... I'll throw you a bone. How about the title of this thread? "Southern Turkey Bowhunt/Kill Thread"
That's a long one. I guess if they gave him unlimited letters it might say "Southern Turkey Bowhunt/Kill Thread By People with the Initials S.G. Who Work in Toilet Paper Factories and Managed to Kill a DIY Elk In Montana.. er uh Central Montana Last Year while barefoot"
That way you couldn't post and make hero status unless you met all the criteria for being worthy.
Maybe he could register under another name so the thread would go something like:
TBM: hay ya'll looky here at the impossible feet I dun accomplish.
BigHeadSteve: Wow TBM, you are the man. How did you become the best looking smartest hunter in the world?
TBM: Well BHS I gotta tell you.. you will never be like me. My skills are God given gifts.
BigHeadSteve: Oh I know your highness, I never dreamed of becoming as superhuman as you. I'm just a mere mortal. Can I have your autograph? I want to get it tattood on my a$$.
TBM: Ok, BHS butt don't bee madd if I spell my own name wrong.
BigHeadSteve: That's OK TBM, I just want you on my a$$
TBM: Careful what ewe wish four BHS. My sister said that once big fella. I'm form Alabama. What happens in the blind, stays in the blind down here. That's why our turkeys and sheep are sew hard two catch.
ROTFLMAO!!!!! That's a goodun mule lol
217?!? Where's the proof?
Parasite
[ ?par??s?t ]
NOUN
noun: parasite · plural noun: parasites
an organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host's expense.
•a person who habitually relies on or exploits others and gives nothing in return.
synonyms: hanger-on · cadger · leech · passenger · bloodsucker
Don't dare say your a turkey hunter until u taken 216.25 of these Bamer birds
parasite
[ ?par??s?t ]
NOUN
noun: parasite · plural noun: parasites
an organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host's expense.
•a person who habitually relies on or exploits others and gives nothing in return.
synonyms: hanger-on · cadger · leech · passenger · bloodsucker