This bird gave me fits last spring.
Round 1: My son and I got out of the truck about 8am one morning had been to another spot with no luck. As soon as I open the door I hear him gobble about 2 hundred yards away. We move in and set up he gobbles good then shuts down.
Round 2: Set up on him at day break. Bird gobbles 4 times and the public land boys across the boundary line go to hammering on calls. Bird shuts up, listen to calling for 30 minutes. Walk to the Id10t that is 15 yards from our property line and inform him he has shut said gobbler up for the AM by calling incessantly! He said Oh I"m sorry!!
Round 3: 2 weeks later. Bird gobbles on roost, flies down gets with a hen and leaves.
Round 4: 1 week later. I park the truck after taking the kids to school. When I get out he is gobbling on the edge of a cut over in a foodplot. I work in close with the knee pads on an blow a 30 yard shot with the 20. Shoulder gave out on me and I pulled the shot! Needless to say I am seriously PO'd.
Round 5: Across the creek on some public land bordering a pasture late one evening. Set up to catch em roosting. Well ole boy comes down the pasture hill gobbling every 50-75 yards. He's lonely but want commit to the calling. Flies the creek and roosts on the edge the cutover. As we leave we hoot and he gobbles hard every time we call. I have a date in the A.M.
Round 6. The final match. I take the kids to school and get in the woods about 0800. When I leave the truck ole boy is talking to anyone who will listen, about a 100 yards down hill from where I missed him earlier. I move in and set up about 75 yards from him. I'm on the edge the clear cut setting against a 6 inch sweet gum. I know this place well several birds have died on this stretch of road over the years. Well before the place was cut the turkeys have loved to strut on this bench on the side of the hill. I make my first call and get a good response. I get down on the gun and wait. 20 minutes later a hen walks around the bend in the road. She is followed by sounds of strutting. His vibrations reverberate though me. He clears cover and the shot is made. Solid 20 pound 3 year old bird.
