Fog Gobbler!

[MouthCaller]

Well Im gonna starts out with Saturdays stories because I like reading others stories in detail so I will have one of my own. I was hunting both days with a buddy from work Jason.

Opening day: Started out different than what we wanted Jason wanted to go to a spot he had picked out in a area called Eagle Bluff over looking the towns of Jacksboro and Lafollette TN on the south side of Royal Blue WMA and we were beat to the spot by another hunter so off we went to another spot and another only to have trucks already parked there. We finally got to another place and had to park a few hundred yards away from another hunter. By this time birds should have been gobbling on the roost for 10-15 minutes. Got out and heard nothing, we were in a place the we couldve probably heard a bird up to a half mile away and nothing (much like my scouting). So fast forward to 10:00 PM we've regrouped and made out way across I-75 to another part of Royal Blue WMA and try our best to find a place that someone else had not already been and we did! We set up 70 yards inside the woodline with our backs to some thick stuff so not to be caught off guard. We set up blindly and call and after 30 minutes we start hearing a gobbler! He isnt very vocal but he's on his way! I told Jason we needed to go around the hill and into the bottom because we couldnt call him through the thick stuff but he didnt want to move. We split our decisions and set up on the hill side facing the bottom and the gobbler came into 60 yards, saw something he didnt like and left. (I told him where I wanted to set up at tnad where he turned was where I wanted to sit. Well the day ends with a lot more looking and calling trying to find a bird but no luck.

Sunday Morning:
Jason spoke with a man the night before whom he had permission to hunt his property and told him he saw 2 strutters in the field that afternoon so we decided to go to the field and set up while it was still dark. We get there and get set up and it was FOGGY!  20 mins later a hen 80 yards away starts getting mouthy. I have never heard a hen cut and yelp like she did EARLY and still on the roost! We started hearing gobblers off in the distance gobble and still nothing in our field. Then all of a sudden after replying to the mouthy hen he gobbles and is roosted with the hen! Daylight comes and they fly down later because it didnt as bright out with the heavy heavy fog and then he gobbles across the field from where we are 200 yards out. We cant see him and he cant see out strutting jake decoy through the fog, this goes on for about 30-45 mins and then the fog starts to move out and we see him! He is across the field by the deer stand in full strut. We cannot get him to move until a stroke of luck with the owners horses coming into the field pushing him closer and to our right. Although he is "bumped" out of his strutting spot he still will not come in so I told Jason we needed to back out and go around the field and try to get to where he was and we could kill him. He didnt want to move but told me I was free to if I wanted so I backed out and walked around the field. I tried getting into a good position but I couldnt see into the field because it was so thick. Finally he sounds off and I move closer and got set up and cut on my mouth call and the hens flew OVER my head into the woods and followed by them was a jake who I let walk because I was after the big boy! I call and he gobbles nearly rattling my brains out, he's right on top of me and I can't see him. I slowly got behind the tree I was on and stood up to get a better look and there he was 40 yards in front of me looking right at me. He didnt budge as I slowly raised my gun and it was all over but the flopping.

He's a 2 year old bird 9 1/4'' beard 5/8'' right 1/2'' left spurs. He probably weighed 18 pounds but I didnt have a scale.

[Hognutz]

Congrats!! 

[VA_Birdhunter]

congrats!! 

[JVA54]

     Congrats!!

[boomer]

Congrats!!

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

[surehuntsalot]

good job...congrats

[Ol'Mossy]

Congrats 

[cannonball]

Nice gobbler, congrats!

[Reloader]

Congrats