MI Spring Turkey Success

JD338 · May 11, 2016

Opening morning of the MI late Spring Turkey Season found Sue and I in a blind behind the house overlooking my Primos Strutting Tom decoy. Had a hen come in to investigate the set up and followed by two shooter Toms. They gobbled and strutted but wouldn't come in. A little coaxing with my Bully's glass/slate call pulled them right in. They went straight to the strutting Tom decoy strutting and attacked it a mere 16 yards away. Sue and I had our Matthews Mission crossbows up and I was waiting for her to shoot as the birds continued to reclaim their territory from the intruding Tom Decoy. She shot and missed! I found the mark on the other Tom and shot. WACK, my arrow hit a tree! We both recocked the xbows as the birds moved out a short distance away. I was ready to go and Sue wasn't able to get her xbow cocked. I offered her mine and she said, No, shoot him. I held for 30 yards and sent the NAP 100 gr Gobbler Getter right into the sweet spot. The Tom made it a few yards and died. The other Tom stayed there for 45 minutes settling the score with my Tom and they walked off away from us. The Tom has a 10.5" beard and 1.0" spurs. Truly a nice Eastern Tom anywhere.

The reason we both missed was our bolts clipped the edge of the window in the pop up blind.
Kind of a bummer for me as this would have been the third consecutive year that Sue and I doubled up on opening morning.
We still have the entire month of May to fill Sue's tag.

DrMike · May 11, 2016

Here's to hoping that Sue fills her tag soon. Great report. Apparently the birds weren't too disturbed by the sticks flying past their heads. He is sure a beautiful bird.

sask boy · May 11, 2016

Thanks Jim for the story & photo :wink:. I am glad you filled your tag & I sure hope that Sue fills her's as well!!

Blessings,
Dan

Dr. Vette · May 12, 2016

Great job. So far I've only seen 1 hen in 3 outings.

Dwh7271 · May 12, 2016

Nice tom JD!
Congrats!

JD338 · May 31, 2016

On 5/21, we got the birds to cooperate. As Sue and I made it into the woods out back, we heard a gobble from the roost. We made it to the blind and I set up the decoys. The Tom was roosting about 100 yards away....Perfect!
I starting calling at 6:00 AM and got him and a hen fired up. They flew down and started working our way. We finally spotted the hen and the Tom was strutting and gobbling right behind her. The hen came right to the decoys 16 yards away. The Tom was 25 yards out and strutting but wouldn't come in any closer. Sue had her x-bow but wasn't offered a shot. After about a 10 minute stand off, the hen started to move off. I called but she kept going away. The Tom followed her and was now 40 yards out strutting and gobbling. I told Sue to put down the x-box and grab the Remington 870 12 ga. 3" Magnum. She put the red dot on his head and I told her to shot when I get him to come out of his strut. I called again and he gobbled and picked up his head. Sue sent a Winchester Long Beard load of #5's on its way. She poleaxed the Tom where he stood. I looked at my watch, 6:25 AM.
The Tom has a 10" beard and 1" spurs, a great bird. Although Sue really wanted to use her x-bow, she was thrilled to fill her tag with the shotgun. It was a great season for both of us.