4-hour battle and "Lights Out"

[REBELYELL]

This turkey season has been rough, having called up three birds within range and not even pulling the trigger. If it could go wrong, it went wrong on all of them. I have worked less birds this year than I can remember in several years. It was hard to just find a gobbling bird the first three weeks of season. When I did find a bird, he would be henned up or either just not very vocal, especially after hitting the ground. But, it's days like yesterday that keep you going. I pulled up to the gate on some private land I can hunt and hooted two or three times. Nothing. I thought maybe it was just the unusual cool weather we had yesterday morning. I waited a minute and tried it again. Bam, he sounded off. I made my way towards him and got set up at 6:25. We then duked it out for the next four hours. I tried every trick in my book; silent game, agressive cutting and yelping, purring and clucking, scratching in the leaves and even a gobble tube. He was less than 60 yards several times, but I couldn't see him. I even got up once and walked away from him, doing some heavy cutting when I got about 75 yards further away from him. He gobbled a couple of times and I slipped back up to my spot. A few minutes later, he continued gobbling from the same area where he was at the whole morning. I waited and he finally quit gobbling. An hour passed and he hadn't gobbled. I was ready to make a move on him, but I decided to call a little first. I hit him with my Lights Out aluminum call and he gobbled about 50 yards in front of me. He started drummin and gobbling again, inching a little closer. I could smell his breathe he was so close, but couldn't see him. Finally, he eased out in the powerline in half strut.  The grass was so tall, I couldn't hardly see his head. I clucked and he stuck his head up. With one pull of the trigger, that bad taste in my mouth was gone. A hen putted and flew off after I shot. The grass was so tall I never saw her almost in his shadow. I looked at my watch and it was 10:25, exactly four hours after we started battling.
10-1/2" beard and 1" sharp spurs

[Wrangler95]

Very nice gobbler,congrats!!

[turkey slayer]

Great bird congrats!

[Ol'Mossy]

Nice bird and hunt, congrats

[njdevilsb]

Congrats.  Gotta love getting it done after a long battle with him.

[bowhunter84]

way to go......congrats

[REBELYELL]

Congrats.  Gotta love getting it done after a long battle with him.

I have killed a few bigger, but none more rewarding. It was a fight!!

[LX_Trkyhntr]

Congrats on the great hunt and great bird Jody!!

[Hognutz]

Congrats on winning the fight. It was a 10 rounder but sometimes they are the best ones to win. Well done..Mike

[Basser69]

Congrats on a nice bird! 

[TRKYHTR]

WTG Jody. You deserved that turkey. Congrats,

TRKYHTR

[Spring_Woods]

 

[trkycaller]

Congrats!!

[lmbhngr]

 

[Gold Spur]

Congrats Reb!!! Great pics also...