# HunterHawk's Bow Pics!



## casscityalum (Aug 27, 2007)

Beware Really Really long Story

From Hawk-Well this morning was an interesting morning to say the least. Last night my uncle went out to a piece of property he leases and said he saw 4 hens and could hear Toms lighting up like crazy in the woods and to our knowledge they hadnt been hunted, and the landowner right next to him said they had seen a monster and had heard tons of toms gobbling all over in the 1st season, so i made up my mind that is where my 1st set up would be of my week long season (ZE Private or Public) 

Things started out a bit shaky at first, I stayed at my parents house because it is a stones throw away from the piece of property i would be hunting and my mom comes in my room at 440 and says hey i thought you wanted to get up at 430, i look at the alarm clock and it said pm instead of am..... not sure how the heck that happend... the alarm was set for am so i am guessing my mom set the clock... But what a mom.... i still havent asked her what the heck she was doing up but i am glad she was because i doubt i would have woke up.. so i was running around to get ready (lucky i got most of it around last night and i get down stairs and i try to call my uncle..... Straight to the voicemail... so im thinking crap he isnt up either, well i wasnt going to waste my hunt and we agreed on meeting at my house at 5 so i waited till 5 and started loading my truck....5:05 i tried calling again and no answer so i pulled out and got 20 yards down the road when i see a truck coming... its my uncle... his phone died the night before when i was talking to him and he didnt turn it back on... rookies :lol:

The Hunt

We still got there in plenty of time because like i said it was on the other side of the block (that was the stones throw, i got one heck of an arm), so we start the long walk back to where we are going to hunt, we have the pretty boy and pretty girl decoy bag filled with a couple extra secret wepon decoys, two chairs, my bow, the camera and the worth every penny double bull blind.... on the way to where we were heading me and my uncle kept arguing over where to set up, he wanted to keep going in towards the swamp and i wanted to set up more towards the field, well im not sure who won that battle or who was right or wrong because I ended up getting the turkey, but anyway turns out we were way to close to the roost... for me anyway... i would say we were between 70-80 yards maybe a little further from the roost and when the flew down sure enough they flew the other way towards the field! I WIN..... we sat there for what seemed like for ever and saw 1 hen and the Toms stopped gobbling completely once they hit the ground, I'm thinking oh no just like what everyone was saying on line... 

Oh well I was out hunting... good enough and had heard what sounded like 1000 toms in the morning, it was awesome they were all around us gobbling.... I live for that sound!!!

So we saw one hen and heard a few other hens and no gobbles from probably 7 to probably 10 o clock... talk about depressing!!

I was doing my usual stick my head as close to the entrance of the blind as possible and look as far as i could to one side or the other and i see a huge REALLY PRETTY light brown fan all fanned out.... couldn't even see the turkeys body just the fan... but it was a welcome sight after not seeing anything for 3 hours... he was about 150 yards away or so when i saw him and for a while when i was calling he was on a string coming right in, i got all excited only to have him hold up at around 50 yards!!!

I have never had a turkey hold up like this, he must have been there for close to 20 minutes strutting and putting he would go one way that looked like he was coming in then he would turn right around and go back the other, i have never been so frustrated in all my life, I told my uncle i didnt want to shoot anything under an 8 inch beard, and i knew this turkey was close to my cut off mark but it turned into more of a challenge than anything at that point....

usually when they are strutting and putting back and forth they are within 20 yards or so and usually a quick arrow comes right after.

Anyway he finally got bored or nervous (my guess is he didnt feel like fighting the pretty boy and the hen wouldnt come so he was going to go find some more ladies) Either way he made a big mistake, instead of turning around and going the way he came he tried to just go far enough away so he was kind of going away from us but at the same time he was getting closer only because he had to go around some water, We werent sure the yardage my uncle said around 30 yards or so i guessed it at about that far or a little farther so i decided to hold about his head i figured because i only have one pin, the turkey was now on a quick trot trying to get out of there before pretty boy came over and chased him, I drew back and gave a couple clucks and he hesitated for a spit second he didnt even stop and WACK my spitfire hit PERFECT, i also had on the archer flame nocks and although it was bright out once it got to the turkey i could tell it was a perfect shot.... and like i said before there are certain times you get out of the blind and run to the turkey and other times you clearly dont have to, well like i said this turkey turned out to more of a challenge and even though i dropped him in his tracks i nocked another arrow and took off but he was down and not moving by the time i ran the 35-37 YARDS!!!! i paced it twice, once on the way back from the bird and once on the way to where the blood and feathers were... 35 the first time and i believe the 37 was actually more accurate... either way an amazing hunt even though it wasnt the biggest bird i have ever shot it was defiently the most challenging and i prevailed!!..

