Well it has been a challenging week to say the least. We passed a few jakes and 2 different bearded hens in hopes of a longbeard. Taking what we have learned after hunting these birds for a few days (and after Lori made the decision to sleep in) I knew a trip to the cow pasture was in order. Not wanting to chance taking her in there with me (because I can run faster than her 
) We hunted these birds Thurs am and they hung up in a strut zone in a cow pasture that is the home to a not so friendly bull 
I was back again on Friday and couldn’t pull them out of the pasture again 
Having killed one in there last year I knew it could be done and I knew how 
So I snuck thru the pasture in the dark and got settled on the far end of the pasture (outside the fence 
) 50 yards from the strut zone. And waited for daylight. About 515 I was greeted to gobbles but none as close as I expected 
about 535 I started to work my magic with my Jeff Fredrick mouth call and soon had a tom on a string from a longggggggg ways away. He covered about 250 yards gobbling most the way 
Then quiet 1000 things raced thru my mind during that very long 3 minutes stretch 
Then he finally gobbled again 60 yards and closing but I still couldn’t see him . Finally I see the red head crest the hill I quietly click the safety off center the bead squarely on his melon and wait thats not him thats a jake . Then I hear pfffft vrooooom and see the top of a fan coming behind the jake and switch my focus to the tom. He comes over the rise right at 50 yards then they both hold up and start to periscope nervously as theres no hen in sight Knowing the body language and knowing my guns capabilities. I let the tom take 2 more nervous steps closer and then hammered him at 48 yards before he could sneek back over the rise. He never even flopped 
Tale of the tape is
20lbs 3 oz
10 1/8 beard
1 inch and 1 1/16 spurs
Your NWTF score is 20.1875 + 10 + 10.625 + 20.25 = 61.0625
