I ran across this fine MS gobbler earlier in the week – we had a very interestin’ session of gobbler cluckin’ & yelpin’ on that fine mornin’…
… he had gobbled just twice, & then went right into the clucks & yelps, I responded with the same – this back & forth exchange between us went on for a surprisingly long time …
But no matter what, this guy just would not show himself - for days ...
... he stayed in a small triangle of hardwoods with the property line right at the back edge of ‘em, this is just off the back powerline field …
Day after day, his hens would come out & feed a few times a day on the far end of the field, with him never leavin’ the woods ...
... he just sit back in there struttin’ around; gobble every now & again to some callin’ – but he just didn’t come out …………..
‘till yesterday mornin’, that is …
Here’s some Saturday mornin' pics of him finally showin' himself - struttin’, breedin’, all happy with himself, & sayin’
"see ya’ later" …
He had come into the field & the closest he got was 46 yds - most of the pics were taken with him at about 55 yds; but I thought he would end up comin' closer –
NOPE !!! 
Yep - he strutted with his hens, bred the hen, fed a little, took a drink from a tractor rut, & disappeared back into the hardwood triangle ...
... oh well, so much for
"the best laid plans" – but, at least I got to finally get a look-see at him …
Well, this Sunday mornin’
(today) got started up when he gobbled & apeared to be headed away from me ...
... I was doin’ a little tree talkin’ & soft cluckin’ & yelpin’ on a MKW trumpet, which drew his hens into the area ...
... followed up with some more aggressive clucks & yelps compliments of one of Ernie's fine slate callers - his response gobbles let me know he was still around …
But then started the
"same ol’ same ol’ " – the hens would come out to feed for a while at about 60 to 70 yds from me, with him struttin’ in the triangle of hardwoods all of the time ...
... this scenario happened twice throughout the mornin’; & then it started to thunder a little off in the distance …
… ‘bout the 3rd time he gobbled to the longer type thunder, I decided to hit him
(them) with a new hen that had showed up on the scene ...
I ran a very aggressive cluckin’ series on the slate followed with some immediate loud yelps – he gobbled immediately & the hens went off as well ...
... I keyed in on the hens & hit that slate for all it was worth, he gobbled again, the hens went nuts, & one came out to the field edge to investigate ...
... I hit her hard again, & she responded with some angry hen talk & he gobbled again …
The next series of aggressive cluckin’ did the trick; she went off on ‘em, he gobbled again, & this time she headed into the field towards my set-up, from some 75 yds away …
She was followed by the other 6 hens, & this time they were all movin’ down the field in my direction – I toned the clucks down a little, & bingo, he was standin’ there on the field edge …
… I clucked twice, the hen clucked back, & he gobbled & strutted …
At that point I shut-up, & let nature take it course …
The lead hen kept comin’, followed by the other hens, & I guess he thought the hens were leavin’ him, so he came right along after 'em …
... I ranged him at 45 yds & then he crossed over to my side of the field; he was at 50 yds accordin’ to the RF …
... he came forward to the point were he was kinda’ in the middle of the hens, & I guessed that he had come another 15 or 20 yds closer …
Then I think a hen that was now behind him musta’ clucked, ‘cause his head shot up & he turned to go to her …
…
nope, not happenin’ – the safety went off, followed by a trigger squeeze, & down he went …
… as the adrenalin drained off; I sat there & thought about the fine mess of encounters with this bird & his hens, & thanked the Lord for a great final hunt for this guy …
... there was surely nothin' suicidal 'bout this two year old - &
"it's always better when ya' got one hangin' "...
