The closest he got without killin?

[turk2di]

What was the closest a Tom got to you this season that u couldn' t get a shot at? For me it was 14steps, just wouldn' t take those last few steps!

[snowdog2]

65 yards.

[Adrian J Hare]

10yds , one minute he was not there , then up with the head ,, The One eye,, and down and gone. I hate it when that happens ! I could see the hair on his Cuncles [:-]...BT

[Mr. Longbeard]

I feel asleep and was awakened by a gobble 20 yards away. All I could see was his head and I was busted...

[TomC]

[:@]Mother' s Day I set up on nice tom that was just on the down side of a hill...i called softly to him my gun was pointed to my left. A hen that I did not see showed up first on my right and right behind her was that beautiful tom...about 7-8 yards away and moving closer yet -thought I was gonna get busted for sure--he came so close I could see every feather on his breast--just a few feet away! He was on my right and my double side/side 10 ga. was pointed to my left! I did not move and waited ' til the hen wandered back down the hill and out of sight. As quietly as I could, I moved back about 20 yards and positioned myself in a more open area where I thought I could get a better shot. Made some soft calls...when the tom reappeared, he was right in front of the bush I had originally set up and proceeded to walk right OVER the spot I had been sitting. They walked around me a little, started to wander off--when I could see that I could make a move on the tom, my wooden striker fell on my glass call (making just little click)--the hen heard it and wandered over to check it out---I had to " freeze" again---the tom was still within easy killing range....the hen, stretching her neck to impossible lentghs finally had had enough and wandered off leading the tom ---leaving me shaking
and with a few more gray hairs!!! Never got that tom....and actually got close again on another day (that' s another story--maybe for a different thread question involving hummingbirds and crows attacking my decoy) ---but there' s next year---he' s gonna be HUGE!!!!

[RIStrutStopper]

About 35-40 yards, strutting in some brush behind me on my right side. Afraid to move without being busted, and I only had a half second as he was putting away to take the shot. It was opening day, a risky shot, and I figured I' d have another shot sometime during the season to fill my 1 bird bag limit... Turned out he was the only Tom I saw all season.

[mauser06]

this year id say 55yds or so..just out of range....previous years...ive had them in range every year....some pretty close...but this was the first year i took the shot...i can relate to them being in range but wont take them last few steps that will kill them..its like they know....i see him coming in...ok ill take the shot as soon as hes through the brush....he stands in the brush looking around then wanders off through the brush and is gone.....this year he came to close and in to open of an area.....now he in the freezer and on the wall...

[ironranger]

It wasn' t this season but a few years ago during a late Minnesota season, I shot a gobbler the first morning after he flew down to within 10 yards. Then the next morning before heading home, I decided to go out and hunt with a camera. On that same hillside, I was working a bird that flew down and was almost within camera view when down the meadow two more gobblers sounded off. I was laying down behind a big bush and saw the white heads come bobbing along. I didn' t dare move other than putting my head down and I could hear the footsteps coming. They came right by the bush and the one gobbler actually stepped on my boot heel as they went by. I swung around and they both got up and flew down the hill. Wow, that was pretty cool...

[Buckeye Mike]

12 steps and he was bobbing and weaving and I waited too long to shoot, he made me and left on the run.

[Mailman29680]

5 steps directly behind me.
He came downhill (they don' t do that) and out of the thick stuff.