Well the weather man was wrong thank goodness so we had decent weather. The bird I had roosted for Leah, of course, was not there. He was deep in the woods and headed the other direction. So, at about 7:30 we headed to a pipeline where I had heard a bunch of gobblers gobble last week. The decoys were set and I let out a few yelps to get started. After a few minutes hens started cuttin and cackling at me from our right. Wouldn't you know it, 15+ hens and 2 strutters. I laid the cuts back and here they came, but slowly. I told Leah to get ready cause those 2 big boys were following the ladies. After all the cutting and yelping back and forth I caught movement in my eye from the left of the powerline, 4 longbeards!!!!! (see video) They were already in range (35 yards), but stopped right behind a cedar three and Leah can't get a shot. All of a sudden they see those 2 strutters and turn into the woods and make a beline to those strutters, just in the woods out of range. A few minutes passed and we are watching the strutters again and I hear drumming. I look back at the decoys and there is a bird in full strut just across the pipeline. I told Leah to hit the safety this boy is coming. Exactly when I said that, those 4 longbeards attacked the other 2 strutters! I'm talking aggravated purrs and wings flapping. I can't watch cause we are focused on the strutter in front of us. All the commotion must have scared the strutter we were watching cause he tucked tale and took off. CRAPP!!!!! The 4 "tough guy" long beards whooped those other two gobblers and went back into the woods and that was that. The hens fed on by and the hunt was over. All in all we saw 8 total strutters all within 70 yards and could not get a shot, but it was great. My friend was running the camera and here are a few hightlights. I must say that I am very proud of Leah. This was her first hunt without the comfort of a blind (i am weaning her off the blind). We had hens looking at us at 5 yards and they never spooked.
http://youtu.be/k06ImgXVSPM
