Number 1

[mfd1027]

It was raining this morning but I still dragged my butt out of bed and went.   I had worked a bird yesterday that I managed to call his hens away from and I thought I might be able to do some business with him again this morning.   The roads on the lease were horrible and after going sideways a couple of times I decided I'd better park ASAP and hoof it.   I wound up with a mile walk and about half of it through the swamp (only about 8" deep).   I figured the rain would help cover up the noise of me sloshing through there.  I took 2 mouthcalls, 3 shells and left my fanny pack and other calls in the truck.  I always have a hooter in my top pocket so I was good there.   When I cleared the swamp it was gobble time so I let out with a loud scream followed by a short hoot.   The woods lit up about 200 yds away with an assortment of gobbling.   I thought for sure a roving pack of Jakes!!   After a couple of blasts on the hooter it seemed like they were the only game in town so I eased up to a burned over area that bordered the field they had roosted next to and set up.   I figured that maybe if I could keep the Jakes gobbling maybe a longbeard would hear all the racket and come for a look.   Anyways, I started with my calling and kept it just loud enough to make em gobble.   I just picked up the volume until I got them to start answering.   Nothing fancy just some good ol yelping.   They flew down and headed my way slowly.  When I heard them below me but on my side of the field I felt pretty good about at least getting a look at them.  I was having fun.   I thought there was maybe 3 birds and was shocked when they came into view and it was 8 of them.   Still thinking they were Jakes I just kept single and double yelping to them and everytime I did they would all gobble.  Every year we have Jakes that have full gobbles so I wasn't surprised at how well they sounded.   Finally they got to about the 40-50 yd. mark and one em fanned out.   Damn!! a full fan.  They were all kind of standing at attention and facing me and I couldn't see their beards but knew  that at least one of them was mature because of his tail.   I had no idea which one it was.   I just sat there quietly and waited for them to start moving so I could see if they had a beard as they leaned forward to walk.  Damn!!! They all had beards and I am sitting with my gun on my knee but not shouldered with 8 sets of eyes on me.   They finally started to meander off and I was worried that I had really screwed up.   As some of them retreated there was one that just stood there staring.  He had me pinned down.  Finally he broke too and took a couple of steps to the side which gave me the chance to cock my trigger (encore) and cheek my gun.  I also got to see a nice beard swinging as he leaned forward in a sort of profile view.  As he was about to come into an opening I yelped twice real softly and that brought him back to attention.  BOOOOOOM!!!!   Flop, Flop, Flop, Flop.   Got him.  As he laid there flopping the others came running and started kicking his butt.   It was crazy.  Some were gobbling and some were flapping their wings and spurring their fallen buddy.   I know I could have shot at another one of them which is legal here in Ga. but I decided I just didn't want to do that so I just watched the show and made sure the one I shot didn't get up.   It was a hell of a morning.   

I've got a nice picture of him on my phone and if I can figure out how to post it I will.  I'm not going to enter this one.   He  was a nice 3 yr. with 1 1/8" and 1" spurs, 10" beard and weight of 18.8.  I think I can do better.   I hope I haven't jinxed myself. lol   

   

[harvester]

Congrats Dan, WTG.

[Gumby]

Great write-up and congrats! Sounds like a morning to remember.

[keyser12ga]

Awesome Dan, and great story.  Congrats

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk 2

[ElkTurkMan]

That's awesome Dan!  I enjoyed the story and that is a heck of bird!  Congrats on the first of 2013. 

[unclerick]

Now that's how you do it,,,,congrats Dan on a nice bird and shareing the hunt with us....

[Moore]

nice bud

[Ricochet]

Right on, that was a nice hunt!  Congrats!   

[gob09]

congrats dan the man strikes again

[Moore]