Well, I tagged out this morning. Been chasing this bird now for 2 weeks. He's a stubborn one, all henned up with at least 6 hens every morning. Wouldn't come to calls, actually would turn and go the opposite direction from the calling. He's evaded my 2 neighbors at least twice, and one other hunter last Sat. when Brandon and I where going to hunt him, but saw another hunter allready there, so we went someplace else. Yesterday again, I was on him for over 3 hours, and not calling cause I knew he would leave, was just waiting and hope to pattern him. He was with 2 other birds, a nice tom and a jake. But when they got too close, this bird chased them off, and went back to his hens. All the while out of gun range. After that, the cows got curious and came in and this tom and his hens moved off into the timber on property I don't have permission on, so I packed up and left. Today I got in there at 5:30 and set up with my secret weapon, Since he showed some dominace yesterday, I packed in my Feather flex Jake, and a jake tail fan I did 2 years ago. I set up what turned out to be, about 30 yards from his roost. Dekes facing away, with this jake tail fan staring him right in the face. He gobbled several times on the roost, but I only did 3 soft kelks in a row after his first gobble, and then put my call away. When I heard him fly down, I got my gun up and ready. When he came thru the fence, strutting, drumming and spitting, he proceded to gobble at my set up. He moved to about 15 yards of the set up, and about the same distance to me, and stopped and just gobbled his head off, then he would stand straight up, all puffed out. Thats when he got his fill of #5's.
He ended up being 20lbs, 10 1/4 inch beard, and both spurs were 1 1/4.



My set up this morning.


What he saw after flydown


View back at him from the set up.


And the important stuff.