2010 Bivy Turkey Experience
Turkey
A lot of guys might find it funny to hunt turkeys bivy style. In the East it certainly isn't necessary. In New Mexico however, our Merriam's birds live with the elk in some of the most remote wilderness areas. I've always thought turkeys were the ideal game for bivy style hunting. When you bag one, it doesn't take 4-5 trips to pack it out.
This year was a humbling one. I would appreciate your feedback.
The picture is my destination from a distance.
The first animals I encountered were elk. That's pretty typical for this region (Gila).
The backpacking portion of the trip was originally designed to be for three. My Dad and another hunting buddy (Glen) were going to go with me, but a last minute back injury caused my Dad to sit this one out. Glen (My Dad's college buddy) chose to hunt from base camp with my Dad. I was going to do this one solo. My Dad bagged a beautiful gobbler shortly after this pic was taken where he was wishing me well on my 3 day trip into the backcountry.
Skipping breakfast to get an early start I was headed off. My Dad and Glen joked with me saying "It's too late to get an early start."
Within the first mile of my hike I spotted a lone gobbler in the distance. He hadn't seen me so I dropped my pack and retrieved my jake decoy. I crawled into the creek bottom where my movement would be hidden by the 4' vertical embankment. I edged to the side of the embankment closest to the gobbler and carefully reached my right arm over the steep bank to embed the stake for my decoy.
When "jake" was in place I let out a few yelps. Within minutes the large turkey was pacing back and forth mere feet from me. As he turned away, I drew my bow while squatted. I then slowly extended my legs to raise my torso while focusing sharply through my peep. When the 20 yard pin hit that bird's wingbut I released. My arrow buried firmly into the embankment with the nock clearing the riser by less than three inches!!! The shot was so close.....too close. I chuckled at the mishap and quietly celebrated the miss as now I could continue on my backcountry adventure.
Wildlife was plentiful. I spent about 20 minutes watching a beautiful cinnamon colored black bear feeding on spring's ripening grasses. I then stalked this coues deer doe to about 30 yards.
Large snowfall this winter made some beautiful ponds. In previous years some of these were dry "creek" crossings. The moisture was a welcome obstacle.
After 12 miles of wading water and climbing over downfall I wished I hadn't skipped breakfast. Since my missed shot I had a couple failed attempts at calling turkeys and one failed attempt to stalk a non-responsive tom. The wildlife was plentiful and my pace had been somewhat leisurely. Despite my casual pace, my lack of carbs contributed to my decision to call it a day.
When I went to the stream to fill my cooking pot with water I found a perfectly matched set of coues deer antlers laying side by side in the sand. I've always thought small coues antlers were made for the backpacker.
The following day I achieved my original destination. This folks, is the world's heaviest bivy shelter!
Now that my bed is made it's time to go hunting!
I hunted on old burn area. After a few conversations and a couple of run ins with birds I never let the string loose. I decided to spend the afternoon predator calling.
I didn't call in a single predator. Maybe their appetite had been satisfied? I found a few carcasses. I don't know what killed them, but those Mexican Wolves (Lobos) do inhabit this area. I've never seen or heard one, but I did see some tracks this year for the first time. Hopefully NM will not be slow to address the potential problem.
After a full day hunting, I needed to sit and have a break. I hadn't packed in a chair. This is an example of some true Polish engineering.
That night the wind howled like I've never heard before. As I dozed off, I could hear timber breaking and crashing in the distance. I hardly felt a breeze in my bivy cave. When I awoke to find this large Ponderosa broken in two just steps away from my bed it made me glad that I hadn't chosen a lightweight bivy shelter on this particular night.
On the hike out, I spotted a beautiful Tom strutting for a hen in the very meadow where I had made my first night's camp. Not surprisingly he completely ignored my attempts to coax him in. When I finally gave up on the idea of calling him in, I strategized on the best route to stalk this big boss. The winds were still blowing strong and it helped to hide my sounds and movements. When I estimated the distance to be 40 yards, the hen walked behind the trunk of a tree. When the tom's fan hid his head I drew. As he turned broadside I released. The arrow struck the trunk of the tree on the opposite side of the bird about 1/2 inch above the tom's back!
Looks as if you had a great time... Can't put a price on time spent out in nature.
