First Turkey Hunt of the 25-26 Season - A Close Shave

Next week is my annual turkey camp on public land in Allegheny County, so I decided that I would try for a few hours on a private hay farm Saturday morning.  I decided I would go full blind and decoy setup, as traditionally the first hunt of the year is the most productive for me.  The temperatures were warm in the 50s, with highs forecast for near 80 degrees.  Overcast skies, but a fine mountain morning.

I had my super realistic jake decoy out about 15 yards with a hen 5 yards closer and off to the side.  My blind was nestled against a fence where the vines overhand from a tree.  

My Jake sits watch as the Catoctin Mountains lie in the backdrop.

Everything was quiet, no gobbles, and just the excited chatter of various nesting songbirds.   Then around 830am I caught a glimpse of what I thought was a hen across the field around 100 yards away.  I gave some soft calls and watched as the bird fed into the field, paying me very little mind.  Studying through the binos, I could not make out any sort of beard, though the body should have given away the secret.

Eventually, the bird started to close the distance until it was around 70 yards out.  Seemingly out of nowhere, it decides to make a bee line straight in along the fencerow towards my blind.   Then he puffs up into strut!  This was no hen!

I prepared for the shot and he passes broadside nary 12 yards away towards the hen decoy.  I focus on the spot and the bowstring hums.  The arrow flies a wee bit right of my mark but through the bird who shudders a bit and lurches forward.  I grab a backup arrow, and he continues on to the rear of my hen decoy and starts violating her!  As he is mounted and facing me, I focus on the edge of the decoy and arrow number 2 flies a wee bit left but also through the bird.  He took this in a bit of shock and jumped back.  Another arrow on the string and he was now facing away from me and toward the jake but between the decoy and me.  I focus again on a tiny spot and my arrow disappears again through the bird.  This time he had had enough.  Circling away and around, he was heading around the peninsula of tree about 30 yards out when my fourth arrow slices right between his legs forcing him to jump up. He was gone.  

Going out to gather my arrows, I found 3 areas with clumps of feathers.  No arrow had any blood. How close can you get.  

Close to 10am, I spotted what looked like the same bird back across the field again.  I called and he came back but passed out about 50 yards not biting again.  I guess he learned.

It was an exciting first hunt.  Next week I will likely bring the blind and decoys to the mountains, but will likely spend most of the time roaming without the set up. 

I also wanted to report that I baked that large rainbow trout and it came out super.