Ron LaClair
In Rembrance
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2004
- Messages
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My turkey season opened on 4-21-08. I was in my blind with both bow and flintlock fowler before daylight. As the eastern sky started to brighten, I heard a gobble to the east from a roosting gobbler. The sky got lighter but I couldn't see very far because of a heavy fog. Then another gobble broke the morning stillness from the west behind me, I thought, "this is gonna be a great morning".
I was hunting the family farm about an hours drive north of where we live in southern Michigan. I had came up on Saturday so I could scout things out and get my blind set for Monday morning. The neighbors across the road said they had been seeing a bunch of turkeys every day in our narrow hay field between two woodlots. These woodlots both had high trees, the kind turkeys like for roosting.
I was dressed in primitive garb, moccasins, leggins, hunting shirt and frock. I had my osage bow and my English flintlock fowler. I figured, if a bird came in close, I'd take him with one of my self nocked cedar arrows with steel trade points tied on with moose sinew. If he was out of comfortable bow range then the 12ga. loaded with 80gr's of 2ff behind 100gr's of #6 shot would reach out and touch him.
As the sun started to peek over the trees it illuminated the fog...a beautiful sight and as I watched, a doe came to the edge of the field in front of me. She saw my two turkey decoys and stopped to give them the once over before she moved on, giving me time to get my camera out of my haversack and get a picture of her in silhouette
he fog kept the birds on their roost a little longer than usual but eventually it lifted and I heard an occasional gobble as the birds started to move to their morning feeding areas.
I gave some soft clucks and purrs on my old box call but they went unanswered. This old call had proven it's self many times over the years. It was made for me by a friend in 1988. I took my first bird with it that year. It is made out of walnut instead of the usual cedar and it has a deep raspy tone that the Toms seemed to like.
As the morning progressed without having any birds coming close to me, I was beginning to wonder if my first thoughts of a successful hunt had been premature. Then about 8:30 I saw my first turkeys. They were crossing the end of the field about 200yd's north of me. I quickly grabbed my call and gave some loud yelps. The birds stopped and one of them opened his fan to show my hen decoy what a beautiful specimen he was. They evidently had a destination in mind because even with my best coaxing and seductive calling they continued on their way.
As the morning progressed and the fog lifted, I started to feel the warmth of the sun. My eyes got a little heavy, I wasn't used to getting up so early. My head sunk down on my chest for a little while and I was drifting in and out of a dream state. A Tom gobbled a short distance away and it brought me out of my daze and put me on alert. Where'd that come from?... then he gobbled again...to the east of me over in the other field. I worked my call, loud enough so he could hear and he answered immediately. My heart started to hammer, I waited a little and called again....no answer. I called again.... no answer. Then I saw a bird moving down the other field, going to my right, then another and another. They like the last birds weren't interested in my calling and had another destination in mind.
This first season can be a hit or miss. If you hit it right, the birds will respond with enthusiasm...or as in this case, no interest. Evidently the hens weren't hot yet, or the Toms weren't in the mood. Whatever the reason, things weren't working out as planned on this first morning.
I told myself I was going to hang in there until at least 10:00am. That's a long sit for me...I'd been in my blind since 5:30. I love the early mornings when things are just starting to wake up and the dampness of the early morning dew, (or fog as in this case) enhances the smell of the woods. As it got close to 10 I started wishing I'd had more than a cup of coffee and a slice of toast before leaving the house. In my hurry to get out before daylight I'd forgotten to put anything to munch on in my haversack. My stomach was starting to remind me of that fact, as it growled in protest.
My mind was more on the subject of food than it was on hunting turkeys when out of the corner of my eye I caught a movement. As I turned my head slightly to look, I saw FIVE turkeys coming towards my decoys. I had been calling a little every 5 minutes or so just to let any Toms in the area know that there was a lonely hen in the vicinity.
The 5 young Jakes had come in from the side very quietly to look over my two decoys,... a Jake and a Hen. I held back the urge to move quickly and grab my bow. They were close enough that I knew that if I didn't move very slowly and quietly they might hear or see me and if they did... the jig would be up.
I slowly reached for my bow that was close at hand and raised it carefully. The birds were kind of clustered together,some of them had their necks stretched out towards the decoys trying to figure out if they were real. I chose the closest one and started my draw. The turkeys by this time had come to the conclusion that my decoys were not real and started to turn away from them. As my anchor hand touched my face and the steel tipped arrow was lined on the bird of my choice, the string slipped from my fingers and the feathered shaft was on it's way.
The next seconds are kind of a blur, I remember hearing the thud of the arrow just after I lost sight of it, and the Jake springing straight up as a few feathers were drifting in the air. I had a sinking feeling that the shot was a little too low. My intended victim ran out and away form his companions...slowed and then started back towards the other birds who at this time were alarmed by the commotion. The birds nervously started away from the scene at a quick walk.
My bird was now catching up with his buddys and a second shot with the bow while possible didn't seen to be as good an idea as a load of #6 shot from my fowler. Remember now, this all happened in a matter of seconds and I was operating on instinct, not having time to reason things out.
I dropped the bow, grabbed the gun... and as I was bringing it to my shoulder, at the same time the hammer was being eared back to full cock. I leveled the gun at the bird who by now was a good 30yd's away. As soon as the front bead crossed the head of my bird....the hammer fell and 100gr's of shot knocked him floppin. As it turned out I made the right choice because as I suspected my broadhead did indeed hit low in the birds innards passing completely through the bird and beyond. Even though it would have been a fatal shot, chances for recovering him before he got into the brush were slim to none.