Completely unaware of what had just happened the big 'ol gobbler broke into full strut again. When the opportunity presented it'self I drew. Knowing my first shot was aimed well, but hit high I centered my 30 yard pin on the bird's wingbut. I released. A cloud of feathers exploded from the strutting bird. The hen raced up the slope as the gobbler flapped about on the ground. Instinctively I ran towards the flopping bird. Before I reached him, he gained his feet and ran up the steep slope as if untouched! Not knowing what else to do, I made a desperation shot at the fleeing bird. When the arrow struck behind the running bird, he took to the air. I watched as he sailed behind a thicket of pine trees. He never appeared on the other side. When I retrieved the arrow this is what I found.
Neither the arrow nor the broadhead had a single drop of blood on it. I laughed at my misfortune. I then began to climb the slope to retrieve my second arrow. To my surprise, there was a blood covered feather a few yards up the slope!
Great pics and story, Jesse. Thanks for sharing.
It turns out that there was a steady stream of blood all the way up the slope until the bird went airborne! I scoured both slopes for over two hours. I visited every brush pile in the area looking for that bird. I glassed the tall pines just in case he roosted! I have always prided myself in the fact that (up until yesterday) I had never lost any animal I ever shot with my bow. The remaining 12 mile hike out of that wilderness was one of the longest treks of my life! What happened?
Great story. The wounded animal is unfortuneate. It does happen to us all at some point. It really does suck to hike out after that happens. You just got to take the positives with you after that and you had alot of them.
Pound for pound ...turkeys are the toughest critter going.
I whacked one once that had been shot with a rifle and survived, right up until I killed him.
A turyey's vitals are a very small target, and are situated in a strange area. If you are off by an inch, you could get a complete pass through and the bird could get airborne and sail to a distant ridge. I remember old timers shooting them with rifles back in West Virginia, and losing them on occasion(it was legal to hunt with centerfire rifles). Sorry for the break, but it happens to all of us at one time or another.
I've done it with my bow 6 times but I've had my share of heartache along the way. In the end not one of the best critters to chase with a bow. Maybe that's why we do it.
After my unsuccessful search for that poor bird, I was done hunting. I drew blood, so as far as I was concerned my hunt was finished. As I hiked, I daydreamed that maybe the wound was superficial and the bird would recover? I thought it was possible being that there was no blood at all on my arrow or BH. I figured it was probably unlikely though as that bird seemed to have lost quite a bit of blood on his trot up the slope. Quite a few miles later, I had pretty much settled on the idea that I had made a donation to the local predators/scavengers. I was still sad and disappointed, but found some peace knowing that none of that bird would go uneaten. As I glassed the valley in front of me, I spotted some blaze orange. My first thought was that it could be a hunter, although I don't know any hunters who wear blaze orange during turkey season. As I focused my Swarovski's I decided that it was probably a piece of discarded clothing. Maybe a vest? As I began hiking towards the object, my primary hope was that I was not about to discover a body.
The object was a blaze orange parachute. Attached to the chute by parachute cords was a styrofoam encased, plexiglass covered, electronic contraption. The discoloration of the chute and the conditon of the styrofoam indicated that this thing had been here a while.
A closer inspection revealed that this device was built and launched by a company called "Space Data Corporation". There was a toll free number on the side of the device asking anybody who recovered it to please call the number ASAP. A reward for it's return was also advertised. I took a GPS reading in case it might help this company's cause. I then secured this thing to my pack and continued on.
For those who are curious about the device I found, it's called a skysite. The owner of the company was very generous with his time and explained this device and some of it's uses in great detail. Rather than rambling on about this thing, I'll let you click the link if you would like to learn about this contraption.
On the right side of the web page, if you click on Skysite Overview, there is an excellent powerpoint slideshow explaining what this thing is used for and how it works. Pretty interesting.
it happens to us all find comfort in the fact that never is animal lost wasted , mother nature makes sure of that ,, The turkey wont fill your belly but fill many others,, Great story nice writting ,, I dont think i would have strapped that weird looking object on my pack ....lol louis
Great story. REALLY a great story!
Great story! Go out again and take even more photo's!! Thanks appreciate it. Nothing gets wasted in the forest as city hunter stated
Great story and pictorial, Arctichill! My condolences on the loss of that bird, there's always a next time!
Best of Luck, Jeff (Bowsite Sponsor)
Great story and photos, thank's for shareing.
The following photos will not be in any sequence. Just a few more snapshots of this memorable hunt.
