Went out last week for the opening couple of days. Not as many birds as we usually see, but somehow we went 4 for 4 anyways. I got mine on the second morning. We heard some gobbles up the hill from the "hot spot" so we sat down and started calling. Not long after we were pretty much surrounded by birds, but nothing would come in range. Next thing I know a tom flies down from the roost and lands 5 yards in front of me. After a loud gobble he started slowly walking past me. I lifted my shotgun as he went behind a tree and just as his head cleared...nothing. I had tried to jack a shell in the chamber earlier as quietly as I could, and must not have gotten the pump handle forward enough. When I jammed it forward, the tom turned and ran, then flew back up to his roost where he proceeded to gobble for about 25 minutes. Finally, he flew down again. Not as close as the first time, but still in a good lane. I nailed him at 25 yards. I was really luck because if he had flown the opposite direction, I wouldn't have had a shot. My cousin shot a jake that ran his way after I shot mine.
My tom had an 8 inch beard. The winner out of the 4 of us was a 9" Both respectible for this ranch, but not the biggest we've gotten.
I love this ranch we hunt on. Nice and green in the spring with lots of wildlife.
My son was pretty sure he need to bash him in the head a few times to make sure he was dead.
Not sure what that was about.
A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always count on the support of Paul.
