Took a buddy of mine turkey hunting outside of Demopolis. He'd never turkey hunted before. It was a slow morning so about 9:30 we were running and gunning with me cutting hard about every 350 yards or so trying to make one gobble. I hear a faint gobble off of our property about 400 yards. With nothing else more promising, I start working him. I give it a few minutes and he gobbles again closer. I tell my buddy he's coming and get him set up about 25 yards ahead of me at the head of a little hardwood draw that I figure the turkey is working up. He's right handed so he can also shoot back to his left for about 50 yards on an open hardwood flat.

I dont want to call too much so I'm scratching in the leaves and occasionally purring and clucking on a slate. 45 min goes by and he hasnt gobbled. I want to find out exactly where he so I yelp really softly. He gobbles directly in front of my buddy just out of sight in the draw and I swear that he parted my buddies hair, he was so close. Half a second later, he pops out of the draw in full strut, 15 yds in front of my buddy. I wait, and I wait, and I wait. Still no shot. The turkey stands in front of him at 15 yards for about 2-3 minutes then starts working his way onto the open hardwood flat. I cluck at him and stop him 25yds from my buddy, still no shot. I repeat that 2 more times, still no shot. This bird has been in slingshot range now for 5 min and is now getting nervous. He can see everything around and cant see a hen so he starts cranning his neck looking around, and starts putting. The jig is up. I'm pinned down but I'm not letting this turkey walk out of there after messing with him for that long so ease my gun up and get on him and tell my friend in a normal voice, "shoot him". Turkey throws his big white head straight up, I wait a half second for the shot that i know is coming....Still no shot so I hammer him at 47 yards.

My buddy jumps up and says "that was so cool. Why did you shoot him?" I said because he was getting ready to get out of dodge. I asked him why didnt you shoot, we're you blocked by trees, gun malfunction, asleep, what happened? He said, "Oh no, I saw him and had it on him the whole time but on TV, they make them strut and and gobble a whole bunch more than that, before they actually shoot them." I gently explained to him that this is Alabama and these birds aren't unhunted and stupid like the ones you see on TV and if you have a gobbler in range in Alabama, you pull the trigger as soon as you have a clean shot.