My son doesn't turkey hunt much because he's in baseball and doesn't like getting up early on days he has games. Earlier this week I passed by a place I hunt just down the road and saw a gobbler strutting at 1:00 so I thought OK we'll try it midday today before his game this evening. We get in there sat down around noon and make my first calls at 12:15. Nothing so 15 minutes later I call again and one gobbles. A few minutes later he gobbles again and is closing the distance. I range a tree across the pipeline and it was 45 yards. I had my gun too in case we had multiple birds come in but this hunt was all about him and I needed him to get within 30. Finally I see him pop out of the woods weaving in and out of the sage and scrub cedar bushes. My son finally sees him too so I told him to go ahead and take the safety off. This dude was strutting, gobbling, spitting and drumming. He put on a show and it was well worth the price of admission but unfortunately he never came within the 30-yard range. I could have killed at about 40 but never picked my gun up hoping I could coax him closer but it just didn't happen today. Think we'll head over again tomorrow after church and see if we can strike him up again. He killed one when he was 8 and is now 11 so he's due for bird #2. Maybe the turkey gods will be kind.
