I wrapped filming for all episodes of season two for Extreme Pursuits on Friday night, but I had to take one break over the noon hour and set up a blind for my son to hunt turkeys out of on Saturday morning. A quick scouting mission revealed lots of roosting sign and I found one strut zone. It was the perfect spot to stake the Hunter's Specialties Boiler Room Blind.

The next morning Cole and I were out the door at 4:30 a.m. and in the blind by 5. On the way in I did get a queasy feeling as I tried to pinpoint the roosted birds against the dark sky with my Nikon binocular. I couldn't find them and whispered to Cole the possibility they may have moved.

Surprise, surprise! A half hour before sunrise not one, but two gobblers lit up directly overhead! As shooting light rose I softly let them know my Hazel Creek decoy was open to blind dating.

Sure enough one of the mature birds landed in the field next to the blind and even though he was inside of 30 yards, the fence presented too much of an obstacle for Cole to thread an arrow through.

A second tom and a jake hit the ground nearby and the jake wasted no time in introducing himself to the decoy. Cole held off as the larger bird marched into range, but instead of stopping it went right past the blind. Suddenly both the tom and jake came back and the tom stopped at 15 yards. Cole released the arrow from his Mathews bow, but the clean "whoosh" of the arrow missing was all we heard.

The group retreated to 40 yards and all started strutting again for the right to date the single hen in the mix. As I picked up the pace of my calls I thought I heard another tom gobbling in the distance. Sure enough 10 minutes later another playboy arrived and he was in a hurry to meet the decoy. At 15 yards the big tom stopped with a questioning stare and then turned away. I told Cole to shoot since the game over sign was beginning to flash.

Cole hit the trigger of his release and the Rage broadhead hit home dropping the bird. Diving out the blind window Cole took after the bird, but its flopping madness plunked it right off a high bank and into a nearby creek.

Both the bird and Cole were a little soggy after the recovery, but it was Cole's first turkey with a bow so I doubt he would have minded swimming across a small lake to claim the big bird.

It's been a good turkey season for the Kayser grill!