Turkey action had become a little slow in our area,but you cant kill one at home. I headed out thursday (4/26) morning hoping for a change in the action. Went back to the same farm where i had killed my first bird. Setup on a pipeline utility r/w that runs along the north edge of the property. Usually a good spot to start and if nothing else its a high point good for listening. The birds did not disappoint. I heard no less than 6 birds gobbling at first light,3 less than 150 yds away to my north. right after shooting time a hen in a tree east of me about 75 yds starts going crazy, so i join in the fun. The gobblers loved it. Not long after that 2 birds pitch down at about a 2:00 position from me into the pipeline about 80 yds away. one strutter and another male bird but cant tell what for sure. a hen pitches down and joins the party. the other bird ends up being a jake and marches right into my jake/hen decoys. the strutter closes to about 50 yds with the hen...safety comes off for the first time today. Hen wonders away and off course he follows. they go down the pipeline but out of sight. About 10 minutes later a hen is really going off down where they had gone. I start getting aggressive with her and she is PO'ed. Here she comes mad as a hornet. Safety comes off for time #2 I just know shes got her boyfriend in tow. No such luck. She does get into my decoys and gives the hen deke a lesson. That was fun to watch. Hit a lull for a while with some sporadic gobbling. Decide to get up and move further down the pipeline where those earlier birds had gone. Peek out from the timber edge into the pipeline and look to my left about 200 yds.....STRUTTER and he's alone!!! turn my seat around to face his way,decoys are now past me about 15 yds. I yelp and cut and hes liking it but hes in no hurry,but coming. Disappears into one of the many dips on the pipeline. I see a head pop up about 25 yds away...hen..coming my way. Yes!! live Bait! She feeds past me then I hear it PFFFFT....fan and head pop up where the hen was but not enough where its a good shot. The hen had walked right along a ridge along a big dip in the pipeline close to me,figured he'd do the same. Nope. goes into the dip out of sight. CRAP! once he comes out of the dip hes going to be past me. So I turn as far to my right as my little fat body will let me and here he comes in strut. One good cluck and at 25 yds hes history. Ive never had to try and shoot at such a twisted angle before and i hope never to have to again. But it all worked out. 25# 1 1/8 spurs 11" beard. Tagged out in MO not 75 yds from where I killed the first bird of the year. Pics are in the dearly departed post above. Now hoping to get one of the boys a bird this weekend!!
