Fastest I have ever tagged out.
Didn't think I was going to be able to hunt any Saturday mornings this year with my wife training for a marathon at the end of the month but I knew this morning was going to be a good one with the cooler temps. Talked to my wife about going and told her I would be back by 10:00 to keep the kids so that she could go run..
Got in the woods about 6:15 and man did if feel good this morning. Give me high 40's any day of the season in the mornings. The place I was hunting is rolling hills with pines that are wide open right now so I wanted to make something gobble early so that I could move and get set up. Hooted at 6:30 and BAM, a bird gobbled about 200 yds away. Moved his way and got setup probably 100 yds away. He's in a creek bottom and I feel good about my chances being on top of a ridge above him.
He gobbles 3 or 4 more times on the roost and I start hearing hens behind me and to my right. They start acting a fool and the woods came alive. I had birds gobbling all around me.
Settled in a gave a few tree yelps and the first tom answered back.. The hens are still going crazy and flying down. Their cutting up and fighting and the toms are going nuts. I honestly think I heard 10 different bird this morning. Continued calling to the original tom and he would answer and could tell he was getting closer. By now I have two birds gobbling to my left, one in front of me, and two behind me. Woods are way to open to be looking around so I stay straight ahead focused on the original bird. Hens are still going crazy.
Finally I see a red white and blue head about 75 yds out coming towards the rd bed. He is strutting and gobbling really good. He stopped short of coming out on the rd and just strutted and gobbled inside the wood line. Meanwhile, the two on my left are getting closer and sound like they're going towards the first tom in front of me. See one come in and chase the original bird off back into the bottom where he came from. 10 mins pass and I don't hear or see either one. Birds still gobbling all around but probably all 100 yds off or more.
Not knowing what happened to the ones in front of me, I give a few yelps hoping one would respond and nothing. Gave a few more yelps with a little more volume to them and BAM, a bird on my right gobbles but on the other side of ditch. Called again to gauge his interest and BAM the two in front of me finally gobble again. I focus on them because I didn't think the one to my right would cross the ditch. Called one more time to see if the two in front were coming or not and nothing. Sit there for a min and I hear spitting and drumming to the right. CRAP.. Ease my eyes that way and there a tom struts just 40 yds away. Woods are way to open to swing on him and he is walking straight to me. I knew he would either walk in front of me or behind me. Luckily there was a 10 ft long sweet gum sapling laying to my right and it diverted the tom to walk right in front of my gun barrel.
Killed him at 10 steps.
18 lbs
8.5" beard
1" spurs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpkXJqG8I5s
