Took one on the chin this A.M.

[WhitetailAddict11]

Well gentelman I took 2 days off after killing my bird Tuesday morning and thats all I could take, I HAD THE ITCH!! I went out this morning to a farm that always holds turkeys but has been quiet since the opener. Much like what I did to kill my first bird, my plan was to head in towards the roost and see if there was any birds gobbling. Well with the trees getting real green I could hear some muffled gobbles off to my Southeast and I knew right where the bird was, however this farm is notorious for jakes so I didnt get my hopes up just yet. I made my way over to the field I beleived he was roosted on and took a seat against a tree that really wasnt to convenient as far as staying hidden goes, but I didnt originally plan to stay there for long, I just wanted to give it time to get a bit lighter and let him gobble a bit more to see where he was exactly. After about 5 mins of silence he gobbled and was roosted in a hedgerow about 150 to my East. I yelped on the box just to let him know I was their but no repsonse. About a minute or two later he hammered and I could tell he was in the field. I pulled up the binos and could see a white head moving throught the field and a big old rounded fan gobbling like crazy, ITS ON BABY!! It was too good to be true, my first morning back in the woods and I have a big ol' longbeard all alone coming on a string and hes hotter than a stove pipe!! I had no decoy out and was directing my calls back into the woods with my hand playing the old come find me game. He was eating it up and working right along the edge of the woods, I'm talking this ol' boy is literally gonna walk right in front of my barrel. Well he gets to about 10 steps just to my left and he's covered up by a dogberry bush  but straight out in front of me is open field. He rips a gobble right in my face and this is turning out to be a textbook hunt and im convinced this is a done deal. Well he comes about about 5 more steps and needs about 2 more to be literally within poking distance of my choke tube. Well that sun of a birtch tree knew something wasnt adding up and without warning he folded up and darted back down the hedgerow. 2 MORE STEPS WAS ALL I NEEDED. Boy was I heated!!! It was an incredible hunt, he jsut got to clost plain and simple. I was steady as a rock ready to go but he was gonna step on my boot as soon as he cleared the bushes. I have a vendetta against him now and we will meet again!!

 

[Cabin Fever]

Sooooo Close!!   He'll be around for another hunt!

[NYbuck50]

We've all been there. That will keep you up more than a few nights up sure.  Go get him tommorow

[meatmuzzy]

Oh man thats awesome!  Get him tomorrow! 

[Five Seasons]

ahhh that sucks. but also what makes this such an adrenaline pumping awesome sport.

[2012_taco]

you might have waited 1/2 hour or so and followed him, if he doesn't get with hens he might just turn around and come back in to your calls.

[ants]

I have had close encounters that turned into crap more than once. It pisses you off at first but it really is an awesome experience to get a nice Tom within spitting distance !!. Go bust his beak tomorrow. Good luck.

[WhitetailAddict11]

Thanks ants! Gonehntn I had a final exam for school I had to get home and catch a nap for so I wasn't dead tired when I got their, otherwise I would have done exactly what you said!

[2012_taco]

that's the right attitude!!