We returned last weekend from our annual turkey hunting trip to South Dakota. As always the trip started off with high hopes of bagging a few birds with our bows. South Dakota offers statewide non resident tags for archery that are good the entire season. You must apply for the tag but you are guaranteed to get it. Although a guy can apply for a gun tag our group of 6 chooses to chase the longbeards each Spring with our bows. We usually end up with 3-4 birds for our group but this year was definitely not like usual!
We hunt a couple different pieces of property that run along the Missouri river breaks. If you’ve never seen this area you are certainly missing something spectacular! The rolling hills and ravines that dump into the Missouri river are truly breathtaking! The birds are usually roosted in specific areas each year and those roost sites are very easy to find. There aren’t a lot of big trees in the ravines we hunt. It mainly consists of smaller cedar trees and thicker brush.
The first morning started off with a bang! Birds gobbling from two different roost sites. I kid you not when I tell you there were probably 30-40 different toms and jakes between the two roost sites. The amount of birds these areas produce is just amazing. As the birds began to disperse from the roost sites we soon noticed something unusual. The birds were completely avoiding our decoys and calling. After a long couple hours we finally had a lone tom sneak in on us. I was first up so I pulled the trigger and let loose on a nice tom with a Rocket Hammerhead. The arrow found it’s mark and hit the bird hard. As the bird walked off and disappeared into the ravine I noticed two things. One, the arrow had gotten a complete quartering away pass through which I’ve never had before on a turkey with such big broadheads. And two, the left leg of the bird was completely covered in blood. I had high hopes this bird wouldn’t make it far. To make a long story short we blood trailed that bird for over 300 yards before jumping him at the bottom of the ravine. He took off and we never recovered him. That is just one of the many highs and lows that come with bowhunting turkeys. It can be very frustrating but also rewarding when things do come together.
After two long days of everyone seeing the same thing I decided I needed to change things up. The birds were definitely avoiding the decoys and were very call shy…due mainly to the fact that they were very henned up. I spent the next day trying to pinpoint where the majority of the birds were moving in and out of the roost areas at. I finally made my move early Saturday morning and setup where I thought some birds would move through after coming down from the roost. My homework paid off and I was rewarded with a nice tom at about 8am Saturday morning. As it turned out that would be the only bird we harvested the entire trip. There were many reasons why the hunting was not nearly as good this year. The late Spring and temperature fluctuations had the birds behind in there breeding. It was 93 degrees Thursday and only a high of 53 on Friday! We then woke up to snow on the ground Saturday morning and only a high of 45 that day. Adjustments needed to be made and that was the difference maker this year. My best advise for any turkey hunter is to always keep an open mind and be willing to make adjustments when needed. I always say…turkeys are the most unpredictable critter there is out there! As always, I’m already looking forward to next year!!
Good luck to everyone else still trying to fill those tags!
WOW where have you been? That is a great report and pics period, much less it being your first. Nicely done!
Congrats on your mix bird and yes the highs and lows of Turkey hunting come and go like the wind. Well, you got your pass through that you live for on that first bird, that is some tough luck.
At least you did not miss @ 5 yards. 
Sounds like your group had a tough hunt. You gotta love the extremes the Dakotas can throw at you. 95 degrees one day then snow about 36 hours later. 
Good luck on your MN season!
thats a good read congrats on the tom my hats off to you guys that bowhunt turkeys
Congrats on your archery tom! That is some amazing country!
Congrats to a well earned bird!
Man, I have to get over to this hunting side more often. Now that my oldest boy just completed Hunters Safety the boat will no doubt be less traveled from here on in 
Great read and pics from the Mizzou breaks
Nicely done, Steve! Thanks for the report!
Finally, someone that respects turkeys and how hard they are to kill like I do.
Like you mentioned, they’re very unpredictable, esp. when traveling out of state to hunt an area that you don’t get a chance to scout.
For that reason and the fact that you took that bird with a bow, here’s a hearty congrats from this hunter! I think people don’t realize how challenging a bow bird is at times. The fact that you made a game-time adjustment to get on them is key to the fact that you were the only one with a filled tag in your group.
Lots of people call Merriams the dumbest of the turkey subspecies, but esp. when they’re henned up, I think they’re one of the toughest. Those hens will walk your gobblers off before you even figure out what just happened.
Again, great work on the bird and great pics/report!
Joel
A very good read Steve thanks for sharing your hunt with us here at IDO and congrats on your tom and with a bow to boot!
Excellent report Steve and Congratulations on your Bow Kill!
It sounded like you did your homework and adapted to the turkeys patterns which lead to making the right move at the right time! 
I also know some hunters who sometimes give up after missing or wounding a bird. It’s bound to happen to most bow hunters sooner or later if you use a bow and string. Good job sticking with it and making the most of your hunt! 
Thanks for the kind words guys!
Yes Joel…henned up Merriams are very difficult to hunt! Just ask the other 5 guys I was with last week!!
Chasing turkeys with the bow is one of the bigger challanges a guy can have with stick and string. 
Now I’m debating on if I should take the bow for my MN season this week or chase them with the gun…. 
It will be a gametime decision!
Like I mentioned at the bottom of the report…always be willing to make adjustments with turkeys and more times than not it will work out the best for you.
Take the scattergun and level the playing field. Literally!
Joel
VERY NICE!!!!
Looks like a great time
I’ve decided to bring both weapons and let the birds tell me which one to use!
I do like your idea Joel…
Congrats Steve!! What a great bird & with a bow no less. WOW
Way to get it done. Thanks for sharing your hunt with us. Doug
Bow.
I hope so…
I can’t tell you how pumped I am for 3:30am to get here tomorrow!
You want to tag along LIP!?!?
“The rolling hills and ravines that dump into the Missouri river are truly breathtaking…” (sigh) Yes, it is quite a site!
You should just bring both…just in case.