3rd hunt Gobbler

[strum]

  I wake up to rain this morn. Almost went back to bed but decided I would go on out. If it gets bad I can hoof it back to the truck.
  Not really knowing exactly where I wanted to be (had and Idea) My plan was to go  on up the mt part way and listen .
  It was pitch dark,dripping wet and heavy fog but I trudged on up and found a big ole white pine to sit against.
Daylight was late because f the overcast but at 7:23 a crow sounds off and a gobbler answered close!!  I mean 70 yards or closer close. About at my 10 o'clock direction. I didnt answer knowing he was still in the tree. Ten mins pass and he hammers again. this time I wait maybe 5 mins and give him a couple medium volume yelps.(mouth call) He hammers right on top.. Game on
I didnt call again. 10 mins go by and I hear him gobble farther away at my 12 o clock. Then even farther away .. Crap He must have hens . So I yelp and cluck a few times  he answers. Huh..  He gobbles a little later at thunder Off to my 1 o clock but I thought even farther. Crap. I answer and boom he hammers. I still think hes going away.  A few mins then Gobble close!! He had made a big circle. So I softly cluck and very soft under my breath type yelp and he hammers . even closer. By then I had my gun shouldered and propped on my knee and pointed. Then I see him ..3 o clock.. How do they know youre not pointed that way?
I let him get behind the only tree big enough to block me and got turned. When he stepped out it was over. I paced 21 yards. He never knew what hit him. 12 ga Mossberg 3"TSS #9 . and my ears are still ringing. This is the only pic I took. 10 1/2" beard 15/16 spurs . I still forgot to weigh him but Im saying21-22. hes bigger then sundays bird.  He is in the feezer now.
Oh he had been shot before. copper coated shot. in the breast and legs.

[Brs2427]

Congrats, I am sure tss at twenty yards picked him off the ground!

[Beards and Hooks]

 Congratulations Strum sounds like a darn good year so far!

[strum]

Congrats, I am sure tss at twenty yards picked him off the ground!

I not sure I hit him with the full load. Fact Im sure I didnt .
My pattern tests showed a full 20 yard load would about decapitate .
I probably missed a little . But he still took a fair amount. He went straight down.

[Marc]

I not sure I hit him with the full load. Fact Im sure I didnt .
My pattern tests showed a full 20 yard load would about decapitate .
I probably missed a little . But he still took a fair amount. He went straight down.

Nice hunt and great bird!

But I have to ask, are you generally stretching your range out?  Why would you want a load/pattern that is so tight that it would decapitate a bird at 20 yards?

[RutnNStrutn]

Congrats!!

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[jmart241]

Congrats

[Yoteduster]

Congrats on a really nice bird

[Mossberg90MN]

That's awesome! I would probably say that weather would have maybe kept me home unless I knew it was gonna ease up later

[Wrangler95]

Very nice going,congrats!!

[g8rvet]

Nice job.  You have a lot more give at 20 with a 40 yard pattern than most folks think.  You can still be off a bit and clean kill one-as you can now attest!

[tomstopper]

Congrats

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