Failure then Success

[UPSMAN]

My first big opportunity to harvest a longbeard went totally as I had envisioned it. Right up to the point when I pulled the trigger. That's where my vision blurred. 3, 10 inch birds come strutting in to my decoys. They stroll over to my big gobbler to have a few words. All 3 birds are standing at 20 yds. I pick one and let the Muzzy fly. Bird jumps about 4 ft straight up,then all 3 run about 15 yds and act like nothing ever happened.I have no idea if I hit him or missed. Never saw the bolt.(Man, those suckers fly fast.) When they all go back to strutting, I decided that I must have missed. Now for my next problem. Birds are now at 25 yds but are now standing to my right. This dumb redneck only opened the front window of the blind.I was so sure that I would kill him while standing next to my decoy, I didn't bother to open the side windows. So, for the next 20 minutes I get to watch all 3 birds stand around waiting on the hens to feed off to another location.It was pure misery. After they left, I went to look for my bolt. Found bolt right away. Went back to the spot where the bird was standing. The photo shows what I found. I guess that "close" only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Not sure if I pulled the shot or if the arrow was off target. I installed a wire grasshopper on my Muzzy prior to hunting. Never practiced with one because I figured that it would be ruined after I shot it into my Rinehart block. I'm thinking that the added weight of the grasshopper might have affected the flight of my bolt. ........Fast forward one week. Sitting in same blind. Haven't seen my longbeards since the day I missed. I manage to call in this young jake. Only bird I've seen or heard in 2 days. I don't usually shoot jakes,but I am really dying to christen the Equinox. Bird comes in to decoy, just like his 3 older cousins had done. Failure was not an option. Put a Swhacker right through him.Hit him a little low. Bolt went in right at the top of drumstick. It exited out the other drumstick but the bolt didn't make a complete pass-thru. Bird runs about 40 yds and manages to break my carbon bolt into 2 pieces. The BEAST is now christened. Really glad that my first kill was a turkey. I love deer hunting, but turkey hunting is my true passion. I envision many more kills for my BEAST.

[ShooterJohn]

Congrats - nice tender bird you got there ! Enjoy.

[thestuz]

your bolt didnt pass through a turkey???

[vixenmaster]

Congrats on yer snurkey, Equinox & no pass-through, very tuff bird

[UPSMAN]

That's right,guys. Bolt didn't make a complete pass-thru. Kind of surprised me too. It did break both drumsticks and came out the other side. The blades on the Swhacker were trashed. Bent them so bad that I will have to replace them.

[vixenmaster]

Fer some reason mech. seem to take some umf to get pass-thru's. Maybe the angle ?

[DaGriz]

Congratulations!! Great story and good success!

Happy, Happy, Happy!

[cspot]

Congrats!!!

[2Bowsman]

Congratz on your thunder chicken hunting Upsman

[j.krug]

Sounds like a fun hunt. Congrats on a nice turkey.

[MADMAX2]

Excalibird!!CONGRATS!!

[mr meat]

congrats!!