Opening day bird for my brother

[RTGobbler]

I have been meaning to post this for a few weeks now but never got to it.

 

Opening day was an heck of an eventful morning. We got out a little late, but I heard a few on the roost as I waited for my brother and old man to get moving out of the house. By time we got in it was wayyy to light out so we got in as close as comfortable to where I hear the bird and setup. Had nothing going by 7 or so, so we started moving uphill, which is typically where the bird go in the morning.

 

By time we got up to an old logging road it was 8AM and the old man had to head to work. So my brother and I headed south on this logging road towards a very productive area. We got to the area and I let a few calls out, and boom two bird from different directions! One on the same level as us further south and another a few levels down the hill to the east.

 

So we move in about 60 yards or so and drop down one level and set up. By now we have three birds going, the bird on our level has a buddy! At this point the bird below us stopped gobbling though. The pair kept coming in and my brother signaled to me that he saw them so I shut up and waited. A few minutes later I could see a red and white head spinning around on top of the rock ledge above us. Finally he got too curious and dropped down of the ledge and moved down hill past my brother, gobbling along the way.

 

He was in range at this point so a few clucks here and there trying to get my brother a shot but my brother I realized after didnt have a clean shot. As the bird starts moving down hill I see his buddy drop down the ledge and start walking into an opening where I would have a shot too, then BOOOMMMM!

 

As soon as my brother shot I started with an aggressive cut and the second gobbler stopped in his tracks and gobbled, but I had no shot. He slowly started moving away towards his hens gobbling the whole time but I never had a clean shot at him. As I am about to get up there is a gobble behind me! The third bird that was below us circled around and came up to our level silent the whole time! So I asked my brother if his bird was down and he said like a rock.

 

I spun around by tree slowly and gave a few yelps and he gobbled back. Finally I saw him about 70 to 80 yards out in full strut, spinning around like a top. Was like a black ball with a giant q-tip in front of it. I went silent and he kept gobbling every few minutes but was hung up. After about 30 minutes I pulled out the gobble tube and started going back at him. He was coming back at me every time and I could see his head going red to white and back. He wouldn’t move though and after 15 or 20 minutes I decided it was time to go to him.

 

I shed my vest and everything but my gun and started the belly crawl over. I had some decent cover and could use the land to my advantage. Unfortunately he started moving off and for every 10 yards I went he went 15 the other way. I finally realized that wasn't going to work so I retreated back to my brother and told him I was going to do a wide circle around and try to get in front of him. By time I got to where I expected him to cross he was still ahead of me and I watched him walk up hill a head of me gobbling. 

 

So my went back to my brother and we got his bird, not his biggest that we called in but certainly a nice, likely 2 year old. Once we got the bird back to the truck we decided to go and chase the other bird. He chased him around gobbling at us until noon when the whistle went off and then headed home.

 

I wanted to double up with him so bad, but it wasn't to be. Still a heck of a day and great to call one in for the bro.