So I decided to go to Kentucky this year because my Gould's trip was postponed again due to covid. I have a farm there so the plan was to do some farm work and hunt with my brother. Well, last evening my brother is informed he has child obligations and can't hunt in the morning. We are hunting new places and I've never stepped foot on either of them let alone know where they are. My brother killed a nice bird on one of them last year. So last evening after dark he takes me by both places so I know where they are. I intend to go to the first spot, which has a run down house on it, that no one live in. As I drive up to the place this morning I see a car there. Another hunter? Idk, so I go to the other spot. I walked about 100 yards through a field to find a spot and a hear one sounding off not too far away. It's getting daylight so I work my way closer and get set up, then nothing. About 7:30 I strike a bird from the same spot. 350 yards away in a field. I see a gobbler strutting and gobbling.
I can't see any hens, but he won't budge. I have 2 hen decoys out. He drifts off, so I decide to do some prospecting to get familiar with the place. I strike a bird up but I think it's just a courtesy gobble, nada. So I work my way back to my starting point and see a strutter several hundred yards away. I watch for a minute and see a hen appear. I try a sneak but they are gone by the time I get to them. By this time my brother shows up and says let's try the other spot. We get to the other spot and my brother tells me the house was sold, but not the property, hence me seeing a car there. Anyway, he puts me in a spot he's confident in and he heads off to set up on the other side of the field. He can't stay long, again due to child issues. He leaves and I stay. About an hour and a half goes by and I'm getting a little frustrated with a chain saw running and dogs barking and cutting through the field I'm set up on. I see a large squirrel in a tree in the woodline I'm in and I think to myself thats a big squirrel. I look through my binos and see it's a fox squirrel. About that time I look back at my set up and theres a gobbler 20 yards away walking too my decoys. He gets to the decoys and senses the jig is up and possibly sees me in the tree line and does a u turn to leave. I'm able to turn the red dot on and say to myself it's now or never. He's about 30 yards leaving and I'm able to get my gun up and crank off a shot. Almost a snap type shot. The bird then starts running, but I can tell I hit him. He then takes flight. By now I'm on my feet thinking WTH. I move out into the field where I can see him flying off. He makes it about 80 yards in the air to the wood line and goes down. I hustle over to where I saw him go down and there he is stone cold dead. Thank the lord. My best bird to date. 23.5 lb. 1 1/4" spurs, double bearded, a thick 10.5" and 7" beard above that.
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