I was hunting the family farm about an hours drive north of where we live in southern Michigan. I had came up on Saturday so I could scout things out and get my blind set for Monday morning. The neighbors across the road said they had been seeing a bunch of turkeys every day in our narrow hay field between two woodlots. These woodlots both had high trees, the kind turkeys like for roosting.
I was dressed in primitive garb, moccasins, leggins, hunting shirt and frock. I had my osage bow and my English flintlock fowler. I figured, if a bird came in close, I'd take him with one of my self nocked cedar arrows with steel trade points tied on with moose sinew. If he was out of comfortable bow range then the 12ga. loaded with 80gr's of 2ff behind 100gr's of #6 shot would reach out and touch him.
As the sun started to peek over the trees it illuminated the fog...a beautiful sight and as I watched, a doe came to the edge of the field in front of me. She saw my two turkey decoys and stopped to give them the once over before she moved on, giving me time to get my camera out of my haversack and get a picture of her in silhouette
he fog kept the birds on their roost a little longer than usual but eventually it lifted and I heard an occasional gobble as the birds started to move to their morning feeding areas.
I gave some soft clucks and purrs on my old box call but they went unanswered. This old call had proven it's self many times over the years. It was made for me by a friend in 1988. I took my first bird with it that year. It is made out of walnut instead of the usual cedar and it has a deep raspy tone that the Toms seemed to like.
As the morning progressed without having any birds coming close to me, I was beginning to wonder if my first thoughts of a successful hunt had been premature. Then about 8:30 I saw my first turkeys. They were crossing the end of the field about 200yd's north of me. I quickly grabbed my call and gave some loud yelps. The birds stopped and one of them opened his fan to show my hen decoy what a beautiful specimen he was. They evidently had a destination in mind because even with my best coaxing and seductive calling they continued on their way.
As the morning progressed and the fog lifted, I started to feel the warmth of the sun. My eyes got a little heavy, I wasn't used to getting up so early. My head sunk down on my chest for a little while and I was drifting in and out of a dream state. A Tom gobbled a short distance away and it brought me out of my daze and put me on alert. Where'd that come from?... then he gobbled again...to the east of me over in the other field. I worked my call, loud enough so he could hear and he answered immediately. My heart started to hammer, I waited a little and called again....no answer. I called again.... no answer. Then I saw a bird moving down the other field, going to my right, then another and another. They like the last birds weren't interested in my calling and had another destination in mind.
This first season can be a hit or miss. If you hit it right, the birds will respond with enthusiasm...or as in this case, no interest. Evidently the hens weren't hot yet, or the Toms weren't in the mood. Whatever the reason, things weren't working out as planned on this first morning.
I told myself I was going to hang in there until at least 10:00am. That's a long sit for me...I'd been in my blind since 5:30. I love the early mornings when things are just starting to wake up and the dampness of the early morning dew, (or fog as in this case) enhances the smell of the woods. As it got close to 10 I started wishing I'd had more than a cup of coffee and a slice of toast before leaving the house. In my hurry to get out before daylight I'd forgotten to put anything to munch on in my haversack. My stomach was starting to remind me of that fact, as it growled in protest.
My mind was more on the subject of food than it was on hunting turkeys when out of the corner of my eye I caught a movement. As I turned my head slightly to look, I saw FIVE turkeys coming towards my decoys. I had been calling a little every 5 minutes or so just to let any Toms in the area know that there was a lonely hen in the vicinity.
The 5 young Jakes had come in from the side very quietly to look over my two decoys,... a Jake and a Hen. I held back the urge to move quickly and grab my bow. They were close enough that I knew that if I didn't move very slowly and quietly they might hear or see me and if they did... the jig would be up.
I slowly reached for my bow that was close at hand and raised it carefully. The birds were kind of clustered together,some of them had their necks stretched out towards the decoys trying to figure out if they were real. I chose the closest one and started my draw. The turkeys by this time had come to the conclusion that my decoys were not real and started to turn away from them. As my anchor hand touched my face and the steel tipped arrow was lined on the bird of my choice, the string slipped from my fingers and the feathered shaft was on it's way.
The next seconds are kind of a blur, I remember hearing the thud of the arrow just after I lost sight of it, and the Jake springing straight up as a few feathers were drifting in the air. I had a sinking feeling that the shot was a little too low. My intended victim ran out and away form his companions...slowed and then started back towards the other birds who at this time were alarmed by the commotion. The birds nervously started away from the scene at a quick walk.
My bird was now catching up with his buddys and a second shot with the bow while possible didn't seen to be as good an idea as a load of #6 shot from my fowler. Remember now, this all happened in a matter of seconds and I was operating on instinct, not having time to reason things out.
I dropped the bow, grabbed the gun... and as I was bringing it to my shoulder, at the same time the hammer was being eared back to full cock. I leveled the gun at the bird who by now was a good 30yd's away. As soon as the front bead crossed the head of my bird....the hammer fell and 100gr's of shot knocked him floppin. As it turned out I made the right choice because as I suspected my broadhead did indeed hit low in the birds innards passing completely through the bird and beyond. Even though it would have been a fatal shot, chances for recovering him before he got into the brush were slim to none.
.
