First time out this year. Went to the farm where I killed my last bird (3 years ago) and got on one on the roost. Same place as that last bird, same roost tree, same ridge, but wide wide open woods. Not a leaf in sight so I couldn't get too close. He probably gobbled 2-300 times on the roost, non stop gobbling. Only bird I heard. So I got about 200 yards away and waited till he flew down, and when he did I made a move to get on the same level (top of the ridge) where they always work back and forth. He hit the ground and stopped gobbling. No big deal, I knew he would work back and forth on that ridge. After about 30 minutes on the ground and me calling sparingly, he finally free gobbled at 100 yards and I see him with another Tom. I heard a hen and started to call to her and she came right in way ahead of him and she busted me at 25 yards, went quietly away and took him with her too far down the ridge and across the property line. By this time it was 730, and all I could think about was getting started on my workday at home. I hung out till 8 and went home.
When I drove into the holler I see four hens in the neighbors field, no gobblers. When I park the truck, one gobbles across the road and further down the holler a bit, but where I thought I could just give a go. Climbed up the hill and got where I thought I would be straight across the holler from him and called. He gobbled right back at me, 3-400 yards away on the other side of the holler. Called a few more times and he gobbled back but didn't seem to be coming in. Things got quiet for a bit and I thought I heard drumming, but I thought I would be able to see him cross my pasture that runs along the road. It was windy and hard to hear clearly. I kept calling and no gobbles. So there I am standing, thinking I may walk to the back of my property to see if I get another to gobble when I hear drumming and close. I look down the faint old logging road and there he is at 25 yards…gun on my shoulder and pot call and striker in my hands! I stuff the call in my vest before he sees me, get the gun most of the way off my shoulder before he starts to putt and ho away. I get the gun up and on him, but my scope caps are not flipped up
. He goes behind a small rise and I reposition a bit against a tree, call and he pops up over the rise at 35 yards, boom flop. First bird I have killed on my own property in Tennessee.
When I drove into the holler I see four hens in the neighbors field, no gobblers. When I park the truck, one gobbles across the road and further down the holler a bit, but where I thought I could just give a go. Climbed up the hill and got where I thought I would be straight across the holler from him and called. He gobbled right back at me, 3-400 yards away on the other side of the holler. Called a few more times and he gobbled back but didn't seem to be coming in. Things got quiet for a bit and I thought I heard drumming, but I thought I would be able to see him cross my pasture that runs along the road. It was windy and hard to hear clearly. I kept calling and no gobbles. So there I am standing, thinking I may walk to the back of my property to see if I get another to gobble when I hear drumming and close. I look down the faint old logging road and there he is at 25 yards…gun on my shoulder and pot call and striker in my hands! I stuff the call in my vest before he sees me, get the gun most of the way off my shoulder before he starts to putt and ho away. I get the gun up and on him, but my scope caps are not flipped up
. He goes behind a small rise and I reposition a bit against a tree, call and he pops up over the rise at 35 yards, boom flop. First bird I have killed on my own property in Tennessee.
