4/10/21 Gobbler
Tuesday morning I called Sneads Builders Supply to see about ordering some material. Johnny answered their phone by saying "Michael, I'm glad you called. I was going to call you today anyway, I want you to help me kill a turkey"
We agreed that he'd pick me up at 6 this morning, he rolled down the drive at 5:40 and I could tell he was excited. Daylight breaks and a bird gobbles about 200yds out but Jonny couldn't hear him. He gobbled a dozen or so times, he answered back to me twice but I could tell his last two gobbles were increasingly farther off. It was about 7:10, I told Johnny we could wait it out or make a move and try to circle around and get in front but it was up to him. He opted to move and we were making a wide circle when a bird gobbled on his own within 100yds. I grabbed him by the arm and we sat down right there. I hit the slate and he hammered back. I cut at him again and he was even closer, about this time a second bird was gobbling and making his towards us as well. Just a few min later I see a bird coming through the trees, he's trotting down the hill side at a fast pace, steps in the road at 75yds, half struts and walks into the creek bottom on the other side. I tell Johnny to slide around to his left the birds going to come into a little opening just on the other side of the creek and to get ready. He gobbles again and I'm thinking its about to be over as I can see him coming. movement catches my eye and there are two hens on the creek bank to our left, CRAP!! The bird gobbles again and is about 25yds away but there's just one problem, there's a huge pile of corrugated pipe sections (remnants of an old bridge) directly between us and the bird. I can see his tail fan at one moment and I could see his head when he'd stick his neck out to gobble but Johnny could not see him at all. I could hear the hens walking to our left and I guess Johnny could too because he made a move to try to situate himself in that direction. The hens didn't like that at all and started putting like crazy. I figured it was game over at that point and decided I would give it one last shot to try to keep the gobbler interested. The hens had left and I assumed the gobbler had too. I was trying to think of our next move when after what seemed like an eternity of silence he gobbled again and was still not far off on the other side of the pile of pipes. I called again to him and he stepped out. Dead before 8 o'clcock. Johnny's a veteran deer hunter but this was his first gobbler. He said later his hear was pounding and he was breathing so hard he didn't know if he was gonna be able to shoot
19lbs
10 1/4" beard
1" spurs
Originally Posted by 2thDoc
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