I am always intrigued by the superb camouflage most wild game naturally possess. As bowhunters we spend serious amounts of money investing in patterns which we hope to keep us concealed. A wild turkey can feature the most brilliant and irridescent feathers in the woods and remain unseen. Our Merriam's birds have white tipped tail feathers and when they strut the fan often deceivingly looks like a fallen log. It's amazing to see the resemblance pronghorns and yuccas share. I regularly refer to natural antelope decoys (yuccas) as yuccalopes. While javalina hunting, my heart rate often increases at the site of a barrel cactus.
The picture I took of this coues was taken at about 30 yards. This deer takes up much of the photo. Even so, it's easy to tell that this doe would be very difficult to spot even from within bow range.
As a Realtor, I often find myself discussing views with my customers. It's not uncommon that as a buyer exclaims, "What a great view!" as they peer through power lines and across busy highways that my mind wanders. When it does, this is likely what I see. This is the view I wake up to everyday when I am fortunate enough to be living in one of my favorite places on Earth.
You see, when I go on vacation I STAY in a hotel. When I venture into the wilderness, especially with my bow in hand, I LIVE where I camp. As the age-old cliche goes, there is a difference between living and existing. I do my best to live each day to it's fullest. When I'm in a wilderness that doesn't require any effort.
I hope these ramblings don't sound negative. I love life, and I certainly love my life. I can find beauty in most things. When I'm in a wilderness, I don't have to find the beauty because it envelops me. When the normal stresses of life close in, I temporarily escape and this is what I see.
The upper 3/4ths of my shelter was stained black as the result of smoke from an unknown number of fires. Apaches frequented this area. Geronimo may have shared this sacred retreat? I have found artifacts in this exact spot. There are some beautiful petroglyphs not far from here.
I would never formally document them or disclose their location. The government might decide to place this area on the National Registry of Historic Places and pave a path and someday install an escalator? It's very sad when governmental attempts at preservation create total deterioration. One of the primary jobs of the Forest Service is to "provide access to all citizens". It's a touchy subject, so I'll skirt the issue. I just have a hard time with asphalt, concrete and porta-jon's in "my" forest.
As the sun fades behind the mountain, bats begin to fly. I imagine most of these beautiful airborne mammals are Mexican Short-Tails? Whether they are or not, they are welcome in my home. Actually, I quietly thank them for tolerating me in theirs.
They seem appreciative of the light my fire provides as it attracts insects such as moths. While the majority of Americans stare at an HD TV, I observe these lively, mini-jets swoop in and out of sight as they feast on the meal I've unintentionally provided. I have seen slow motion footage of how they utilize their wings as scoops to capture prey and direct it into their mouths. In real-time I can only imagine the intricasies of their methods. The sounds of their squeaks are overpowered by an owl in the distance.
I wished Glen were here. Glen can identify nearly any bird in the western hemisphere simply by it's call. Many evenings I have laid in this spot when Glen quickly grabbed his pencil and tattered notebook and disappeared into the darkness. He would return later with a full written report of what birds of the night had been vocal that particular night. On this particular night I find solace in knowing that I am where I belong.
For those who may not know, a thick layer of pine needles makes about the best mattress imaginable. My sleep number ranges from between 6-8 inches thick. Luckily, last year's bed remains made. As the picture clearly shows, another critter has borrowed my sleeping quarters. The strong presence of hair indicates that this scat was definitely left by some predator. It isn't very big, but this is only a portion of the original "deposit". Whether it was a coyote, bobcat, wolf, mountain lion or bear I cannot tell. In any case, I am the predator who claims this bed tonight.
I first saw this burn area when I was 12. At that time, the fire had just recently occured. My Dad spoke then of how the area used to look. I remember thinking how tragic the wildfire was. I had images of animals running from dangerous flames and their homes being destroyed. Perhaps my young imagination had been influenced by one of the world's most successful story tellers, Mr. Walt Disney?
It's humbling to gaze at this valley now and remember having seen the area when it looked like nothing more than an oversized ash tray. At twelve years old, each step would result in a small, dry cloud of black and gray soot puffing out from beneath the soles of my small boots. Now, at 29 years old, each step seems to disfigure a print left by the elk. It's obvious that wildlife abounds in this rich new-growth oasis. Thick, dark timber surrounds the area. I can imagine velvet antlered ungulates migrating into this open area to feed on fresh sprouts without having to worry about banging their sensitive, growing antlers on the wooden maze it used to be.
