By Knight & Hale Pro Staffer Mike Tussey
Osceola Hunt - Part I
Mexico Goulds - Part II
Oklahoma Rio - Part III
Introduction
In the words of AC/DC, "I can't get enough, I can't get the thrill... I shoot to thrill, play to kill." I'm a hunter, that's what I do. It's my job, my hobby and my passion. When something in your life means as much as that, that's where you get your drive, and that's where you seek your thrill.
It was four years ago that I began my thrill-seeking quest for the Grand Slam with my bow. That hunt was captured on film for the Hunter's Journal television show. As the Osceola gobbler approached the Carry-Lite decoys at 10 yards, my Grand Slam journey commenced.
Mind you, I had every intention to increase the thrill and conquer a Double Grand Slam that year, one with my Mathews and one with my shotgun, but unfortunately circumstances would not allow for both, so it was the shotgun that took priority. That Double Grand Slam consisted of two birds in my home state of Florida, two in Nebraska, two in Kansas and my final two in my birth state of Kentucky. All of those birds came in to my Knight & Hale Ol' Yeller.
As thrilling as that year was, a slight sense of dissatisfaction rested in my mind. Since then, I've spent much time contemplating about finally carrying out that Grand Slam with a bow, so this year I've placed a new challenge on myself. This year I'm attempting a Royal Slam with my Mathews Drenalin, all called in with Knight & Hale turkey calls, of course.
I will begin my quest with the Osceola around Lake Okeechobee here in south Florida. I have home field advantage. I've been watching 25 to 30 longbeards over the past two months, and the only obstacle that I expect to encounter is the time factor. Scheduling my own personal Osceola hunt in with the 20 or more clients that have placed their hopes in the hands of my guide service, Osceola Outdoors, will be daunting.
Next is the Goulds in Mexico the first week of April. This is the hunt that could make or break the Slam. As a thrill-seeker, I'm not worried, but rather eager to face the challenge. We'll see.
Directly following my Mexican fiesta, I'll be traveling to southern Oklahoma to pursue the third bird of my Royal Slam, the Rio. Hopefully, this task will turn out to be a slam dunk as a good friend and fellow turkey guide Ken Mayes reports that he's spotted more than 100 Rios each day while deer hunting. Of course, winter flocks are different than spring birds, but I'm confident we can get that job done.
This will leave my Eastern and Merriams. For my Eastern hunt, I'll be again hunting my birth state of Kentucky and looking for the success I've had there in the past.
The last leg of my journey will take me to northeast Nebraska for the Merriams. I can already visualize the white fan of the Merriams strutting into the enticing yelp of my Knight & Hale call and strutting around the Pretty Boy decoy as I release the last arrow and feel the rush of a Royal Slam.
Osceola Hunt - Part I
Going into the Florida season, I fully understood that I would be forced to hunt around a full schedule of clients seeking their own Osceola, but I never could have imagined what a struggle it would be scoring on Osceolas this spring. The season began with the gobblers henned-up and quiet, and after three weeks of guiding, I had not managed a single day of hunting for myself. Fortunately, however, clients of Osceola Outdoors had harvested 22 birds out of 25 clients.
After saying goodbye to the last of my hunters, I only had a few days to search out my own Osceola before I left for Mexico and Oklahoma. These two days turned out to be just as tough and aggravating as the prior three weeks had been. I decided to hunt one particular gobbler that was strutting with hens every day in the same pasture. As it turns out, it wasn't the best decision as we watched the big gobbler breed five hens and strut for hours, but never come any closer than 60 yards over this two-day period. At this point, it was time for me to leave for Mexico, but I wouldn't forget this gobbler. We had a date coming up in a couple of weeks!
Mexico Goulds - Part II
I was downhearted as I headed to Mexico in search of a Gould's. My quest hadn't started off well, with little time to hunt Osceolas and even less luck. I still had time upon my return to tackle the Florida bird, but I was hoping to have one under my belt as I crossed the border.
When I arrived at Rio Sonora Outfitters and met with Brad Fulk, I was assured that there were plenty of birds and that I would soon meet one face-to-face. Opening morning started off rough as we arrived at our hunting spot. We dismounted the ATVs and realized our blind had fallen off the back of the quad somewhere along the route.
No worries, though, and we began building a makeshift ground blind tucked in under some cedars. My spirits lifted when several Goulds started gobbling as the full moon set behind the Sierra Madre Mountains. We settled in and we were in great position with the gobblers just over the ridge. As often happens, though, hens intercepted them just before they reached gun range.
Then, 45 minutes after flydown, I hear the thrilling sound of drumming right behind us. I slowly sneak a peak and see a red head and white-tipped feathers. The big gobbler was heading straight to the Pretty Boy decoy positioned 10 yards in front. I drew my bow as the gobbler walked just five yards in front. He caught my movement, dropped out of strut and starts walking fast away.
