Started out, Dad went to one spot and I went to another. I slipped in and set up where I thought a bird may be, turns out they were not too far behind me, probably about 80-100 yds away. They gobble some but aren't too hot in the fog, end up pitching out the wrong way and work into a field around the corner of me. They didn't seem to have any interest in leaving hens and even after a good move watched them walk off just a hair farther than I wanted to shoot. They cross the field and go across a road. Can't really move after them at this point until a car goes by and spooks em farther back off the road. I make the hop and as I'm slipping into the woods hear them gobble way back in that wood lot. Moving their way a hen yelps pretty close.. I'm convinced she's just on a field edge and want to get a few more feet ahead to a good tree.. when I did I see movement in her direction.. it's a longbeard strutting.. probably only 60-70yds from me. He's facing away, so I just drop so I can't see him directly and get my gun up. I yelp and the birds in the back gobble right on me, close guy stays quiet. A few more calls and it's obvious the back birds are coming and quick, I moved some to be able to see that way, still keeping my gun pointed at the closer bird. Then I see a flash of movement as 2 longbeards are trotting through the woods to my left.. I wait till they get behind some brush and swing my gun over.. enter an opening, cluck to stop him and 0730 it was lights out!
I text my father LBD and ask if he's got anything going on. He said he had been working birds but had about lost em to private. I met him at his parking lot and joined up as we went through another section of woods. He had seen a pair of jakes enter earlier, well, got em to gobble and set up, Dad saw a red head about 40-45yds out but he held up at that point. I tell him lets run back through where he worked the birds earlier on our way back to the truck and it took a little bit, but we found em. It was pretty windy at that point so when they sounded so far off the first time, made a big move and they were right on top of us in no time. I think they only gobbled 3 times total. I picked a tree for him to sit and I sat directly behind him. I couldn't see as well as he could but I got the hint when he beared down on his gun. I see a red head cut to the right pretty close, then another.. I'm wondering why he hasn't shot yet, they were jakes.. then I see a full fan clear some brush... 20 yards away and I got to look directly over my fathers shoulder and watch the shot hit him right in the face! It was awesome. 10:08 for #2
His bird was a toad - 22lbs 6oz, 10 1/4" beard, 1 1/8" spurs.
Mine was - 17lbs 4oz, 11" beard, 1 1/16" spurs.
