Bird down in WI (updated)

[longbeard95]

Managed to put the stalk on a nice tom this morning AND still make it to school on time haha pics, story and score will be coming later tonight. Just wanted to share the news.

[spurman]

Way to go Tyler 

[old frank]

Congratulations!

[SheGotHoOks]

Congrats..

[SheGotHoOks]

What happened to the story and the pics?!?

[longbeard95]

Alright sorry for the delay on the pics and the story guys! But here it is!
After work wednesday night I was able to watch this guy ly up to roost with about 7 hens. The problem was that the field just had brand new drainage ditches dug so there was about a 4 foot high mound of dirt around the entire field edge. That only gave me about 10 yards to set up my decoys. Well I got in there kind of early Thursday morning (4:20) and got settled in. Well about 5 o'clock I hear my bird sound off and it sounds like he moved trees since I had last seen him in the night before. I call back with a couple tree yelps and nothing, so I decide to just stay quiet because I figured he had heard me. Well he gobbled a couple more times and then I watched a hen fly out into my field and turn and walk the other way so I decided to start gobbling at the tom to try to get him worked up and come on over to see who is in his territory. Well that didnt work but I did manage to call the hen back in. I looked at my phone and it said 6:00. I had to be home by 6:30 if I wanted to make it on school on time so I decided I was going to walk down the field edge and see if I could get a glimpse of this tom. I walk down about 200 yards to the other side of the field and I see him a bout 100 yards away strutting with all those hens. The best thing was is that he was right next to the drainage ditch! So I hoped into the ditch and start my stalk, only moving when the wind blew. I was able to wade through the water that was easily flowing over the top of my knee high boots and the get onto my belly and crawl up too the bank to take a peek. To my surprise he was no more than 50 yards infront of me when I poked my head up! Him and his hens were feeding right towards me but the started too turn around so I figured it was now or never. As soon as he went out of strut I let him have it at 45 yards. sroped him right on the spot! Not the biggest bearded bird but is my new best for spurs. One measure 1 1/4 and the other was 1 1/8. He had a 9 7/8 inch beard and weighed 21.2 pounds. Was very happy to finally get a bird down on the ground after all of this bad weather we have had this year! Sorry for the long read guys!

[spurman]

Good read Tyler and congratulations on a fine bird.

[slawman]

Pretty bird congrats

[West Augusta]

That's a nice one.  Congrats.