I don't believe I'll live to walk through this valley when the forest is fully mature. Walt Disney died before Disney World ever opened. I've heard that when Walt's brother, Roy Disney consoled Walt's Wife Lillian by saying, "I'm sorry Walt wasn't able to see this." Her response was, "Walt did see this and that's why it was built." True vision is powerful. My vision for this land is that while always changing, it must always remain wild.
Contrary to some people's beliefs, bowhunting is not just about the kill. One of the exciting things about bowhunting are the things you see. Even more exciting to me are the things I do not see. When I found this "whale tale" broken off in an open but secluded meadow my imagination took over. I took a picture of the broken end of this bull's antler next to my 2005 Allegiance for a size reference.
I don't think this bull would have broken any records, but I don't think he cares about that. I wonder if he won the fight? I guarantee he carried some impressive headgear. The circumference of the antler where it broke was wider than the widest part of my bow's riser. A section of forest floor remained disrupted where the battle had occured. I suppose a long and snowy winter preserved the evidence of the contest.
I have personally seen bull elk fight in the heat of the rut. I have seen videos of bulls competing violently for the right to the cows who fed around the perimeter of the imaginary ring looking up periodically as spectators to the bout. I don't believe I have ever seen a more spectacular battle than that which I saw here on this day in April...with closed eyes.
Imagination is one of the best companions when one is alone in the wilderness. One evening I sat and imagined the young coues deer who wore these ornaments. Two tines were broken off his right side. What was a young deer like this doing that caused him to break two tines?
The picture may not show it, but I think this buck will sport a small cheater on each antler this coming fall. Right at the base of each antler I believe he will grow a 1-2 inch tine that points nearly straight out towards his nose. If he gets old enough he may be the only coues deer with double shovels similar (but much smaller) to those grown by caribou. How honored I would be if someday I might see this deer alive and know these antlers had belonged to him.
The power of the wind is remarkable. To see a huge pine toppled by it's force would grab anyone's attention. Some may overlook the less massive victims created by such a wind storm.
I could find no fragments of egg shell near this fallen nest. Some small fresh down was attached to the delicately woven grass indicating that this refuge had been used very recently. Perhaps this grass woven basket had not yet harbored the delicate eggs it was designed to protect.
I observed the trees intently hoping to catch a glimpse of the bird which may have constructed this piece of work. I wondered how long such a nest would take to build? I wished I could put it back where it was prior to it's being dislodged by the merciless wind. I could see no sign of the builder.
Did the bird who chose this site for it's nest conclude that it required a more sheltered area? This baseball-sized nest must have been put together by a pretty small bird. Where would such a small bird go in the torrential winds of last night? Could the strength of it's tiny talons grip a branch tightly enough that it might have withstood yesternights gales? I silently wished the bird luck with the placement and construction of it's new home.
As I reluctantly hike out of the wilderness I cross this set of fresh wolf tracks. Wolves once naturally inhabited this area. Then, they were gone. Now they are back. Although this wilderness seems protected from asphalt and escalators for now, our human impact cannot be reversed. Sadly, it is now up to us to manage a balance in these wild lands. As beautiful and serene as this land is, our involvement has polluted it's pureness.
Very well done Jesse. Your writing helps us all redefine the classic description of success, and enforces the notion that we can find rewards, even in our failures. Thank you so much for sharing your traditional values. Mike
Great thread. I truly enjoyed it.
Awsome post. Thanks for that great read and great pics. Sorry about your bird but I was glad to see you were happy with your hunt and the experiance.
Thanks for the post and the story
Great post! Thanks! Charlie
Thanks for the great story and pics
Hey Jesse, I enjoyed that alot. Paul
Not very many people 'get it', even among bowhunters. It's very clear that you do.
Your storytelling makes those photos come alive!
Great story. Shared on FB.
happy hunting, dv
A refreshing take. Well done.
Very well done. Thanks for sharing.
What an awesome idea! Next spring it will be a turkey bivy hunt for me.
Thanks for sharing.
Great story and pics, thanks for sharing.
A very enjoyable read!....
Very cool! Thanks for sharing, my most memorable hunt ever was in the Gila, and it also ended with tag soup. amazing country!
Thanks for the kind words gents! It's been a few years since this hunt, but it's one of the ones I think about all the time. Since we're on the subject of Turkeys...Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
