Started off at 4:30 with the alarm going off. Quiclky dressed and out the door. We had to walk to the back of our property where the hardwoods are. Got in the doghouse blind and waited to see what was going to happen.
Started to hear some gobbling around 5:30 or so. But they were far over a couple of farms. So I got out of the blind and gave a few calls to let them know we were open for business. Got response every time so put the call away and waited to see what they were going to do.
At around 6:00 I hear them moving and gave them a few more calls and one was on it's way over. Then when he was about a hundred yards or so I gave him some soft content calls and soft purrs on the mouth call and he cut me off every time. Then he came in right behind the blind where there is no window and gobbled probably less then 20 feet behind us. Man it was awesome to hear him gobble so close. My son's eyes wen't the size of quarters. He circled behind us a wen't away and stayed about 90 yards or so.
There he stayed for over an hour it must have been his strutting zone. during that time we had a Jake that would come and go. Every time I gave a series of calls he would come and check us out. But mister big was not moving. Then all of a sudden at about 7:15 he started to come closer. I said to my son get ready he is coming. He would gobble every ten yards or so. He knew exactly where I was and was coming fast. I told my son you will see him first due to how he could see out the window. Then about that time He says to me I can see him dad. I said does he have a long beard. He says yes and he is all fanned out. I told him get ready I am going to shoot him. I said are you ready can you still see him. He says yes take him. So at 18 yards I give him a soft cluck and he breaks strutt and stretches his head out for the last time. After the shot I say go get him. And he was all thumbs trying to get the zipper open on the blind. He ran over and grabbed him up. After the long walk back to the house we put the tape to him and weighed him up.
Here are the stats
23.4 pounds
10.25 beard
1 1/8 spur
1 3/16 spur
I have some trail cam pics of the same Bird and it was the one that we wanted to take. He has a distinct fan on him with one tail feather that is not as long as the rest. So when we first went over to him and fanned out his tail. I said to my son that this is the one we wanted.