I call and he stops, and at 25 yards I let the arrow fly. The gobbler takes two steps and all I have to show for my trip so far are three white-tipped tail feathers!
We headed back down the trail and found the Double Bull that had fallen off the ATV on our way out. I was disappointed yet still pumped at the thought of two-and-a-half more days in the paradise to score on my Goulds.
The next day-and-a-half was a repeat of my Osceola hunt, with hens monopolizing the gobblers and repeated disappointments. The last morning of the hunt, however, I am again feeling confident because we've patterned several birds.
The gobblers roosted in the same spot and worked their way up a ridge every morning, stopping at the same waterhole shortly after flydown. The scenario was playing out perfectly as the sun rose over the mountains.
I gave a few calls on my Silver Queen, and had a Goulds longbeard on a string. He covered 400 yards in no time, and strutted in to 50 yards. A few soft calls from my Double Beard diaphragm and the bird cut the distance in half. I drew the Drenlin let an Easton fly. It scuffed the ground at the bird's feet. I hung my head.
While sitting in the blind repeatedly kicking myself another gobbler sounded off from near the waterhole. Then, three hens appear leading another Goulds gobbler toward the decoys. I let out a few soft yelps and the gobbler puffs up into half-strut. At 20 yards he hesitates, turns to the left and my Muzzy catches him perfect. Success! Finally!
When I spread out the bird's fan I see that he is missing three tail feathers. This is the same bird I missed on opening morning! He had 10 inch beard and 1 inch spurs. My dream of an archery Royal Slam continues!
Oklahoma Rio - Part III
I arrived in Ardmore, Okla., with a renewed optimism. Even though I didn’t yet have my Osceola, there would be time for that, and my trip to Mexico for the Gould’s had gone well. It felt good to have a bird under my belt.
Anthony Brown, cameraman for Hunter’s Journal television show, and I headed down I-35 toward Diamond T Trophy Hunts owned by a good friend of mine, Joel Trammel. Trammel had invited me to hunt with him many times, and I was glad to finally be taking him up on his offer.
I felt a trickle of anxiety, though, as the winds kicked up and snow started flying. Even though I knew Trammel had plenty of birds, their patterns would be trashed by the weather. My experience with Rios was that they often gobbled at anything, but the 25 mph winds would make it impossible to hear.
It was windy and cold when Brown and I settled into the blind the first evening. We needed a call that would buck a little of the wind and carry a ways, so I pulled a box call out of my vest. The Kentucky Long Box cranked out loud yelps, but were they loud enough to cut the cold Oklahoma wind?
A little while later two gobblers and a jake appeared at the far edge of the field. At 120 yards away, I can see them stick out their necks and gobble, but no sound reached the Double Bull. We had a Pretty Boy and Pretty Girl decoy system set out front, and the jake starts a slow approach, and the gobblers lag a little behind.
At 40 yards the trio stops, then turn and walk away. This scenario is repeated two more times before the sun goes down and we head in for the night.
On the second day of our hunt, I tell Brown that if I can’t get one into bow range, I’ll take the camera and he can grab his shotgun and we’ll go after them. After hearing several birds hammering away on the other side of a draw, we decide to drive around to get in front of them. Trammel joined us and provided his expert help after we explained the direction the gobblers were heading. We drove to a high spot and glass the draw, and locate two Rios strutting and gobbling. We quickly grabbed our gear and camera and move 200 yards, using the terrain to keep us hidden. Brown hits his Yella Hammer and the gobblers are on their way. In a matter of minutes, Brown is staring down the barrel at two longbeards. His bird weighs in at 22 pounds.
We headed to town and grabbed lunch and then resettled in the blind. I’d just finished my barbeque sandwich when I heard soft yelps from behind the blind. A hen headed down the hill behind us and she had a gobbler in tow. There was no way to get the camera rearranged in time, so we have to try to pull the pair in front.
After a few minutes, the gobbler is 7 yards behind us, and I can’t get a shot. The hen leads him away with no shot. An hour passes and I hear a gobbler sounding off. Then, another, closer gobble. Luckily, the wind had laid and a call from the Long Box tells me that there are two gobblers and they’re getting closer.
I grab my binocular and spy two longbeards stepping out of the woods in full strut. A few enticing calls from the Yella Hammer and one of them is closing the distance. At 70 yards we hear his wings dragging in the red Oklahoma dirt.
The boss takes his time and never breaks out of strut as he closes to 35 yards. Then he pauses and seems content to stay where he is. I range him at 29 yards.
I whispered to Brown to make sure he was on the bird, get the nod and take the shot. Whack! The second bird of my Royal Slam Quest crumbles in the dust. It weighed 22 pounds, sported 1 1/8-inch spurs and a double beard, one 10 3/4-inches and the other 7-inches! Two down, two to go.