After having to leave gobbling birds yesterday cause I got called into work, I had a good game plan heading into the woods this morning. I knew where they were roosted yesterday and which way they headed when they flew down, I was hoping they would do the same today. I set up on top of a hill on a food plot above the roost and hoped one would pitch down to me. Just after I got my dekes set up (jake and hen) and got sat down and comfortable I started hearing gobbling. Nothing on my property but birds were cranking up in all directions.
About daylight one gobbled about 120 yards out right where I was hoping they roosted. He gobbled probably 20 times on his roost while waiting on daylight. Finally when I figured it was light enough for fly down I laid out a couple of purrs and a couple of soft yelps then flopped my hat hoping to sound like a hen heading to the plot. He pitched right after that and I figured it was on.
He kept gobbling every minute or so so I started putting some yelps and clucks out to get him heading to me. Unfortunately he didn't read my script and started moving away gobbling his head off. I was just about to get up and try to head him off when a hen started raising cain about near me but opposite of the way he was going. I sat a few more minutes to see what the hen had going on then gave up on it and took off to circle around and get in front of the gobbler. He gobbled the whole time I was going around him until I thought I was close and he shut up. I plopped down and called a couple of times and he gobbled past me. I circled more and may have bumped him cause when I set up again I heard a gobble way up from where he was the last time. May have been him maybe not. I stayed there a while and everything had pretty much shut down.
I finally had enough and started heading to the truck and heard a single gobble to the south. This gobble wasn't like the other, it was loud and deep throated. I knew he was close to the property line but i hoped he was on my side so I took off. I got to about 150 yards from where I thought he should be so I set the dekes up in an open area and sat down facing them. At the first sound I made he let loose a leaf shaker of a gobble. He was not where I thought he should be so I spun on my tree to face him then I hit him with a soft yelp then a loud yelp and he double boomed. I knew he had me so I put my slate in my pocket so that I wouldn't over call him. He was on a string coming to me and gobbling up a storm. I'm about to bust listening to my first bird come to me and then I hear a hen just behind me near where my decoys are.
I turn my head just enough to see her and she's just walking around putting and clucking soft so I know she's not spooked and now I'm thinking "live decoy". I go back to the gobbler and hes still coming and gobbling, then I see then hen out of the corner of my eye heading towards the gobbler. She cuts in between me and the gobbler and I just knew she was going to pull him away from me, but he must have seen the jake cause it's about that time I'm finally able to see him and he's in full strut spitting and gobbling. He's about 50 yards out putting on a show that I've only seen on TV. He still coming and starts alternating between drumming spitting and gobbling. He finally gives me a good clean shot at about 30 yards and I gave him a load of #6s.
Boy, I know it's a long story but it's still vivid in my mind. That is #1 and I can't wait to get after them again. I tell you, I love me some deer hunting but this is something else completely. I'm hooked. He weighed right at 20#s 1 1/8" spurs 91/2 inch beard.

pics in bound when photo bucket acts right

Congrats

Nothing quite like a good turkey hunt. If I had to pick, I'd take turkey season over deer season any day of the week. Luckily I don't have to pick so I just do both haha. I'm pumped for you DBmV. Hope there's lots more to come.

Congrats Man! nice bird and nice weapon!

Congrats

Nice, congrats man!!

Congrats

Congrats and a good story

That a great bird

Congrats!

That's a heck of a bird. Congrats!

Good hunt, congrats

Well your rurnt

Great story! can get a sense of the excitement from your writing and hope you get many more! Congrats!

Congrads and super story! Consider "flagging" the hens off when you are between her (them) and they are headed toward the gobbler. If HE can't see you, I have taken off one glove and waved my hand behind the tree. It's not enough to cause them to putt but cause them to move away or hesitate. It has worked several times for me. Chancy, but it works.

Great read. Unfortunately you now have the disease. ..

Sounds like you've been infected with the disease. Big congrats on #1!