Morgan's Turkey

by James Ferguson

President/CEO

Bowhunting North America, LLC

With the arrival of the general whitetail season here in Texas came a lot of excitement around my house.  It was finally time to take my youngest daughter, Morgan, hunting.  You see Morgan hunts with a crossbow and they are not legal to hunt with during the archery only season but they are legal during the general season.

Due to my schedule we were not able to get out to the woods until the second weekend of the general season.  Morgan and I loaded up in the truck and headed south.  On the way to the lease Morgan was very excited!  This trip was just for her.  Morgan is very confident and she proceeded to tell me how she was going to arrow a big buck!

After a late arrival, I prepped our gear and we hit the sack.  The next morning came quickly and Morgan jumped up out of bed when I told her it was time to get up.  After a quick breakfast we dressed in our camo, Max-1 for me and Advantage Timber for her, and loaded up in the truck for the short drive to the other side of the property.

The first morning was uneventful!  For the afternoon hunt I decided that we would hunt my other blind on the other side of the property that was sitting in a funnel on a creek.  There were turkey in the area so this would double Morgan’s opportunity to get a shot at an animal.

Once at our parking place, I sprayed us down with Wildlife Research Center Scent Killer and then applied WRC Coon Urine to our boots.  This was not Morgan’s first rodeo and she knew exactly why we were putting WRC Coon Urine on our boots.

Morgan put on her Badlands Super Day Pack and we were off.  Morgan held my hand until we reached our Double Bull ground blind that was nestled in the center of a briar patch.  Once inside the blind I set the camera up in one window and set up another tripod with Morgan’s crossbow on it pointed out the second window.  Morgan settled down in her chair, laid her head on my knee and went to sleep.

We were hunting on a creek that ran between two open fields.  This funnel area has high deer traffic and as a bonus, the turkey normally roost right over my blind.

Two hours before dark I saw turkey walking down the road and they were headed in our direction.  I woke Morgan up and told her to get ready! It was not long until we had 8 gobblers right in front of us.

Morgan was standing behind her crossbow and preparing for a shot.  A nice turkey with a long beard walked into Morgan’s shooting lane.  I took the bow off of safety and told her to shoot it!  My heart was pounding as I watched through the viewfinder.  Thwack, the crossbow fired and I could see the Lumenok streak towards the tom. The shot went slightly to the right and the turkey fled the area unscathed!

Morgan was pumped!  She was so excited that she got to shoot at a turkey!  We talked about it for a few minutes and then settled down in hopes of a deer coming by before dark. 

Once it was too dark to film we packed up and went to get Morgan’s bolt.  The Lumenok was still glowing and we could see the bolt out in the field.  Morgan went to her bolt, turned on her Badlands headlamp and inspected her arrow, “Nope, no blood on this arrow!”  I was so excited knowing that she knew exactly what to do without me telling her to do so.  All of the trips to the stand in the past for Morgan had really paid off.

The next morning we were back in the same stand.  Shortly after daylight we had the same group of turkey back in front of us.  I told Morgan to take her time, calm down, and SHOOT ONE of those birds.  One bird walked into Morgan’s shooting lane and then right out of it.  We were waiting for another shot opportunity when the birds left quickly, a young 8 point buck was walking down the road and apparently the turkey did not like it.  The buck never gave us a shot.  After the deer left the area I asked Morgan why she did not shoot.  She replied, “You told me to take my time!”

It was time to pack up and head home.  Even though we were going home empty handed we still had a great trip.  Morgan could not wait to tell everyone about her shooting at a turkey.

Morgan would not have to wait long to get another crack at a bird.  The next weekend we were back at the lease and Morgan and I were settled in the same blind well before daylight. 

Once again, shortly after day break we heard the turkey fly down from the roost and in a matter of minutes we had 9 gobblers heading our way.  Morgan was behind her crossbow waiting for a shot.  As the first turkey walked into her shooting, lane she whispered to me, “He has a huge beard”!  I had the camera on and I whispered right back to her, “Shoot Him”!  Whack!  The crossbow fired and the turkey began flopping in the briars trying to get away!  It was a good hit!  As the turkey tried to fly I could still see the Lumenok sticking out of the bird just below its wing.  

The bird eventually cleared the briars and ran out into the field with the rest of the toms.  After a short wait we went to find Morgan’s bird.  We had some problems locating him so we loaded up in the truck and drove the fence line.  I told Morgan to look out her window and look at each brush pile that we passed for her turkey.  As we were driving by one bush, Morgan told me that she saw something black and red and ugly in the bush.  I backed up and Morgan said, “It’s my turkey”!  I jumped out of the truck and quickly recovered her turkey.

Morgan had arrowed a beautiful bird that had a 10” beard and spurs that would measure 1 1/8 & 1 ¼ inches.  Unfortunately during the birds escape he had lost most of his tail feathers.  We did manage to recover most of them so I will be able to put them back together for a turkey fan and beard mount for Morgan’s wall. 

If you have not spent any time in the woods with your children you are missing out!  It is more rewarding to help them take an animal then doing it yourself!  I can not remember the last time that I have been that excited over a taking a turkey!

Congrats Morgan on taking a fine bird!  Maybe one day you can show me how to score on an old long beard, since I seem to be just a jake slayer!

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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