The hunt started out like a normal everyday turkey hunt...no gobbling on the limb....I set up where I had seen fresh tracks after the rain the evening before...made some calls and got comfortable....about 9 I decided to pull out and go try and locate him....he has been gobbling on the ground some...but not on the limb....headed out the loggin road...went about 200 yards and there he stands in the road looking at me....I cuss..he runs....I watch him...check my watch...decide to go freshen up my mock dusting site and let him settle down a bit....I got the site freshened up and made a big rounder on the direction he ran in the woods...I gave him about 45 minutes....then kee kee and lost called on Big Richard's trumpet then answered with my box...got comfortable...
I gave it another 30 minutes and yelped on my box....as expected...nothing...gave it another 15 minutes or so...yelped again...sat there contemplating about all I needed to be doing rather than hunt a spooked gobbler...been at camp 4 days and was wore out...I had built a ceramic/corian pot and wanted to hear it in the woods....pulled it out made a few yelps...put it up...reached down to put my box in my vest and hear.....Voooommmmm....vooommmm...
I scan the area...and see his fan about 50 yards below me in a brush top....he slowly is easing my way around all the brush tops....voooommmm.....vooommmm...first right..then left....he gets in gun range and I can see both sides of his fan but his head is behind a pine....voooommmmm.....beautiful sound....on he comes....head behind the tree...finally he comes out to my right....I give him a low whistle...he raises his head....BOOM....he goes to flopping I get up...he gets up....he runs....he falls...raises his head to get up....BOOM....I get almost to him...he gets up runs...falls down...gun goes Click...I pump...he runs....I run....he falls...goes to get up...CLICK...I reach in my pocket...NO SHELLS....he runs...I run...I remember my to cottonmouth loads...reach in that pocket...grab one....he runs...I run...he falls...I aim....he runs...I run...he falls....I center up on him and BOOM....I run...he flops...I dive on him and grab him by the neck....we both lay there on the ground....me sucking air from New Orleans...Birmingham and every where else in the southeast....I think about Col. Dave Harbour...I suck more air....but still got that gobbler my the neck....
After a while I gain my breath...I get on my knees...stay there a while...shortly I ease back to the tree I was sitting when I shot him...it's over 100 yards away....I call my wife and tell her that here 56 year old...out of shape husband has run down through the woods over a 100 yards....so the heart is fine.....
While sitting at my tree....I glance over and see my spent shell....I had loaded my Cotton mouth shell in my gun....my first shot was with a dove load....good thing he was under 20 yards on my first shot....
.....for years I have carried light load for these cotton mouth down here rather than pop em with the expensive stuff..it like to cost me yesterday morning....
The bird weighed 21 pounds...the heaviest bird I have killed down here...had a 10 beard and no spurs on either leg....
