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1,076 Posts
I'll have to admit, having never hunted public ground before, I was as nervous as a long tail cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Didnt hear one gobble at daylight so started to look for a tom. I was heading down a logging road when I heard a shot a couple hundred yards further down so I made a right turn, straight up a hill and got on the other side of the ridge. I was calling periodically but not getting any responses at all. Came across a prescribed burn so I decided to make my way down one edge of it. finally got a response from a bird that sounded like he was 2-3 hundred yards away. (not really sure on the distance since there is so much leafed out already this year) After about a minute I could tell he was answering me and sounded like he was heading my way. Since I dont know the area well at all, I decided to play it safe and just set up in the burn where I could see pretty well cause I didnt want to get busted or run into another hunter. After about 10-15min of working him, he still sounded like he was getting closer but taking his time. about then, I hear 2 different voices from about the same location he was at yelling "HEY" "HEY" several times. They were too far away to be yelling at me but everytime they yelled, he shocked gobbled until, they apparently accomplished their mission and cut him off and spooked him away from me. Real nice. So I decided to eat a couple of sandwiches right there and take a break. After I got done, I called and got nothing so I got prepared to move somewhere else. I called one more time and a tom less than 100 yds away behind me cut me off. I clucked a couple times to try and pinpoint him and he cut me off again. After that, I set up and gave him nothing but an occasional cluck or purr. He took his time and started skirting around me. He got to his closest point at 33yds and stood behind a large tree for an eternity. I could only see his head when he would gobble, then it would stick out between 2 trees. Finally, he took 1 step further giving me a 33yd shot between the 2 trees and that was all it took. He's a 2 year old bird weighing 22lbs with a 11 and 1/4 inch beard and 3/4 inch spurs. Now get this, when I had gotten prepared to relocate, I slapped my orange cap back on for safety and forgot I had it on! I killed this bird wearing my hunter orange cap and he never gave me the Festus eye one time.
:cheers::cheers:
