NY bird down

[Thebody]

19.6 lbs, 10.5 inch beard, 1 1/8 & 1 inch spurs.  Details to follow, I'm driving back to MD.

[Hayudog]

Cograts- Looks like a nice tom.  Should score well too. 

[WildSpur]

Congrats!  Way to get it done.

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[TURKEYWHACKER]

Congrats on a fine bird

[Thebody]

Really tough 3 days of hunting up there.  I started on Wednesday hearing one bird on the roost at 5:30am.  He gobbled pretty good until around 6 and I heard some hens and it went silent.  I heard nothing till 10 or so and I got a response from some soft mouth calling from the Tom Teaser and some leaf scratching.  I though I had him coming in pretty good, but I was cut off or just led a bird in the wrong direction, he was shot on the bordering property about 150 yards from me.  Good day for them and bad for me.  I wasn't ready to hang it up so I went to another property and set up on a field.  I saw one hen who seemed slightly agitated with my calling and I heard a gobbler a ridge over, but it was almost noon and a no go.

Day two started in the woods bordering an apple orchard and old hay field.  I heard three birds on the roost, but just as the day before, they shut up as soon as they hit the ground.  I sat in place till 9 and decided to move to the field and see what might happen.  I called once in 30 minutes and 3 jakes showed up.  They were trying their best to strut, but it looked more like they were breeding.  I even saw one try to gobble, but nothing came out.  A few calls from the mouth call brought em in real close before they decided they smelled a rat and left.  I was proud of my camo and my arms were killing me from sighting in for practice.  I was hunting for the first time with a TrU Glo ghost ring sight.  After they left I worked the entire ridge over the next hour and a half, but it wasn't meant to be.  I left to get diesel for the tractor and food plot work and when I got back to the cabin I could hear one hammering on the ridge I had walked all over trying to drum one up.  I listened and sure enough he worked his way to the old hay field.  He gobbled till 2....and put on a good show.  I put my camo back on and walked the 400 yards to a good watching spot on a hill.

Day three I went back to the lease, but heard nothing.  I stayed until 9 glassing some fields and calling lightly and then decided to go back and  set up on the ridge I had heard the bird the day before on the other property.  I sat up and called twice in an hour but heard nothing so I decided to hit another ridge, right before standing a crow got one to gobble not 200 yards from me.  I thought he was coming in and I gave a yelp...he answered so I went silent.  Ten minutes is an eternity straining the eyes and then I heard him even further away...I was a little perplexed, but I had time to cut him off in the apple orchard.  I got there quick and set up.  Within 10 minutes I could see that two gobblers a jake and four hens were angling away and getting behind me.  I cut a little and here they came.  30 minutes later a bird was down.  And I still can't figure why they were still with hens.  I was really starting to question myself and my calling, but they were with the real thing. 

[Twowithone]

Way to go congrats on the gobbler

[RutnNStrutn]

Congrats on a nice bird!! Way to hang in there 'til the last minute!! Were you hunting on public or private land?

[Thebody]

I have access to two spots, but one butts up to public land and gets a lot of pressure. 

[RutnNStrutn]

Gotcha. Either way, nice gobbler!!