The weather predictions did not look good for the upcoming weekend but we still decided to head to the woods.  Saturday morning I found myself situated in a sturdy and comfortable ground blind overlooking a feeder surrounded by hardwoods.  I was hunting for Turkey at Brazos Archery Outfitters.  It was the next to the last weekend of the Spring season and the birds were not responding to the call so I decided to hunt over a feeder.  If a turkey did not come by maybe I could get lucky and stick a hog.

The weather was unseasonably cool Saturday morning and it was very windy.  On the way to the stand, it started to rain.  I was hunting in the pink stand and it is a long walk from the parking area to the stand.  I made this long walk with my bow and all of the camera gear.  Donna was not feeling well  Saturday morning so I was on my own.

I made it to the stand in about 20 minutes and was all set up well before sunrise.  As it began to get light enough to see, I did not hear any turkey gobbling.  As I had figured, the weather had messed up the birds normal routine.  When it was light enough to shoot, I hit the call a few time and no reply.  After about 30 minutes without hearing a bird, I knew I was not going to have a good morning.  Last year when I hunted this stand, I was covered up in birds at daybreak.  Mother Nature always loves to throw a wrench into my plans!

Around 0730, all of the squirrels under the feeder ran off as if there was a threat near by.  It was not long until I saw a big boar raccoon come walking into the feeder.  He came strolling in like he owned that feeder and everyone else had better look out.  Well it was his unlucky day!  He did not realize that there was a creature a little higher in the food chain  perched in a wood box only 15 yards away.

It did not take me long to decide to zip an arrow through this big boar.  Now for those of you that do not know, raccoons can decimate turkey and quail populations by eating all of their eggs.  I wanted to do my part to help out the turkey and quail populations so he had to go.  I also thought it would make one heck of a video with the Lumenock zipping towards its target.

The coon began picking up corn and I got the camera situated.  I was ready!  I clipped on, came to full draw, placed the pin on the shoulder, touched the release and watched the bright Lumenok arch towards it target and disappear into some brown fur.  The coon dropped in his tracks!  The Rocket Steelhead did the trick!  The shot looked great and I could not wait to see the video.  Well, when I peered into the viewfinder, the PAUSE was still flashing in the top right corner!  NO I DIDN’T!  Yes I did!  I did not hit record!  All that preparation and waiting on the right shot for nothing!  At least it was not a turkey or hog that I was shooting at.

Around 8 A.M I decided to head back to camp to see if Donna felt like going hunting.    As I was approaching the purple stand, I saw several hogs out in the wheat field with their heads down grazing.  They were 30 yards on the other side of the fence.  I stopped in the creek and put down the camera and all my extra gear.  There were some hogs under the purple feeder that I could not see and they heard me in the creek.  Those hogs hit the wheat field and took the entire heard with them.  I watched as 20 hogs ran to the tree line about 100 yards away.  I thought to myself, typical!  I have been having some bad luck lately in the woods!

When I arrived back at camp, Donna and the kids were getting up from sleeping and Donna was feeling much better.  We had some breakfast and headed back out to the stand.  Michael took his new bow with him so he could thin out the rabbit population if he got the opportunity.

We set up a pop up ground blind near the pink stand.  After a few hours of no response from my calling, we decided to head in for lunch.

The afternoon went by fast and it was time to head back out to the stand.  Once we were settled in the stand, it did not take long for us to start hearing gobbling in the distance.  I began working my call and you could tell the gobblers were getting closer.  Around 7 P.M. we saw movement out in front of us.  It was 5 jakes and they were headed our way.

I sounded off with some soft hen chirps.  The jakes got closer and closer and when they hit about 30 yards out, they stopped and looked at my decoys.  For some reason they did not like what they saw and slowly circled us staying just inside the brush.  I never had a clear shot!  The jakes did not hang out long.  As the jakes were leaving, we had a hen come in.  She did not pay any attention the decoys and began picking up corn.

The hen hung around for about 30 minutes and the wondered off into the brush.  We saw two nice long beards strutting about 100 yards away but they would not come to the call.  

It was time for the birds to roost so we headed back to the truck.  As I approached the main road, I looked both directions to see if anything was out on the road. 

When I looked up towards the purple stand, I saw 4 toms in full strut in the middle of the road. 

Turkey are almost impossible to stalk but I had to give it a try.  I managed to close the distance from 300 yards to about 60 yards before the birds decided to move on. 

My turkey hunt was over and now it was time to switch gears and start hunting rabbits.  Michael had a brand new Mathews Mustang bow and he was itching to get his first bow kill with it.

It did not take us long and we found our first rabbit.  

I coached Michael and helped him get within shooting distance.  Michael came to full draw and the arrow was on the way. 

The first shot missed but it threw up dirt all over the rabbit. The rabbit jumped into the bushes but came right back out.  Michael loaded another arrow and took a few more steps forward.  I told Michael what sight pin to use and another arrow was on its way.  Smack!  Michael made his first bow kill!  Donna and Morgan started cheering!  We did not have to follow that rabbit very far.  Michael was so excited he wanted to go after another rabbit.  It was a great family experience that we all got to share.

We located another rabbit and after a few misses, he made a head shot and dropped the rabbit right in it’s tracks.  

I could see his confidence in his bow hunting ability soar!  One more rabbit fell to Michael’s bow before we made it to the truck. 

Michael could not wait to get back to camp so he could tell John Shelley all about his hunt.  That is what it is all about!  Be sure and take a child hunting and pass on our great sport to the next generation.  I think Michael is hooked now and he is ready for another shot at a hog!

Until Next Time.................

Shoot Straight and Happy Hunting!

James Ferguson

President

This hunt was made possible in part by our sponsors: 

Mathews, Inc. Bushlan Camouflage, Carbon Express,

The Gean-Edwards Company, Rynoskin, Trophy Ridge, VMASS, North Starr Tree Stands, 

Shed Hunter Co., Fieldline, DoskoSport, Lumenok, Tru Fire Corp., Rocket Aeroheads, Quake Industries, Limbsaver

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