I'm in school in Memphis so I joined a lease in Western Tennessee in order to get an early start over the late Arkansas season. This is my first year in the lease and with the weather like its been I haven't heard much in the way of gobbling on during my scouting trips. I managed to get over to the lease on friday morning to look around and hopefully hear some birds, no such luck on hearing but I did manage to walk up on a 2 year old completely by himself. Opening morning I went with plan and hunted some mature pines that I knew I would have all to myself, which didn't matter because the birds never made a peep. At about 8:30 I decided to get to the draw that I'd seen the bird in the day before, got set up in road way that is planted with wheat and just called about every 10 minutes. I normally HATE to hunt this way but I really had no other option and I knew this bird would be close by. After about 30 minutes he broke the silence and gobbled 3 times probably 200 yards away. I just sat tight and got ready. After 10 minutes I heard him walking in the leaves behind me. I saw him at about 30 yards but could only see his head, it wasn't until he got to around 15 did his beard clear the lip of the steep hill he had climbed to get to me. I put the red-dot on his noggin and let the 835 sing, rolled him 80 yards back down the hill that he had climbed which is what happened to all of his tail feathers on the left side haha. Typical 2 year old but I'd shoot 3 more just like him if given the chance. Hopefully I'll be posting bird #2 in a few days.
