As I sat down to read some hunting blogs and write a post of my own, I received a text from my friend Eddy Erautt, owner of Piranha Custom Bowstrings. The message was actually a photograph of Eddy and his tom turkey he arrowed last week. Here is his recap of the hunt. Congratulations, Eddy!
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Opening day for the 2013 Colorado spring turkey season was Saturday, April 13th. I could not make it out for the first two days of the season due to the lack of time. Day 3 of the season was on a Monday, so I headed out to a place where I had previously scouted for turkeys. I got out there a little late to set up so I slowly started moving into the area while calling periodically.
Shortly after arriving at the spot I wanted to set up I caught movement! The first tom of the season moving my way looking for the hen. Shortly after I see more movement and realize there are four more toms! They were 20-30 yards behind the first and all fives of these toms were GIANTS! The first gobble I got out of them was when I got real aggressive on the call. They started to strut, drum and I started to get the fever! I tried soft calls and aggressive calls, but could not manage to get them in range where I wanted to shoot a turkey at with my bow (under 30 yards).
After they moved off it was late so I headed back to the truck. I got to thinking about the encounter and the very next morning found me on the phone ordering a decoy. It was to be delivered the next Friday which was perfect because that was the next day I had free to go hunt! Friday gets here, decoy is delivered, and I am on way back to the same spot.
Just like last time I am running late, so this time I do not call my way into the location. I get there, set up the new decoy and start calling. After about five minutes I hear a gobble then another, I continue to call and the gobbles continue to get closer. After just a few short minutes I here all sorts of racket and then see red heads running toward me. It was a flock of jakes! The jakes came around a group of trees to meet up with three toms that I was calling. They see each other and quickly joined up as if they thought that is where the calling was coming from. None of these turkeys were the giant toms I had an encounter with a few days prior, but I was not going to be picky.
At this time they were probably 60 yards out so I quickly made some soft calls. They looked my way, saw the decoy and came charging!!! In no time I could hardly see the decoy which was 10 yards in front of me because the jakes were surrounding it making all sorts of chatter! The three toms came in slowly and kept their distance to about 20 yards which was all I needed! I drew back as slow as I could, raised my 20 yard pin straight up the leg to center body (trying to break the hips), and released my Gold Tip arrow tipped with a Wac’em broadhead!!! It was a solid hit, but not like you see on T.V. The turkey did not start flopping on the ground and it was game over. Nope, it hobbled and even got off the ground and started flying!! I couldn’t believe it, I thought to myself I just hammered that bird there is no way he could go far.
After a short wait I got up from my stand and started to search thinking he would be laying at the edge of the opening where I called him into. After a short search I found him dead just inside the tree line, about 60 yards from where I shot him, and my 2013 spring turkey season was over!!! One thing I learned is I will never again try to call turkeys again without a decoy; it made the world of difference!
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