We listened to hens and distant gobbles for another half hour, with no action other than a hen that walked up and started putting when she saw our decoys (2 hen decoys), and walked away. We sat for what seemed like an eternity, hearing and seeing absolutely nothing, until finally, some time around 9:30, one gobbled off of Wyatt's diaphragm, around 300 yards away. After 4 or 5 more gobbles, we heard him begin to make his way towards the field we were set up in. He finally showed himself at a distance of around 80 yards, where he proceeded to puff up and strut. He did this for at least 20 minutes, gobbling at every little cluck or yelp Wyatt let out, but he wouldn't budge. We decided to just quit the calling and see if he would leave so we could re-position and call him back in. After 10 minutes of watching him strut around, he began to walk our way, not leaving full strut though, he occasionally went into half-strut, but that would only be for 1 or 2 steps. When the bird got inside 35 yards, it was game one. Wyatt was trying to let me shoot since he shot one the previous Saturday, but since he was between the turkey and I, I told him to shoot, giving the turkey less chance of busting us.
At 20 yards, the point where the pattern begins to get small, and then almost too small at 10 yards, I said "Hey turkey, hey turkey" in a moderately loud voice, but he was so focused on getting to the hens, he payed little attention, and kept walking. Wyatt even let out a couple loud yelps, but the turkey didn't pay attention. Finally, he turned to the side, presenting a side shot that wouldn't mess up the meat, fan, and plumage. Wyatt sent a 3.5" #6 12 gauge turkey load his way, and the bird immediately hit the ground. When Wyatt got up to go step on his head, I followed him, but I realized I could barely walk. I had been jammed up against a fence post in an awkward position, not moving, for the past 4 hours, and my body was letting me know that I did. After 30 seconds of loosening up, I walked over to check out the bird. He had a 10" beard, 3/4" spurs, weighed 19 pounds, and had a gorgeous fan, not bad at all for the first gobbler Wyatt has ever called in by himself. He deserved it, he hunted hard nearly every Saturday last year without bagging a tom. Thanks for reading!
My younger Ewing also connected on a nice longbeard on another property that morning, giving them each 2 birds already this season! Now it's my turn!
If you look at the feathers near the base of the fan on Wyatt's bird (top bird), you can tell it was shot in full strut, those feathers are GONE. Not a single pellet in the breast though!
