Glenn, I'm just doing my part...
Opening weekend of the season I got to alleviate the itch I've had since the last day of the season last spring. Bird was on fire starting at 650 so I set up about 100 yards from him down a 4wheeler trail. Wasn't worried about the distance bc I had a thick stand of young pines between us. My Lord he had the UGLIEST gobble I've ever heard. After 5ish minutes of him losing his mind gobbling at himself every breath I did some soft calling to which he cut me off, double gobbling. At this point the sound coming out of this bird was so ugly that I'd have lost everything betting it was a jake. He hit the ground gobbling at 7 and started making his way to me. Every soft yelp he'd cut me off. When I went quiet once he hit about 75 yds he started gobbling every 2 or 3 steps. At this point I'm so sure he was a jake I left the gun on my knee. I finally saw him walking along the edge of the young pines from right to left through the gaps of the trees. He rounded the corner of the 4 wheeler trail, gobbled, dropped into strut, spit, drummed then gobbled again. At this point I knew I had made a small error, I could clearly see a full fan and a pretty good beard. Luckily I was hidden well and was able to get my gun up when he turned. By now he's at 22 steps and I let fly. I dropped it a little lower than usual shooting a new gun. I knew it patterned very well at 40 but didn't want to miss him close with too tight of a pattern. Shot did it's job and he was dead at 712. I felt the adrenaline, all the emotion of happiness and then almost a little sadness that it hadn't lasted longer. I can only think of a couple other hunts where a turkey did everything they're supposed to with such gusto and quantity. I didn't smoke a cigar or sit and pet him but I did break out the bible to read a few passages that I asked some great men to send their favorite ones. It was a great Palm Sunday in the best church there is. Then caught a couple brimps for good measure
For the gear nerds, Killed him with SBE3 28ga with Rogue TSS 9.5s and Jebs XFull choke(no red dot on this one). No decoys and just a Spring allure trumpet call.
To top it off my little girl is at an age where she can show interest and was so stoked to see Daddy's "tuh-tee"
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