I got my Brother-in-law one!

[xcal1ber]

Well the second weekend of the spring season usually means one thing, and that is when my BIL comes down for our annual hunt.. Every year I will always have him a bird roosted but something crazy always happens and he has yet to connect on a long beard.. Rain was in the forecast for saturday morning so I told him we was going to set up the blind me and him split on last year in this field where I had seen a tom strutting just the day before. we were also going to put out a couple of hen decoys too. That morning we are sitting in the blind just hanging out, and to my surprise, the rain has held off. It got to "that" time and we heard the big tom gobble on the roost probably 150 yards away on the hill side over looking the field... I hit him with some soft tree calls and he responded to us.. Now it is getting good and daylight, I'd say a little after 7 and I took out my box call and did a fly down cackle followed by some excited yelps, probably a minute later we seen him sail down from his tree into the field and land probably 100 yards away, as soon as he hit the ground he was strutting. I let my girls (the decoys) do the talking from there and he zig zaged his way to 40 yards.. My BIL being inexperienced, said "I can hear that thunder off in the distance, so the rain is moving in". I said "That's not thunder Ronnie, thats him spitting and drumming"! Anyways, he was hung up out at 40 yards and I was making my BIL hold off because the turkey might come on in. Well a minute or so later a couple hens started cutting in the woods and didn't stop for 5 minutes, and that had that ole gobbler fired up. After finally hearing so much cutting and realizing our hens wouldn't gonna budge, the tom turns and starts walking. That is when I told my BIL to take the shot now because the tom was about to walk out of our lives forever.. This is where it gets interesting lol... My BIL takes the shot, and the bird falls and rolls and gets back up and takes off, then my BIL shots again and the bird stumbles again and gets back up and takes back off! So I grab the blind at the bottom and flip it over our heads and we step out and I shoot twice and he shoots one more time and the tough bird finally lays down!! Lol.. I would say that my BIL's first 2 shots done the old bird in but by no means did we want him to get away.. Anyways My BIL got his first gobbler, and he couldn't be any more thrilled! It truly was an awesome morning because that tom put on a show!

9 1/2 inch beard
1 1/16 inch spurs
24lbs

[WillowRidgeCalls]

Congrats on calling in another good bird.

[Mossberg835]

Awesome gobbler and awesome hunt!!!!!!! them wascally old wabbits are hard to get down some times

[kygobbler]

Good job X, glad you was able to get your BIL a bird. That will be one hunt neither of you will forget.

[msbadger]

Congrats to him on a great bird!

[Chief Many Longbeards]

nice bird. congrats!!!
he must have been one tough SOB!

[Cut N Run]

Good for both of you! Glad you helped him get the monkey off his back. Congratulations.


Jim

[mark hay]

team work boys ,,,congrats

[Fan Club]

Great story and pic, thx for sharing. Congrats to you and your BIL!

[MAKEemQUIVER]

Sounds like an awesome hunt, good job!