DONE in North Carolina

[SouthEastNC]

Been a real tough season for my hunting group down here in Pender and Bladen counties. They've been henned-up bad and not responding well to the call. My first bird of this season a few weeks ago was one I'd had to stalk up on.

This morning after not hearing anything at one spot, at 6:15 I ride my bike down the road a mile to the edge of some big timber bottomland and hear one gobbling a little inside. I move into what sounds about maybe 200 yards or so from him and set up.

Spend an hour calling about every 8 minutes or so, and he only gobbles at maybe 1 out of every 3 or 4 times. He did not sound hot on me at all. He gobbled at the crows more than me. He never sounded like he was moving any closer, and then shut-up at 7:20.

So after 25 minutes of not hearing anything from him, I figure he'd probably been henned-up the whole time and I should move on to try to find another bird. So I stand up and go to my decoys and then he sounds off at a crow flying overhead, and it sounds like he may have moved a little closer. So I head back to my spot and start clucking. Sure enough, 15 minutes later I see him about 40 yards away through some trees making his way to me. He disappears behind them and I pull up my gun. He popped out 15 yards in front of me and about flipped backwards from a face full of Mag Blends.

1-inch curved sharp spurs. 10 1/4" beard. Nice 3 year old Eastern.

[tomstopper]

Congrats. Way to have the patience.

[captin_hook]

Great bird.

[Wrangler95]

Very nice going,congrats!!

[RutnNStrutn]

Congrats!!

[neal]

Nice work!!

[boomer]

Congrats!!

[surehuntsalot]

nice bird.....congrats