Germ

wownice bird

njbuck22

Great work, sounds like you had one heck of a morning with your father.

Rick James

Thanks so much guys, I really appreciate it........he is quite a bird and it was a really great hunt, I am fortunate to have had the chance to take him with a bow and to have had my Dad next to me when it went down.

I am headed back to PA here in a couple hours when I am done running some errands so hopefully I will have another by weeks end.

~Matt

GMMAT

Congrats, RJ.....GREAT bird.

rankbull

way to go.

huntingson

That is a great story and in my opinion totally awesome that your dad and you both got the bird. There is nothing I enjoy more about hunting than hanging out with the old man. It just makes it all that much better. Heck, I get as excited when he getssomething as when I do, and I am sure the opposite is also true. Congratulations to you and your dad.

killzonearchery

Nice turkey,very nice turkey.

gibblet

way to go matt and matt's dad!

zubba

Very nice. Congrats on a fine bird and a fine fine hunt.

Rick James

Well he isn't huge, and he isn't a bowkill, but he and his buddies sure did put on a good show for me this morning.

Yesterday I didn't see or hear a turkey till 3pm or so when a thunderstorm started rolling in. I was outside spraying my soon to be food plots with herbicide, and as thunder would rumble, all of a sudden our one neighbors side hill would erupt in gobbles from multiple birds at every thunderclap. I knew they wouldn't go far in the rain and would probably roost there, so this morning I headed that direction. This morning I brought both the gun and bow to the blind and setup a few decoys. My thought was to bow hunt the blind, but if they wouldn't come off the side hill then go to them and run and gun. Well sure thing this morning they were roosted on the sidehill, and I called and called to them until about 7:30 with lots of responses, but without getting any of them to commit to closing the distance.

I finally decided to hang the bow up in the blind and grab the gun and head towards the birds. I got to the top of the sidehill and across the meadow on the other side I could see the birds, a good 400+ yards away in the woods. I belly crawled to the edge of the field and stuck a single hen decoy out there just 5 yards into the field or so and then headed into the woods about 15 yards back. Once I got settled, I let out a series of yelps and excited cutts on my trusty Deadly Double dual frame mouth call, and all 5 of the birds on the other side of the field sounded off in response. They started my way quickly, and skirted the edge of the field to a single point and then broke out across the field on a bee line to my decoy. They could obviously see it so I just shut up and let them come. 50 yards out they stopped, all gobbled 2-3 times each, 2 of them started chasing each other, and then the rest of them headed my way. They came in a group so tight I had to let 2x of them actually start trying to mount my decoy before they broke up enough to give me a clear shot at a single bird. I took the fattest looking one at about 22 yards with the Mossberg, hit him so square with a load of #5 Winchester Supremes that he didn't even flop.

Anyhow, I am headed back out to do some work on my cabin and a bit more food plot prep work, then later today I am off to NY to hunt a bit with APAJaws and his dad. I still have 2x NY tags and hope to have a chance to take another as well as call one in for APAJaws. With any luck I will have another update for this thread in a few days.

17lbs
6" beard
3/4" - 3/4"