We had to take off early today to go meet some people to discuss details about a job we are getting ready to start. When we finished up and left it was only about 230 so I asked dad if he wanted to try and get on a bird and said yes. So we went to a farm with a bird I have made 4 or 5 different sets on this year and I had a pretty good idea what he was doing. We made a big loop around where I thought he would be at and went up the holler at the edge of the field. As we was discussing where to set up he gobbled at the head of the holler across the field so I was pretty sure I could slip out into the field and set up the decoys. While I was setting them up he gobbled again up on the ridge. We settled in and waited, after setting there about an hr and a half he gobbled up on the ridge but this time on our end prob about 100 yards away. All of sudden dad says there he is and gets his gun up so I reach over and turn the camera on. I could only see bits and pieces of him coming because of the briars and brush. He struts up to the decoys and I told dad I'm on him with the camera so shoot whenever you want. At 23 yards his 20 ga rolled him. He must have ran across the creek, from the last time he gobbled to the time he shot was only 2 mins. The bird weighted 17 pounds 7 ounces, he had beard rot but a thick 8 in beard and 1 1/8 in spurs. I was hoping 1 of us would get him because I have played cat and mouse with him and I loved matching wits with him. I told my wife I wish he was still alive so I could try him some more haha. I had a feeling this would be a good bird for dad to try and move on because it wasn't a real long walk or ruff ground and for the first time in several years, last year he only killed 1 bird and it was on the last day of season. So hopefully this year he can tag out.
