Got a nice 2 year old this morning, 18 lbs 8 oz, 10" beard, 3/4 and 11/16 spurs. Pics and story will follow later as it is now Mom's time.
I went out saturday and had 6 Toms and 1 Jake in field adjacent to one I was hunting with no way of getting around on them. Decided to let them be and go back sunday morning and set up where they were strutting saturday. At first light owls get the gobbling rolling, sounds like a party in the woods, then all went silent. I thought oh no here we go again!
About twenty minutes later I hear gobbling in front of me over a little hill, can't see anything yet due to sun shining straight across field into my face. Finally managed to see movement and then more and more. What I didn't see was the hen that had already crossed that they were following. All said there were seven birds, 4 toms and 3 hens. One standing on hill kept looking back towards decoys so I gave him some nice soft purrs and clucks and he starts my direction. After what seemed like an eternity he finally commits to coming the whole way, gets to decoys and only half-struts. I took him down at 19 yds. Time of death 6:41am.
As I was leaving field I look back to where I was sitting on saturday and out come 2 more Toms to check field for hens. At least I know there are plenty of birds there yet. Have one tag left to try and get a bigger one for the team.