little brother and I got it done yesterday morning in Illinois!

[heathwesley]

My brother and I roosted turkeys Wednesday night at one of our new turkey hunting locations.  We felt pretty good about the next morning considering the weather was gonna be perfect and we put at least three gobblers to bed.  The next morning we set up and as the sky began to light the show began.  We had several different turkeys gobble off the roost and continue into the early morning hours.  We tried some light calling to start the morning but once the hens got fired up the light calling turned into some pretty agressive calling.  Unfortunately those hens lead the gobblers straight away as they often do this time of the year.  We wanted to be aggressive because this was the last day my brother would be able to hunt on his first season Illinois tag.  So we decided to move on a turkey we could still hear gobbling way down in a bottom we were familiar with.  We used a crow call to keep a check on his location as we slipped down the bottom to get closer.  When we made it to the bottom to set up we found no gobbler but did spook a hen.  We could no longer able to get the bird to answer us so we were afraid we may have bumnped him.  We went ahead and set-up anyway and over the course of the next hour we could hear some far off gobbling but decided to hold tight where we were.  Finally we were able to get one to answer us a couple times and over the next five minutes he covered a lot of ground and the next thing we could hear him drumming through the brush about 40 yards to are right.  Finally he stepped out into the field to are right in full strut at about 40 yards.  After he just stood there for a couple minutes and stared at the decs I got nervous and just about made a mistake that blew the whole deal.  I decided to very lightly purr and when I did instead of heading for the decs he turned and walked right back into the timber and headed our way.  We could not move a muscle.  I watched him in my peripheral vision as long as I could as he passed no less than five yards behind us.  I could feel my heart beat in my head.  He putted nervously just one time and the next thing I knew he gobbled to the left at about thirty yards.  Finally we could move and adjust to the other side.  Maybe a minute later he stepped out of the woods to our right side and this time he strutted right into the decoys.  I was watching direclty over my brothers shooting shoulder as he stopped this bird right in his tracks.  It was an awesome hunt we will never forget.  We will be right back after them tomorrow morning here in Illinois!  Good luck to everyone and God Bless.  Dont forget to take someone new hunting every year! 

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[heathwesley]

A few more pics!

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[Basser69]

Congrats on a great bird! 

[Bagg-it Tag-it]

 
Now you're cooking!

[bowhunter84]

congrats

[tnturkeyman28]

congrats!!!!

[Hognutz]

Congrats on the nice bird. 

[spur collector]

Congrats on a fine bird.

[CSAW]

 
Congrats!!

[turkey slayer]

CONGRATS!!

[Trip]

Congrats!!!

[hookedspur]

GREAT bird and pics.

[surehuntsalot]

cobgrats

[harvester]

congrats on a good bird

[econo]

Great job congrats