Va. morning hunt

[The Painter]

These birds are hen'ed up !
I get to the farm in Va @ 5am get set up in a way back field a few gobbles at first then the sun popped out and there must have been a dozen toms sounding off in the to bottoms on both sides of the field in the hard woods. I was thinking ...this is good. 5 times I have a bird with in 75 yards and a hen sticks her big noise in his business and cuts him off. You'd think one would get through. It's about 11:30 and I get my finial gobble and then another ..cool he's on his way. Then i got shot blocked again !
Maybe Monday. Instead of hunting the small field on top I'm going to slip into the thick of these birds on the creek bottom and hopefully add a surprise to one and help him take a dirt nap

[The Painter]

2nd hunt in Va. Awesome morning
But...... Big Tom won again this year.  Few birds were talking. I had my back to a creek and looking up a hardwood ridge from the bottom. I'm set up where I saw this Boss Tom last year but could not get the shot. So this year I set up and was waiting on him. He never gobbled. I got a gobble from a bird down the creek about 150 yards and he's making his way to me so I repositioned myself to the left and the bird is coming. He's about 75 yards out and all of a sudden this Big Bad Boy comes running in quite ! He's 25 yards from me at 5o'clock and Nothing I could do but sit and hope for him to walk behind a tree. He did but he bolted as I started my turn. It was exciting ! So maybe tomorrow.

[jakebird]

Sounds like a couple birds in need of dirt naps! Good luck, Painter. Keep at em!

[The Painter]

It was so windy yesterday morning I only heard one bird , Saturday morning should be a little different.

[The Painter]

Saturday Morning ;
This morning 4 gobblers sounded off with in calling ranger. @ 8:15, 3 jakes came in but the big boy stayed behind. I decided to move to the backfield. The field is shaped like an hour glass. the bottom side is a very large field the top side is a very small field. the hourglass is surrounded by hardwoods.at the pinch point is a very small island of trees 10 yards wide with a 5-yard openings on both sides. I set up in the island looking into the small field. I hitting the call with some old hen sounds hard. @ 11 am I get a gobble 30 yards on the back side. He's drumming and  and gobbling for about 15 minutes  before I see him through the thickets on the edge of the island fan out making a move towards the opening. I set for the shot when he comes around by laying my gun on a rest. He stuck his head out about 5' from me. My barrel is about 3" to high. As soon as i lowered to fire he bolted. It was so cool to be eye to eye with this big boy. He's got character...... Hopefully a 3rd time is a charm. Can't get any closer then that !