LAST UPDATED: May 8th, 2015
In my last post I was getting ready to head out west on my first wild turkey hunt. To say I was excited would be an understatement. With that hunt now in the “memory bank”, all I can say is that Kansas was good to me and without a doubt it was a blessed hunt. However, my influence in the outcome was minuscule at best. Sure, I practiced with my bow and made certain everything was in order; you know….the usual stuff you do before a big hunt. But, beyond that I would feel like a hypocrite if I tried to portray my good fortune as anything other than surrounding myself with people who knew a lot more than I did.
Greenhorn best describes this guy when it comes to bowhunting long beards.
When I met my guide, I was a little concerned. He was young and full of enthusiasm and I worried he might know as little as I did about chasing turkey’s with a bow and arrow. Thankfully, I was wrong; as his aggressive calling style and youthful “never give up attitude” proved to be a deadly combination.
When the sun came up on my first morning in Kansas I was greeted with a beautiful symphony of endless “gobble-gobble-gobbles”. Turkey’s were everywhere! With each subtle call my guide seemed to orchestrate the perfect invitation. As 5 jakes, 2 long-beards and a lone hen were seduced to within range of our ground-blind I knew it was just a matter if time before my new Mathews eZ7 would get to eat.
The Mathews eZ7 proved to be smooth drawing and super accurate.
Being new to the challenge of chasing turkeys with a bow, I can honestly say I wasn’t going to be choosey with my first bird. As soon as the opportunity presented itself I had every intention of loosing an arrow. To my delight, a certain “Jake” decided he would be the one. Just as he was about to reach full-strut my bow string jumped forward. The shot happened so quickly I almost didn’t see the arrow zip through him. His expiration proved to be just as fast as he was dead-in-the-air within a matter of seconds. With my first tag filled on a handsome “Jake” it was time to go after my first gobbler.
My first turkey with a bow was a thing of beauty…even if he was a “Jake”.
The NAP Gobbler Getter hit him like Thor’s Hammer.
Moving to a different location, Shane (my guide) and I settled in for what we hoped would be an eventful evening. Once again, his aggressive calling and persistent attitude paid off. With a handful of “jakes” showing mild interest in our setup before heading to roost, we were just about to throw in the towel. Then, a lone gobble ignited a glimmer of hope. Thirty minutes later, with shooting light fading, Shane had managed to lure my second opportunity within bow range.
With a change of scenery, hopes were high to fill my final tag.
Peering through the faint camouflage of the blind, I anxiously watched as the long-beard made his way toward our decoy some 15 yards away. When he paused and began to turn his back on his adversary, I drilled him with an NAP tipped, Easton Flatline arrow. Upon impact, the stunned gobbler quickly began to scamper across the lonely field. Hugs and congratulations quickly followed as we watched him topple over some distance away.
With a pounding heart I managed to seal the deal on my first gobbler…thanks largely to the efforts of my young guide.
Looking back now, if I can take credit for anything it would be: surrounding myself with a good turkey caller, having a buddy who was kind enough to envite me along on this hunt (and booking said hunt with a great outfitter), and taking along an awesome bow. After all, when it comes to successfully tagging turkey’s, what more does a greenhorn like me need?
If you would like to book your very own turkey adventure contact Rodney Kelly at Kansas Big Buck Outfitters. God Bless.
