This AM
3-4 hens & 3 nice toms (one was strutting on the roost)....I waited for them to fly down and then called softly....soon one of them made the clearing I set up on (about 30 yds) ...he stretched his neck, I had a good sight picture...I squeezed the trigger and hit him....but not hard enough...he started running (feathers flying).....he disappeared over a knoll, I jumped up and ran after him. When I cleared the knoll the other gobblers were already there and were moving in on the wounded tom. One of them started kicking the hell out of the wounded tom....then they saw me and started running and flushing....more feathers flying...I couldn't tell which one was the tom I shot. I ASSUMED that the wounded tom flushed with the others. I watched where they went and started after them. I hunted for him for quite a while (covering quite a bit of territory-no sign) and started replaying the events in my head. I decided to go back to the spot where I saw him last. As I approached, I could see that the wind had picked up his tail in the meadow and then I saw him raise his head (too far for a final shot)....when I got over to where I saw him...he appeared to just vanish. I couldn't believe that a bird that big could hide in an OPEN meadow. I began to question that I even SAW him. I kept cris-crossing the area and finally saw him hunkered down. His head was barely visible in the grass-but in deadly range. I took my time and let him have it one final time....

Lesson learned---Don't ever rush your shot....if you do hit him be ready to SEARCH-Cover every yard of where you saw him last! A wounded bird can hide in OPEN spaces pretty darn good!

9" beard
1" spurs
20-21 lbs.

Thanks for listening ;0)