My morning started out by getting to the parking area alittle late by making a wrong turn and driving 10 miles out of my way. Upon arriving at my destination, I was all pumped, not a single vehicle in the parking lot…It was 5:00am. Once I was geared up, I started my 1 mile track back through the winding hiking trails to the area where the previous yr I called in 2 longbeard but couldn't get a shot. I got back to the area around 5:45 am, and the sound of the morning birds was a sign it was going to be an awesome morning. I Could see the sky breaking towards the east of the hilltop I was upon. I heard a gobble around 6:00 and just listened as the sky was beginning to break. within minutes I heard another gobble out to my left along the ridge I was on, but, it was far off. I contemplated on which direction to go, as the 1st bird that gobbled was back in the direction I came from. My decision was made, to go after the first bird that gobbled. I went roughly 200 yards and it was now time to get setup, as things were becomming more visible through the woods. I set my hen decoy up 15 yards down in front of me and positioned my camera on the blowdown I would setup against. With the light of day upon me I started calling with very soft putts and purrs with my slate call. After 10 minutes of silence, I figured the gobbler was further out than I thought. I pulled out my mouth call and did some cutting, and purring the gobbler immediatly gobbled across the hollow from my location. I knew he heard my soft putts and purrs since he was honing in on my location. I turned on my camera and hit the record button, and positioned my crossbow on my knee in the direction of his vocals. With each call I made, he had an answer for me. Within minutes I could see his tail fan fully displayed and his white cap on his head just to the right of my decoy. I followed him in my scope on the crossbow, and placed the dot to his wing, but, his movement was placing him behind brush. He went into full strut and turned back to the left, when the dot was placed on the front part of his wing, I released the arrow, within a split second I instantly heard it pass through his body and seen him drop. A "YES" came out of my voice, as I was running down to him. I picked him up and was in total amazement, that I had just harvested my 1st bowkill gobbler. He never struggled, I made a great shot and brought him back to my setup. I admired him as if it weren't real, that this was just a dream and it was time to wake up.
I displayed him for the camera for some video, and was soon packing him up to head back to the vehicle. I arrived to the trail I had walked and noticed a turkey hunter heading towards me, he approached my with a grin and congradulated me with such a fine trophy. I told him the scene that took place and let him know I heard a second bird further out the trail. He insisted that he had to get to work and that he would walk back to the parking lot with me. This gentlemen offered to carry my crossbow for me while I carried my turkey across my shoulder. We exchanged hunting stories along the way and arrived to our vehicles. He offered to take some photos and we exchanged phone numbers and were on our way. My gobbler weighed 18 pounds and had a 10 1/4" beard with 3/4" spurs.
A few days after, I emailed my new friend some photos, and the video I capured of my successful hunt, he responded back to me and once again congradulated me on a great bird. What an awesome morning, but even better to have met such a good hearted person.
Gene Bakner
Part 1 of 4/18/2011 1st bowkill gobbler Carroll Co., Maryland
