The Christmas Turkey

by John Shelley

I commented to my hunting partner before season opened that it might be our best season in years for antlers and maybe the worst for hunting. Unseasonably warm weather throughout the fall had combined with an abundant acorn crop to keep deer movement to a minimum, but winter finally arrived in North Texas Thanksgiving Day 2007. 

After partaking of a bounty of foods with my family, I bid everyone farewell and headed to our hunting lease at Newcastle, TX.  Temperatures in the mid-thirties and snow flakes greeted me as I pulled into camp. This was just the kind of weather we needed to get the bucks moving. 

I was anxious to get into the field, but not anxious to sit in a tree stand in such miserable weather so I elected to hunt from my Double Bull blind.  I rushed around to gather all my gear and get to the field in time for an evening hunt. As I pulled up to the rye field where bucks seem to chase does during the rut I ran four does out of the field. It looked like I was too late for the afternoon hunt but decided to set up my blind anyway and hunt there the next morning.

I made quick work of brushing in the blind, set out my decoy and settled in for the afternoon. A few does wondered by before dark, but none close enough for a shot. I did see a couple of good bucks on the far end of the field and felt encouraged about the next morning’s hunt.

Next morning I was in the blind well before light and watched as the field filled with deer as the day dawned. Unfortunately, everything seemed to be entering the field several hundred yards west of my blind location. I studied the edge of the field carefully with my binoculars to get a “fix” on the location the deer were entering and moved my blind to that spot after the morning hunt. I hunted that spot the remainder of the weekend.

On three occasions I saw a very nice 8 point buck that would score somewhere in the 130’s P&Y but never closer than about 100 yards.  Every time I hunted that spot I saw 18-20 deer. I did have a few does and dink bucks come close enough for a shot but, nothing that I wanted to shoot.

On Sunday morning the thermometer in the camp house read 35 degrees and a steady rain was falling outside. I dressed in about everything I own and headed to the blind for one last hunt for the weekend.

Just after daylight I saw 6 turkey gobblers fly down from their roost and into the field. I tried calling to them but they seemed more intent on chasing each other around than coming to my call. Soon they moved to my left and out of sight. I pretty much forgot about them until they stepped in front of my blind an hour later.

They all seemed to be about the same size so I came to full draw and waited for one to get clear of the group. I picked a spot on the lead bird, placed my 20 yard pin on the spot and let the arrow fly.  I watched the Lumenok streak across the field as the Muzzy MX 4 sliced through the bird and dropped him not 10 feet from where he was shot.

I guess I am a few days late for Thanksgiving, but at least I already have my Christmas turkey. I can’t wait to get back out there next weekend for another chance at the big 8 point.

This hunt was made possible in part by our sponsors:  

Mathews, Inc., The Gean-Edwards Company, Lumenok, 

Tru Fire Corp., Limbsaver,  Huntin' Hoist,  Sure Grip Gun & Bow Racks, Advantage Max-1 Camouflage, Nikon Sport Optics,  Muzzy Products Corp., Wildlife Research Center, Whitetail Pro Log, The Armory, Display It Hardwood Cases and Gator Trax Boats

Copyright 2007, Bowhunting North America, LLC

All Rights Reserved

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