Hunted NH hard this morning with my wife, she wants a certain Tom real bad, lol. She has got it bad. Gobbling but not playing. So after noon she feeds me and I go to Maine and the girls go to the movies. I have been seeing a pair of dinosaurs and a solo giant about 2 miles away so 5hats where I head. First spot, I see 3 birds, good start. The giant Tom and two jakes, I am glad I started carrying binoculars. They are heading the best direction possible. I get around and get humping. I get to the tote road that goes to the back of the field and yelp one series and they hammer back. I am not in a good spot so I just hop off the tote road and get in some small pines. I start calling and they hammer back, but so do a bunch of hens. I anger the boss hen and she buggers right past me along with 6 more hens. The gobblers split up and the two jakes go in the woods and big boy stays on the road. Jakey1 and 2 come right to me and come on the road at 28 yards. They stroll past me and actually yelp and cluck as they do, first time I ever heard that. Then the Tom comes into view at about 40 yards, I see his long beard , I shot most of it off, swing out as he gobbles. I smile and take off the safe. He struts right down to me at 20 yards and I end our conversation. Just as I pull the trigger, I hear another gobble, not my bird . All tags filled, I walk onto the tote road and see grandpa staring at me . He was the bird I saw and I never saw the one I killed until it was too late. Rookie mistake, gramps was a beauty, but I had no tags left to fill. You win this one gramps. Next year you will be on my daughters list, and lord help you if she hunts Maine. Good luck and God Bless. Al Baker
