After two dry weeks this morning I used my last tag. While I have been in turkeys it's been a bunch of jakes that have come in close. Donnie really put me on a good one today though.
This morning we got a tom to gobble early. He answered a couple times from the ground then went quiet. He seemed to be following the creek that curved well out to the right around some high ground. We then moved on out the ridge in hopes of cutting him off. After setting up about 400 yards further down the creek and calling for 10 minutes we still heard nothing. I thought that maybe we had moved too far in circling him so we started back along the edge of the hardwoods slowly. Once we came to about halfway back to our original spot we again setup. Before I could call a tom gobbled well across the valley from where I had just called. This was to our right. He was answered by a gobble from the first tom back to our left in the direction we had started from. Now that is a good thing. I faced the newer bird and called. He immediately gobbled and gobbled on his own several times. This went on for about 10 minutes with him getting closer and the first tom gobbling back up the creek occasionally. Finally the second tom got close and went quiet. I put the glass call and striker down to get my hands on my gun. The seconds ticked away like drops of molasses on a cold morning. I eased my yelper to my lips and gave a few clucks with my hand cupped to the side in an effort to throw the sound behind me. I thought I heard pfffffffftbrrrmm. Yes, there it was again pfffffffffftbrrrmm. I then saw him fan and his head come up over the ridge and from behind a tree. He stepped into view in full strutt and eased forward. He stopped, folded up halfway, and looked me over. BOOM BOOM BOOM went my pulse in my ears. He again strutted forward easing further to my right. As he went behind two large trees I was able to slide around the tree about 30 degrees to get lined up. He stepped clear of the trees into the last opening before a thicket would block my shot. I eased the safety off and he obligingly stretched his neck up. BOOM! Down he went and off I was running to him. As I neared him he scooted away and smacked into a large oak right at the base. I was on him then and it was over. He was well hit but it was a few steps over 40 yards at <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:time Minute="30" Hour="8">8:30 AM</st1:time>. He weighed 21 pounds, had a 10" beard with 1 3/16" & 1 1/16" spurs. What a way to end the season!<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />