Texas is a terrific hunting state (some would say the best) and aside from an abundant turkey population, state regulations allow a hunter to take two gobblers in the same day. Tom Franklin had one gobbler on his mind, but it’s a good thing that he had his quiver handy, as he’d need a second arrow. If you’ve ever wanted to bag a spring gobbler with archery gear, this brief story by Connor Harrison in Texas Hunting will give you some tips. Here are the exciting details:
North Richland Hills hunter Tom Franklin had a pretty good Easter Sunday, and it had little to do with finding a basket full of chocolate eggs. Franklin was hunting on private property near Meridian, when he found himself within earshot of multiple gobbling toms, including two within 100 yards.
“I was in a Double Bull blind,” he said, “and every time I would call, a pair of toms would answer. They were on another property and there was a fence in between. They would gobble, but they wouldn’t cross the fence.”
After several hours, Franklin was tired of waiting and decided to put his bow down, pick up his shotgun and attempt to stalk the two birds.
“I snuck out of the blind and got pretty close,” he said, “but they just wouldn’t come out from behind some brush. I decided to head back to the blind, calling as I went.”
The hunter had just gotten back in the blind when a hen emerged and charged his own hen decoy.
“She was squaking and spitting and drumming and was actually in full strut,” he said. “I’ve never seen a hen in full strut, but she was.” more
