Although we were successful, there was something different about this year. Birds did not gobble off the roost,and after the 1st day, it was difficult to get a response while calling. Opening morning we were set up over a corn stubble field with the blind set up just inside the tree line. As daylight broke, we began calling. At 6:30 a Jake and a Hen came in to investigate our calls. Upon seeing the Pretty Boy Tom in full strut, the Jake kept his distance. Suddenly to our right, a Tom let out an aggressive Gobble. At two hundred yards from the decoys he peeked out from the pine tree woodline. A few more soft calls and he pinpointed the sound and seen the decoys. This guy came on a full run, not stopping until he was smack dab in the middle of our decoy set up. At 25 yards, my dad gave him a head full of # 5’s, and we had our first bird taking a “Dirt Nap”. That evening we had a lot of bird activity with 8 jakes and a lone hen coming into the calls. The next day the same group came back but picked up an additional Jake. Each encounter they grew more weary of the decoys and the calling. That evening, after the 3rd encounter, I decided I better take a Jake, and dropped the hammer at 60 yards. 
Another successful year filled with memories while hunting along side my dad. 
April 30, 2012 at 12:50 pm
#211520
