Speckmisser
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2001
- Messages
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OH yeah!
Sometimes it all goes just right!
So yesterday morning, I slipped over to the ranch. I was finally getting a chance to chase these turkeys I've been watching for so long, and I was pretty excited! I got out of the truck and grabbed my bow, turkey calls, and Fertile Myrtle the decoy.
The turkeys have been roosting down in the bottom of the canyon, around a spring, so I figured I only needed to get set up and call a couple of times before daylight. The turkeys almost always came out the same place, and the tom liked to strut in this opening right at the edge of the woods.
I hump it down the hillside, planning to set up in a little clump of brush about 20 yards from the edge of the thick stuff, and right alongside that strutting area.
So I'm all set, yelped a couple of times and got the booming gobble about 60 yards away. It's just a matter of time.
Full daylight comes on strong, and I'm kinda nodding off... almost falling asleep. I sleep good outside, and the rising warmth of the sun is like a blanket you can snuggle right up to. The turkeys are making lots of racket in the brush, though, and I figure they'll come out soon.
Suddenly, they shut up. A minute later, two of them go flying out of the woods in the opposite side of the canyon. What the heck is going on?
I try calling, but no answers. Then I hear rustling in the brush down below, about 25 yards away. Sounds too big to be a turkey, and I wonder if one of the horses has somehow gotten down in the bottom. They never go down in that thick stuff, but sometimes they do stupid things.
The noise is approaching, so I kinda sit up and wait, expecting to see a horse appear at any moment. The bushes start moving, and I watch, but I realize that I'm looking too high.. at horse level. I adjust my gaze and there he is! A BIG ol' boar!
I'm usually not too good at guesstimating the size of hogs on the hoof, but one glance told me this sucker was huge! My heart started pounding, about like it did when I spotted my first elk. I almost forgot I was holding my bow and a nocked broadhead.
He was totally oblivious to me... kinda browsing out along the edge. Still, 25 yards is a little more than I am totally comfortable with, so I waited til he got closer. At 20 yards I started looking for a spot to hit him. At 15 yards, I eased up onto my knees and started to draw. He looked my way, and I froze... my knees aching and quaking.
Finally, he turned his head. In the meantime he'd advanced to within 10 yards!
I looked at my spot... drew real smooth, reciting my mantra (pick a spot...full draw... anchor... smooth release... follow through...) and let the arrow fly!
The shot was dead on perfect. A true dream come true!
Or maybe...
Maybe it was a dream.
Maybe...
It's April Fool's Day!
Sometimes it all goes just right!
So yesterday morning, I slipped over to the ranch. I was finally getting a chance to chase these turkeys I've been watching for so long, and I was pretty excited! I got out of the truck and grabbed my bow, turkey calls, and Fertile Myrtle the decoy.
The turkeys have been roosting down in the bottom of the canyon, around a spring, so I figured I only needed to get set up and call a couple of times before daylight. The turkeys almost always came out the same place, and the tom liked to strut in this opening right at the edge of the woods.
I hump it down the hillside, planning to set up in a little clump of brush about 20 yards from the edge of the thick stuff, and right alongside that strutting area.
So I'm all set, yelped a couple of times and got the booming gobble about 60 yards away. It's just a matter of time.
Full daylight comes on strong, and I'm kinda nodding off... almost falling asleep. I sleep good outside, and the rising warmth of the sun is like a blanket you can snuggle right up to. The turkeys are making lots of racket in the brush, though, and I figure they'll come out soon.
Suddenly, they shut up. A minute later, two of them go flying out of the woods in the opposite side of the canyon. What the heck is going on?
I try calling, but no answers. Then I hear rustling in the brush down below, about 25 yards away. Sounds too big to be a turkey, and I wonder if one of the horses has somehow gotten down in the bottom. They never go down in that thick stuff, but sometimes they do stupid things.
The noise is approaching, so I kinda sit up and wait, expecting to see a horse appear at any moment. The bushes start moving, and I watch, but I realize that I'm looking too high.. at horse level. I adjust my gaze and there he is! A BIG ol' boar!
I'm usually not too good at guesstimating the size of hogs on the hoof, but one glance told me this sucker was huge! My heart started pounding, about like it did when I spotted my first elk. I almost forgot I was holding my bow and a nocked broadhead.
He was totally oblivious to me... kinda browsing out along the edge. Still, 25 yards is a little more than I am totally comfortable with, so I waited til he got closer. At 20 yards I started looking for a spot to hit him. At 15 yards, I eased up onto my knees and started to draw. He looked my way, and I froze... my knees aching and quaking.
Finally, he turned his head. In the meantime he'd advanced to within 10 yards!
I looked at my spot... drew real smooth, reciting my mantra (pick a spot...full draw... anchor... smooth release... follow through...) and let the arrow fly!
The shot was dead on perfect. A true dream come true!
Or maybe...
Maybe it was a dream.
Maybe...
It's April Fool's Day!
