Alright. I finally have the time to sit down and tell the tale of this incredible hunt. This was one of the neatest and most intense hunts I've ever been a part of. We arrived to our predetermined location good and early. The lingering breeze in the wake of yesterday's frontal passage helped mask our approach up the mountain, deep inMichaux state forest , but I prayed it wouldnt shut the birds down. We got to our setup and got settled in and within minutes a gobbler hammered from right above us on the steep, no more than 75 yds . That got us excited! He fired up and gobbling hard as it got lighter. I gave him some soft tree talk on my Houndstooth Tom Bomb and he ripped right back. Didn't need to do much more at that point . Soon we also noticed a hen sitting in a tree forty yds from us, but she never made a peep. As dawn approached I could hear him getting more anxious and I whispered to Marshall not to flinch if the bird flew down right to us. Moments later he proved me right as he came crashing down through the treetops like a B52 bomber coming in for a landing. He banked to the left and landed FIFTEEN FEET to our left and behind us. As soon as he landed he popped into strut and stood there spitting and drumming. I squeezed Marshall's thigh like a vise and whispered not to move a muscle. Imagine nine yrs old and a boss longbeard practically landing in your lap and the gun is pointed the wrong way and no way to move or take the shot! Suddenly more turkeys begin parachuting down through the trees and landing all around us. Six hens and another gobbler join the strutter on the ground. We are literally sitting on the "landing strip"and it's an unbelievable sight. Even I am coming unglued at this point. Finally the boss begins to work to our right and away from us, following a hen. At last we slowly move the gun into position and I lean way back and try to suck in my chest as Marshall leans the gun across my upper body and twists around. Finally he gets a bead on him, but he is facing away still in strut. Finally he turns to face us as I cluck and Marshall lets him have it at about thirty yds. At the shot, the gobbler flinched and jumped straight into the air and flew off down the mountain. Oh, no. It was a tough shot for sure. Poor kid starts to get choked up. He missed a bird last yr, and now he feels the disappointment all over again. I tell him it's okay and not to worry. I pop the call back in my mouth and send out some raspy excited yelp. Amazingly, two gobblers respond immediately from above us and to our right. Marshall cannot believe we are possibly going to get another chance . I cutt back at them and they cut me off and more birds gobble from just below us to the right .. Both groups are closing in fast and its a foot race to see who gets there first. Soon I spot movement to the right, and three jakes appear sneaking right toward us. We ease the gun around and I yelp softly. The lead bird gobbles in our faces and the group above us gobble too, closer again. Finally they move to the thirty yd line and the lead bird stretches his neck for a better look. I gave the boy the green light and this time the bird went down hard and stayed down. Hard to believe , but he missed the longbeard at 6:15, and at 6:25 we have another bird on the ground, just like that. What an incredible hunt! It was a hawg for a Jake. 16.5 lbs and a 5"beard. Must have been one of those early hatchers from last yr. His second spring bird in three years. Not too shabby for a nine yr old...
