Got up this morning at 4:30. I was really debating weather I really wanted to go or not. I went to sleep at 12:30 and didn't get much sleep. But I thought I am going to do it. So I got ready and me and my dad headed out the door at 4:45. We set up our Double Bull blind at an edge of a plowed field where we had seen turkeys in friday evening. So we got situated in the blind and got ready. I just knew something was going to happen this morning.
Day started to break and the gobblers started to let loose all around us. After my dad did a bit of tree calling and came out, he did some more calling and one gobbled right behind us. So we waited for about 15-20 minutes and then I could hear wings flapping behind me. So I got the gun up and was ready for action....but nothing to show.
My dad called off and on and around 8:30 he spotted 2 birds in the woods beside us coming toward the field. I got the gun up and ready. Now these birds were in a blind spot for me so I couldn't see them at all. They were coming to the decoys and all the sudden, they took off the other way. We called to them, they came back again but as soon as they came back, they took off again! We were wondering what was going on here. There was a couple squirrels barking when they came in, we don't know if that effected them or not.
An hour later, a gobbler across the field from us was gobbling his head off. We called to him and every time he gobbled, it would get closer. Then all the sudden I blinked and in the other field I could see a big red head. He just stood there for awhile looking at the decoys. He was about 50 yards from us. I would have taken the shot but didn't have a clear shooting lane. So he stood there for a minute or two and then Zooom! He bolted outta there! We were starting to wonder if the decoys were spooking these turkeys.
It was 9:45 and I was about to say I wanted to leave at 10 but my consious kept me on my butt.
About a half hour later I could hear something in the leaves behind me. I thought it was a squirrel at first but had to look to be sure. I peaked out the window and not 2 feet from the blind stood a hen. I had my video camera and figured the hen was the only turkey there so I got my camera out and was going to start to film. You guys wouldn't believe how close she was to the blind. I wish I would have gotten some footage. Anyway, as I turning on the camera, I heard the leaves crunching again. I peaked around the screen in the blind and there he was at full strut but the only thing I could really focus on was his beard. As big as my eyes got, I'm suprised they didn't pop out at him.I gave the camera to my dad and told him to roll the tape but as much as he was shaking, he couldn't do it,lol. He came toward us spittin and drumming. At this point he was within 6 feet of the blind which was a bad sceniero at full strut. As he was coming toward us I was thinking "please go the other way!!" and he made a U turn and went straight to the decoys. He made it up to the hen decoy and went full strut again. I couldn't see him out the window for a good steady shot so I waited. He moved closer to the decoy and stopped still fully fanned out. I don't know if he saw me moving or not but that long ol neck straightned out and as I am turning the saftey off I am thinking "figure 8 under the eye". As I was thinking it, I did it and kaboom!! He fell right back on his butt and started the death flop. I quickly turned the saftey on and got the camera to video tape. I only got a little clip of the after shot but my oh my, what a feeling seeing him come in like that and then seeing him flop after the gun cracks!! It's priceless.
It was a BEAUTIFUL morning for hunting turkeys. And I am so thankful I got to bag this bird.
Good luck to all the rest of the season!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niigc8SWBtg":":"DuffMan":":"
