I had a goal this turkey season. I was determined to take a bird with my recurve bow. I’ve never hunted with a recurve before and I knew it was going to be tough. However, I didn’t know what a challenge I was getting into.

I started shooting my Predator recurve bow about six weeks ago. I’ve been practicing almost every night to strengthen my muscles, and to develop my shooting style. By the time the season came around I was shooting pretty well.

Twenty yard shots were no problem. However, on the shorter shots I tended to shoot high and on the longer shots the arrows fell short of the target. With a recurve there are no sights, you shoot instinctively. It seems my mind is dialed in to that twenty yard distance. I’m having a hard time convincing my brain to aim low for close shots and higher for long shots.

That would prove to be a problem.

On the second day of the season I called in a hen, followed by four toms. I thought the birds were about twenty yards out, but when I let an arrow fly it landed short of the gobbler.  I later paced off the distance and it turned out to be closer to twenty eight.

Two days later I called in two beautiful longbeards.  My first shot at twelve yards flew just over the biggest bird’s back.  They wandered off about five yards so I reloaded and shot again.  This time the NAP Razorcap nailed him.

I thought it was a great shot, but the bird wandered off like he’d never been hit.  A check of the arrow turned up blood but I couldn’t find the bird, even after hours of looking. Apparently my shot was just an inch or so off.

The landowner graciously allowed me to continue hunting, but it would be three more days before I would draw the recurve again.

This time I was on a ridge overlooking a travel route routinely used by the birds.  Four jakes surprised me by popping up over a ridge at about twenty five yards.  I was able to get a shot off, but again the arrow landed just short of the lead bird.

Now, I was down to the last day of my season. I set up about seventy five yards west of the day before. This time I had better visibility and wouldn’t be surprised by the birds.

After a couple of hours I saw some hens, followed by a few jakes…then the longbeards.

I let the hens and young toms pass by, but when the first big bird got in range, I let the Easton Full Metal Jacket shaft fly. The arrow hit the bird perfectly and he dropped in his tracks.

What a feeling of accomplishment!  I had taken a trophy gobbler with a recurve bow just a half hour before the season ended!

This is my first critter with traditional archery tackle….but I bet it’s not my last.