It had a 9 inch beard and i believe both spurs were 1/16th of an inch short of an inch ... darn bird... i could have bent the tape measure and made it look like it was more:lol: but i gave the bird what he deserved!

**** Also part of my birds beard was froze off, this is like the 3rd beard that our group has got that the beards were froze off, dang cold snowy winter!!!!

I dont have the pictures of this bird i had to get it cleaned asap because of the heat but dont worry i had my uncle take a few pics on his camera and Dan (casscityalum) was nice enough to drive from Howell after his hunt to my house in mason and took the pics of my turkey for this contest... so the pics are to come after dans hunt.

if you read this whole thing that is awesome and i had a blast hunting... not writing this though :lol: sorry it was so long guess im still in writing mode and no i did not edit this
1st Spur


2nd Spur


9" Beard



Craig and Bird


And again


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## HunterHawk (Dec 8, 2005)

You the man Dan!!! thanks for posting this 

ps those pics of the spurs kinda sucked so for the contest they are going to have to take my word or i am going to have to take a new pic


Video to follow when i get it from my uncle


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## casscityalum (Aug 27, 2007)

Congrats Hawk and you can tell there short of an 1"......im out for right now later bud


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## Critter (Mar 3, 2006)

Awesome! What a great story.


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## deathfromabove (Mar 2, 2005)

Awesome bird!!!!!

Bows Rule!!!!!!


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## Fred Bear (Jan 20, 2000)

Nice bird!! and with a bow no less. GOOD JOB!!!


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## jeffthedj (Mar 27, 2006)

Great bird bro! looks like its time to fish! I think you beat me by a little!..and you shot it with a bow which makes it all the better..My turn with the bow next year


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## Firefighter (Feb 14, 2007)

outstanding!


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## Ack (Oct 3, 2004)

Great job Hawk...congrats! :coolgleam


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## BVW (Jul 25, 2002)

Awsome Job Craig!! A Bird with a Bow is always a great Bird!
Congrats!
BVW


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

Great job CraigAwesome story too. Sounds like you had an awesome hunt and bagging another bow trophy is always a good thing. I knew I would be reading of your success and I wasn't wrong. I was hoping to be out there myself by now but things have kept me away so far and I'm getting pretty antsy. Again congrats on a great job!


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## HunterHawk (Dec 8, 2005)

Hey Dave let me know if you want to video you! we are going to try to put all these hunts together on a dvd or something! my dad didnt get his on video though  but we have 5 turks with a bow and 1 with a gun on video i believe.... plus we have some old hunts, if i have time i will do some editing and put one together...or hire someone because i think it would be a blast let me know if you are interested!

thanks for the comments guys!


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## Thunderhead (Feb 2, 2002)

Great story and a beautiful bird !!


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## muckamuck4 (Sep 15, 2006)

Congrats Hawk! It was a ...little poke, so i'll give ya some credit. When you get a chance can you put the bowfishin on tape for me?


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## ottertrapper (Jan 6, 2006)

Congrats on a great bow kill!! OT


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## harrisonhunter (Nov 5, 2003)

Congrats Great job with the bow.


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## daxter (May 11, 2006)

Rock on! What type of broadhead did you use?


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## HunterHawk (Dec 8, 2005)

SPITFIREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSS

*use the screwdriver that comes with them and tighten the screws, it makes the blades open up easier... i do that with all of the broadheads deer or turkey same thing... quick clean kills and amazing blood trails!... and never had the blades come open before it got to the critters

Shot 4 turkeys with them.... 3 didnt hardly move... just a bit of flopping or run 5-10 yards and drop.... they are awesome... my uncle uses them also and he has shot 5 with his bow... they kick butt.... i wont shoot anything else

thanks for all the coments guys1


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## Firefighter (Feb 14, 2007)

even a blind squirrel finds a nut.........


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## Ferris_StateHunter (Apr 24, 2006)

wait wait, You mean to tell me that my turkey I shot this year is bigger than good ole turkey slayer craigs bird?? Yah baby!! Nice bird though man


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## HunterHawk (Dec 8, 2005)

its hard to be on top every year... underdogs always trying to take you out:lol:.... mine was with a bow though...


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## bishs (Aug 30, 2000)

Congrats!!!!


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## Firefighter (Feb 14, 2007)

daxter said:


> Rock on! What type of broadhead did you use?


 
I heard he uses exploding tips. All he has to do is put the arrow within ten feet of the bird and BAM! Dead turkey. shooting them with a gun is harder...:lol::lol:


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## HunterHawk (Dec 8, 2005)

Firefighter said:


> I heard he uses exploding tips. All he has to do is put the arrow within ten feet of the bird and BAM! Dead turkey. shooting them with a gun is harder...:lol::lol:


 
ever see Rambo first blood? :SHOCKED:... WORKS EVERY TIME!!!


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