They're Back!

[Eric Gregg]

This morning was a great morning to be out in the woods. I got out of the truck at 6 and hoot owls were fired up doing their thing. I got my stuff on and slowly headed down the gravel road, listening for any gobbler giving away their position. Nothing answered the owls back so I went to a listening spot on the land on the right hand side of the road. I called and didn't hear anything. I decided to go to a spot on the other side of the gravel road which is on the back side of the property and try it out. The land next to it has great food plots that are roughly 200-250 yards from our line. I found me a spot where a couple of roads in the woods come to an intersection at the top of the ridge. I find a spot where I can see down all three roads that is well covered and makes a nice natural blind and pull out my slate call. My first series of yelps is answered immediately by three gobbles in front of me. Now the gobbler gobbles on his own and I am now fired up! I put my mouth call in and use my slate to sound like a bunch of pretty ladies playing hard to get. I didn't get too aggressive, and could tell the gobbling was getting closer. I could hear them going to my left, then to my right roughly to my 10 and 2 o'clock. They are too far for me to see them, but they are there. Then they went away back to the food plots. I wait a couple of minutes and quit calling and figure that the gobblers have found where they want to be and have given up looking for me. They had been responding to my slate all morning so I reach down to pick it up and give it one more last call. A gobbler lights up down the road to my left and he is within a 100yd of me. I turn slightly to get ready, position my gun to point down the road (it is downhill) and the gobbler steps out 65-70 yards in front of me. Guys, this is the first gobbler I have ever called in this close and I am awestruck at this creature. He never goes into strut but he is looking hard for the hen that he heard up that hill. He never came up that road but went off into the wooded area to the left. I keep a watch on him trying not to move too much, anticipating him hooking around and trying to flank me. I was hoping he would hook and pop up in the road on my left but he fades away into the thick brush. Then, to my right I hear leaves rustling and 3 turkeys are heading to cross the road the gobbler just left. They are 30 yd in and I am hoping to see a beard on one of them. They cross the road and I don't see beards. They half circle in front of me and the pop out in the road to my left 15 yd from me. I cannot move.....I see stubby beards on two of then and the third was a lone hen.
That was single handed the most exhilarating moment I have ever had in hunting. I can see where I have matured since my last encounter and was proud that I had patience to wait on them, had improved my calling enough to pull 1 gobbler and 2 jakes out of a food plot to me, and level headed enough to not let the excitement cause me to make a bad shot. Good news is that I know he is still alive, and next year is looking good too with the two jakes I saw this morning. I love this stuff

[FullChoke]

Wow dude, that must have lit you up! How hard was your heart pounding? Try to setup in a place where the gobbler can't see all that far and will be in range when he walks up to look for the hen (you). It doesn't sound like you educated them today, so you are still good to go. Don't get caught in the over-calling trap. When he gobbles at your calling, hush and let him come find you.

This WILL be your year, my brother!

FC

[Eric Gregg]

Heart was pounding like a sledge hammer.The way I was initially facing was like you described....boom they are in your face before you know it. What threw me for a loop was when he sounded off to my left and I knew I had to at least quarter turn to get a shot.

In the past years I have had them gobble and have bumped them, but this is the first I can say that I have called up.