# Turkey Down with VIDEO



## LTCracc (Feb 8, 2007)

It started off like I'm sure a lot of your hunts did. Gator and I sat in the double bull watching snow accumulate on the decoys. We spent the first four hours of turkey season losing feeling in our fingers and cursing the weather. The first morning still produced bird sightings. We had a Tom come out to the field and act tough until three dominate toms showed up and reminded him who ran the show. We watched as they spent three hours chasing the smaller Tom around guarding the hens they were with. We broke for lunch and were back out a few hours later. 

We moved spots but it only produced one hen the whole afternoon. We called it a day after being up for 36 hrs straight due to working midnights. 

Tuesday morning, the 19th, we were situated in the same field as the day before. We sat for an hour and nothing. We decided to move and while walking down a road we spotted two strutters 200 yards down a wide trail. We assumed they were moving north so we set up in the woods anticipating there arrival but they never showed. We went back to where we last saw them and they were still there. 

We waited for the birds to get out of sight and we hustled down towards them. Wally has hunted these birds for the last 15 years and I started in 2009. In the last three years I've gotten good at setting up the blind while he strategically sets out the dekes. We were set up in a few seconds without detection. The birds were still 150 yards away but it was soon discovered they were with hens and there wasn't two toms but a half dozen of em. Lucky for me the slate was in Wallys hands and he worked his magic. Within the course of 15 minutes the birds had closed the distance and they were approaching the 30 yard barrier. 

The hens peeled off into the woods but the toms were too intrigued with the Jake and two hen set. During the last two years of bow hunting these creatures, I have not been successful. I've made many mistakes and learned the lessons the hard way. Ive had plenty of long rides home with the radio off being pissed at myself. I kept those lessons in the back of my mind while the first Tom came in around 9:30am. I wasn't gonna rush the shot. I was gonna settle in and squeeze. I was ready or so I thought. 

The Tom is now standing in full strut less than 10 yards, when I come to full draw. With the thousands of dollars of equipment I have I was too cheap to buy a real facemask and decided to make one out of knit hat. Here lies the problem. As I'm at full draw I close my left eye and I am now staring at a piece of fabric between the eye holes in my mask. I opened my left eye and a light bulb went off, I had a sight picture. I lined up the shot right where I wanted it and let the carbon express fly. Clean MISS! After the fact it dawned on me your aim changes when you open both eyes. Not my greatest moment. But then redemption! 

I'm now thinking about giving my bow away and the drive home I've had the last two years. The good thing was it was a clean miss. The Tom wasn't even concerned, he looked around, gobbled, and carried on his business with the dekes. I stayed below the window and knocked another arrow. I again came to full draw but I still had the mask issue. I used the thumb on my release hand to grab the eye hole and pull it down. I now had what I've been daydreaming about for three years. A bird facing me in full strut and a perfect shot. I let the arrow fly and when the rage hit it's breast I heard that undeniable sound. The bird limped away ten yards before two other toms attacked it. Wally threw up the blind and took off after it. Wally is not a sprinter by trade but I saw him run 4.4 40. Wally caught up to the bird as it was trying to take flight. Hey WG great hustle, you kept your head on a swivel!!!! 

It was a success after three seasons! And yet another lesson was learned. If your going to hunt with a homemade facemask practice with it. There would be no way this would have happened without Gator. Bringing those birds in on a string from 200 yards was a thing of beauty and skill. 

Thanks for reading. The video link below is the hunt. Enjoy! 

Cracc


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## Firefighter (Feb 14, 2007)

Freaking awesome! 

Great story and video!

Way to stick it out and congrats on a trophy bird with a bow.


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## Big Reds (Oct 14, 2007)

Nice hunt!


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## MurfsTurf (Sep 24, 2010)

Awesome video! Way to throw Harry in there to lighten the mood... Jeff Daniels, A michigander his self. Good job man! Whats the specs?


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## Horseshoe (Oct 15, 2003)

Good job on the story and the video. Very nice bird too! Thanks for sharing.


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## Wally Gator (Sep 21, 2007)

OMG dude, that video turned out AWESOME! Tell Mel she's a saint, and thank you from me to. I gotta say, when that first arrow didn't hit it's mark, I had that same sick feeling in my stomach as you did, but you held it together like pro, and put the next one right in the bread basket!  Thanks for all the prop's LT, I did my best to put a longbeard in front of you, and it worked out. This hunt is burned into my harddrive forever, and I can't wait to do it again next year with ya. Congratulations on a fine spring Gobbler with your bow, you more than deserve that one!  It was another great hunt, and this time you have the trophy for your freezer. Well done Sir, the rest of them should just fall into your lap now. :lol: :coolgleam


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## dja05 (Nov 10, 2008)

I loved the slow motion of the kill shot after the real time showing. That was totally awesome! Congrats to you and everyone who got to share the moment with you. Truelly the hunt of a life time.


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## gunrod (Jan 16, 2001)

Nice job Cracc. Wally was telling me about it work the other day. He seemed just as excited as he was when he was there.


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## agross (Jan 18, 2009)

Awesome!!! Great bird and great job with the video loved the slow mo


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## superposed20ga (Dec 14, 2005)

Excellent hunt and video. I'd never thought to use music to call in the turkeys. But in all seriousness, excellent hunt.


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## Bluesuten (Jan 30, 2004)

Well played Cracc. U make it look easy. Nice video. Turkey in spring is good luck for the rest of the year!!

Sounds like a bolt of lighting from Zeus going through his chest, in that slowmotion replay. Sweet


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## Lomanz (May 5, 2009)

Congrats on the long beard.


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## Bux-n-Dux (Dec 18, 2009)

Alice in Chains to bring em close? I never thought of trying that...but I like it! These must have been transplanted birds from Seattle!?!? Awesome video, thanks for sharing.


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## Playin' Hooky (Aug 29, 2002)

Beautiful! Given the end result, the miss only adds to your legend! Congrats!

Eric


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## LTCracc (Feb 8, 2007)

Guys thanks for all the replies.


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## BeLikeMike (Jan 31, 2008)

Wow! that was awesome!


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## boltaction (Dec 5, 2001)

Awesome video. Congrats, nice turkey.


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## adam bomb (Feb 27, 2006)

Damn that was awesome!!!!


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## The Turkey Guy (May 8, 2011)

Very nice bird! always a accomplishment to shoot a tom with a bow!


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## koz bow (Nov 18, 2006)

Great shot and great video! Congratulations on an awesome hunt. That winter scene at the beginning brought back memories as I was in it, without a blind.


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## The Turkey Guy (May 8, 2011)

very nice video like after u shot him the other toms attacked his body.


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