Got it done this morning!

[Joe]

Had some schedule changes happen at work this week so I went up to the property last night because I had today off and didn't have work til 12:30 on Thursday. So I figured I could hunt wednesday and early thursday if need be.
I went out in the rain at 5am, sat til about 7 and got soaked. Went back to the house and fell back asleep til 9:45. Woke up and saw the sun was starting to break through the clouds and the fog had lifted off the mountain. I knew exactly where the birds would be at this time, in a field that is an annual strutting zone. They sit out there for hours on end and strut their little hearts out.
So I get suited up and start hoofin it up the mountain to get to this field, calling every 100 yards or so to see if I could atleast get a response. No gobbles on the walk up. As I'm coming down the four wheeler trail and approaching the field, I pick out two turkeys in the field, one in half strut, about 80 yards away. I plop down just off the trail and let out a few soft yelps. I probably could've set up a decoy but in the heat of the moment, I just wanted to get set. Two birds gobble on the yelps so I sit tight. About a minute goes by and I throw out some hard cutts followed by excited yelping. The field lights up with a bunch of different gobbles. Then I see all the heads starting to peak over the rock wall separating the field from the woods. I count 6 heads and see two more longbeards out in the field but further out behind the jakes.
The jakes start filing down the rock wall towards the only opening off to my right. Lazy birds. Anyway, one jake comes through, two more, one more. So at this point, I'm desperately holding out for one of the longbeards but I notice the jakes start taking a trail hard to my right that would not permit me a shot when the longbeards caught up to them. So when they were all behind a cluster of trees, I readjusted and swung my gun to the right. At the very same time I started to move, another jake popped over the rock wall and busted me. Putt Putt! They all started to get nervous so I decided to drop the hammer on the one jake that was standing there 35 yards out. BANG! No flopping, just a backflip and all was still. Out of the last 9 days, I've hunted 7 of them from sunrise to noon. It was such a relief to put a bird on the ground, especially since it's been 3 years since my last one. Hoping to kill another tomorrow morning with my bow here in the county I live in. We'll see how that goes. Had to wait til I got home to take pics because I was alone in the woods, so I'm in plain clothes. Bird was 15lb, 4" beard and 3/8" spurs. I'll be back after those longbeards next week.

[ADjam5]

Thats my boy!
Learned from the BEST

[charles m]

We texted earlier Joe but congrats again on a hard earned and well deserved nice bird!

[Herbie]

Knock 'em down. Bigger than I got this year. Congrats again

[WhitetailLady]

Way to go Joe!!!!!!! Congratulations!!

[PA RIDGE RUNNER]

Congratulations on the bird Joe.