Thunder Head
Gone but not forgotten
I dont even know were to start.
After saturdays drenching, i hoped the birds would gobble there heads off sunday morning. I was not thrilled when i looked out to see thick fog blanketing the ground. I had in mind to go sit on a hill where i can here for a long ways. I went in the woods and the fog was so thick it was dripping off the trees. I am thinking great!! I whip out the owl hooter and give it a whirl. Nothing. I wait a few minutes and hit it again. GOBBBLLLEEE. Its across the road. I run back to the truck and drive down to the other side. I go to the top of the hollow and try it again. Nothing. I walk to the end of the pasture and hoot. BOOM, i am right on top off him. I crawl under the fence and set up. Well theres 2 birds and the gobble on and off for the next 10 minutes. About 200 yards away another thunderous gobble erupts. My birds fall suddenly silent. I mean not another peep. After about 30 minutes the other bird is on the ground and tearing it up. I think hes the man, and thats who i need to shoot. I make a move on him, by the time i get setup he has stopped. I stay for 45 minutes and do not hear another peep. I am late for breakfast at moms (got love it, home made waffels and bacon!!). After i fill up my belly i head back to the woods. I spend the next 2 hours calling and glassing fields looking for mister big. Nothing.
On the way out i stop and hit my box call. A gobbler answers from my original starting point. I run up the creek, jump the fence, sneak to the top and set up. I call and wait, call and wait. After 30 minutes i cutt on my pot. The bird answers from down in the hollow where i just was
. I am sitting there trying to decide what to do when he gobbles again. He is close to the pasture. I switch sides of the tree. I wait and wait and wait. Nothing. I start glassing the field there not there. Where did they go now. I walk out in the pasture, and hear a faint gobble from the direction of the truck.
I walk to the top of the hill, theres nothing in this pasture. I take out my box and call. They cut me off. They are in the hay field next door. I am thinking how did they get over there ??? I run about a hundred yards and call. Boom they are close. I jump the fence and start crawling through the hedge row. I need 5 more yards, i see a fan coming over the hill. I go to one knee and freeze. He gobbels and 2 others answer him about a hundred yards to the left. Thats were they went. Now they are going back and forth. I can see that both of the birds in front of me have big thick beards. I need 10 more yards. The other birds sound off. That commits the two closest birds. The come right on in. There are to many vines in the way to shoot the strutter. The other bird is getting spooked. He stops at 20 yards and starts acting funny. To heck with it, this is fixing to go south. I pick a hole through the vines and pound his head with a load of heavy shot. After i secure him i look at my watch. Its 2:05, no wonder i am so hungry. 
1" spurs
10 1/4" beard
17.5 lbs
After saturdays drenching, i hoped the birds would gobble there heads off sunday morning. I was not thrilled when i looked out to see thick fog blanketing the ground. I had in mind to go sit on a hill where i can here for a long ways. I went in the woods and the fog was so thick it was dripping off the trees. I am thinking great!! I whip out the owl hooter and give it a whirl. Nothing. I wait a few minutes and hit it again. GOBBBLLLEEE. Its across the road. I run back to the truck and drive down to the other side. I go to the top of the hollow and try it again. Nothing. I walk to the end of the pasture and hoot. BOOM, i am right on top off him. I crawl under the fence and set up. Well theres 2 birds and the gobble on and off for the next 10 minutes. About 200 yards away another thunderous gobble erupts. My birds fall suddenly silent. I mean not another peep. After about 30 minutes the other bird is on the ground and tearing it up. I think hes the man, and thats who i need to shoot. I make a move on him, by the time i get setup he has stopped. I stay for 45 minutes and do not hear another peep. I am late for breakfast at moms (got love it, home made waffels and bacon!!). After i fill up my belly i head back to the woods. I spend the next 2 hours calling and glassing fields looking for mister big. Nothing.
On the way out i stop and hit my box call. A gobbler answers from my original starting point. I run up the creek, jump the fence, sneak to the top and set up. I call and wait, call and wait. After 30 minutes i cutt on my pot. The bird answers from down in the hollow where i just was
. I am sitting there trying to decide what to do when he gobbles again. He is close to the pasture. I switch sides of the tree. I wait and wait and wait. Nothing. I start glassing the field there not there. Where did they go now. I walk out in the pasture, and hear a faint gobble from the direction of the truck. I walk to the top of the hill, theres nothing in this pasture. I take out my box and call. They cut me off. They are in the hay field next door. I am thinking how did they get over there ??? I run about a hundred yards and call. Boom they are close. I jump the fence and start crawling through the hedge row. I need 5 more yards, i see a fan coming over the hill. I go to one knee and freeze. He gobbels and 2 others answer him about a hundred yards to the left. Thats were they went. Now they are going back and forth. I can see that both of the birds in front of me have big thick beards. I need 10 more yards. The other birds sound off. That commits the two closest birds. The come right on in. There are to many vines in the way to shoot the strutter. The other bird is getting spooked. He stops at 20 yards and starts acting funny. To heck with it, this is fixing to go south. I pick a hole through the vines and pound his head with a load of heavy shot. After i secure him i look at my watch. Its 2:05, no wonder i am so hungry. 1" spurs
10 1/4" beard
17.5 lbs
