#2 is finally down.

I have a bird on one property that has been roosted in the same place the 4 or 5 times I've hunted it but he's always across a big swamp. Yesterday morning I listened to him gobble his head off all morning so I made a plan last night to get in there with him today. I was there well before daylight this morning waiting. When he fired up I eased in and got set up. Once I knew he was on the ground I gave him a few yelps and nothing. A few minutes later he gobbled on his own and sounded farther around the mountain. I gave him another series and again nothing. Ten minutes later I look up and he is in front of me at 40 yards. He had slipped in and I never heard a sound from him walking in the leaves. He was moving to my left and as I eased the gun around he spotted me and craned his neck. Boom...flop, or so I thought. About the time I get to my feet he gets his back under him and runs off like nothing ever happened. Once he gets off the ridge and out of sight I hear what sounds like him taking off. No crashing at all, just wing beats. I'm standing there sick to my stomach wondering WTH just happened. Everything had came together perfectly and my bird just got away. I walk to where he was standing and find only a few feathers. After walking and then walking some more looking I realize it's a lost cause and he's gone. By now I'm steaming and sick all at the same time.

In the process of looking another bird that I had heard gobble a few times earlier fires off on the other end of the property. As I'm heading back toward the truck he's still gobbling occasionally. I drove to where I thought I'd be fairly close to him and blow a crow call and he hammers but he's not where I thought. He's on a hillside across the upper end of the swamp. I'm still pissed from the first bird so I grab my gun and take off. I wasn't sure I could get to him, but I was gonna try. This area of the swamp is wooded but is sloppy, soupy mud with lots of standing water. I finally made it to the creek channel and am thinking maybe I have a chance now. I found a log to walk in a spot where the creek is about 15-20 ft wide and got across. Game on! The first dry ground I reached was at the bottom of the mountain. I blew the crow call again and he gobbles directly above me. There is a power line row a couple hundred yards directly above where I'm standing and he's on my side. I have no way to get around to get above him so I know I'm going to have to try and call him off the hill towards the swamp. I set up, looking directly up the hill, give him a few yelps, and he immediately gobbles. I'm now thinking this might actually work out. A few minutes later I see him coming off the hill. He gets to 80-90 yards and struts and drums for 20 minutes. The swamp is directly behind me and I can tell he knows something's up by not seeing a hen. He starts to strut back up the mountain and there isn't much I can do other than watch. He goes high enough up that I can only catch a glimpse of his tail fan occasionally. When I think he's behind enough where he can't see me I turn my head and give him a cluck and a scratch in the leaves with my hand. He immediately gobbles and within a few seconds I see him headed back off the hill. This time he passes his first stopping point and keeps coming. He gets to 60 yards and locks up strutting. He struts for a few minutes and then eases a little closer before locking up again. After 10 minutes of inching closer he goes behind a big oak at 40 yards. Once he got to the left of it I was clear. He was still strutting when he cleared the tree so I gave him a cluck, he craned his neck, and got a dirt nap.

I'm still sick about the first bird but it made it that much better to sit down beside this one.

19lb 12oz
1 1/8" & 3/4" (broken) spurs
9 3/4" beard

Congrats and good job for sticking with it.

Way to hang in there! Congrats

Congrats

Congrats

Congratulations

Congrats!

Nice bird. Way to stick with them

Congrats