My first turkey hunt was over the last few days of March and the first few days of April in 1992. We had a great hunt and got in to birds left and right. At one point a big tom ran up and gobbled 5 yards away from me (that's a big deal to a 10 year old!). On the last day of the hunt, April 2nd, my 10th birthday, Dad and I hid under a big cedar tree and called a flock of turkeys right to us. My Dad shot his first turkey that day with a Bighorn recurve. What a birthday present for me! To say that I was excited wouldn't do it justice. I remember driving in the truck, looking at the stars, and telling my Dad that it was the best day of my life.
That recurve made it's way around the country to a few different states and in the hands of a few different owners. Earlier this year we got a call from a gentlemen in Arizona (I think) who said he had a recurve to sell to us. Well dang if it wasn't that same bow from 20 years ago. I had to have it, so I bought it myself, and vowed that I would kill a turkey with that bow this year.
After a great opening weekend in Nebraska we headed back out for round two. This time it was just my Dad, my Mom, and I. I really wanted my Mom to get a turkey, and it was just pure dumb luck that I ended up shooting one myself. I guess it was fate.
On this particular morning we had toms coming and going from a lot of different directions. A low pitched "vrooom" got all of our attention. My Mom had never heard a turkey drum before, so when I told her there were some turkeys behind us she thought I was crazy. But sure enough, three big gobblers were making their way down the hill behind us.
The turkeys made their way to the front of our blind and were approaching our decoys. My Mom had her bow ready to go! The toms were mere steps from walking in to the window of the blind and giving my mom a shot when they suddenly turned around. I couldn't take it, so I grabbed my bow while Dad dropped the side window on the blind. I pulled that 20 year old bow back and let fly a cedar arrow with a big Snuffer leading the way.
The shot was perfect, the turkey was facing away when I hit him. He flipped around, flew across a small creek, and died on the bank not five seconds after I shot him.
Just as I was watching him lay down I hear a put, turn around, and see that we have another big tom in our decoys. As I sat down mom got few shots off, but all she hit were feathers. Bummer! She has never shot a turkey with a recurve and it would have been something else to shoot a double with my Mom (how many people can say that?).
The turkey died on the bank, we could just see him through the trees from our blind.
Quite a birthday present, both then, and now, 20 years later.
Dad and I had talked about doing this hunt for a few years now. What good luck that I was able to shoot the same bow that he did all those years ago. This time the bow is not leaving the family!
No better moments than walking back to the truck after a successful morning with my parents! I can not wait until I'm making these kinds of memories with my own son.
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