That's my boy! AKA successful NC Youth Saturday

[Clay]

We started out in a blind before dark and heard several gobbling off the roost, however only two close enough for us to be in the game and neither of them showed much interest.  All gobbling ceased when they hit the ground.  I was able to fire up a hen and fuss with her for 20+ minutes.  She finally called in what she was looking for and hushed.  At about 7:30 my son was getting very cold, so we decided to cut and run some.  We were on a small flat above a river when we got a gobbler to respond to us from a long ways away.  We moved to the next ridge and set up in a hardwood flat. 

There were two gobblers off to our left out >100 yards and one closer right in front of us.  The one in front of us came in but hung up on the other side of a brush pile.  He would strut toward us until he reached a big pine log about 45 yards from us, then turn and strut the other way.  When he first came up he would answer about anything I threw at him, but got to where he would only answer a cut.  We worked him until it became apparent that he wasn't going across that log, so I switch my attention to the two farther out and began working them harder.

About then I saw a bird jump the pine log!  It took just a second to realize it was a hen, then more followed her.  5 hens in total came across the log, then Ole Tom jumped on the log and puffed out in full strut and to my amazement gobbler #2 hopped over the log as well!  Unfortunately, my son (obviously much smaller than me and positioned between my legs) couldn't see the birds from his vantage point.

To make a looong story short, we had 2 gobblers within range for over 45 minutes, but my son could never see them!  The hen's finally fed off out of sight with the gobblers trailing after them.  Then to my amazement, I was able to call the two gobblers back to us.  My boy FINALLY got eyes on them and ended up shooting the non-dominant bird (when he pulled the trigger I thought he'd missed because the first bird took off, then I saw the second one down and flopping).  Still a very nice bird by anyone's measurement at 18lbs 9 ¼" beard and 1 ¼ spurs.  Definitely a nice way to spend a Saturday morning :-)

[Reloader]

Awesome!! Congrats!

[Hognutz]

I can't get enough of stories that end like that.. Well done..

[guesswho]

I like it!  Congrats!

[Shotgun]

Awesome..Give that young man a high five for me

[hookedspur]

I can't get enough of stories that end like that.. Well done..

Very well Done 

[M,Yingling]

Nice 

[LONGBEARD22]

Awesome!!

[mnturkey]

Congratulations, that smile says it all.

[870supermagnum]

Congrats, and thanks for sharing your hunt with us. 

[boomer]

Congrats!!

[renegade19]

 
Super!!!!

[Wrangler95]

 

Very nice going,congrats!

[Flydown]

Yes sir, thats the way to lay the hate! Congrats to you both!!

[gobblercop]

Man, I know first hand what that little boy is feeling right now.  Because my dad took the time to take me out into the woods, I am the man I am today.  Those are some of my most prized memories.  Congrats on a nice bird, and I'm glad fathers like the one I had still exist today.