Got off work and grabbed my gear. The new spot i got is just around the corner from my house, and I got there around 6:15. I have not set foot on this place, but i have studied it on a map, so I knew where the fields were, and where the woods would give me a place to sneak up on them. It is basically one giant field, but there is a tree line that almost cuts it into two fields (there is a small bottle neck that connects the two fields). I get there and look the biggest part of the field is in front of me the tree line is right to my left at 11 oclock and the other part of the field is to my left. I look into the field to my left and there is a bird strutting with two hens and he is moving my way, but gets where the trees block my view. I'm already 50 yds away so i was honestly afraid to call. I figure he will either come down the tree line and come through the cut (20 yd shot) or cut through the tree line and pop out at about 30-40 yds. I end up sitting down on some very soggy ground, but was ok with it as i figured I'm gonna luck up and this will be over quick. Well I'm sitting there and I catch movement in front of me coming out of the tree line and it's him, but he is 80-90 yds away, not 30-40. I put the scope on him and thought you have mag blends and a scope, then i thought WWSD (what would Setterman do?) :grin: Sorry couldn't help myself after the festivities in the last week or so on here. Well I know he'd call the bird in, but I knew I would probably get busted trying that, so I watched him strut all the way across the field with his 2 hens in tow, until he got to the back of the field. I used that opportunity to belly crawl out of there, get on the other side of the field and use the tree line to slip down to end and then cut through the woods. I cut the distance down to 50 yds and could just barely make him out as he (luckily) went around a bend to the very back corner of the field. I slipped out and slipped down the side of the field and then just eased out around the curve with my gun shouldered. His hens saw me and ran, but he was strutting. He turned and saw me standing there and came out of strut, I shot him at about 20 yds and folded him up.
beard was rotted off (first time i've seen that in person)
3 3/4 inches
7/8 inch spur broken at the end on one side and as close to 1" as you can get for the other.
20 lbs 10 oz.
Wife likes to eat them, but doesn't like to look at the blood, so i got my little helper to hold the tail for me.
beard was rotted off (first time i've seen that in person)
3 3/4 inches
7/8 inch spur broken at the end on one side and as close to 1" as you can get for the other.
20 lbs 10 oz.
Wife likes to eat them, but doesn't like to look at the blood, so i got my little helper to hold the tail for me.
