For Team 11
Today was opening day in Georgia. I got in the woods around 5:30 a.m., really no idea where to go, just walked in where I heard a bird a couple weeks ago. At 6:50 a.m. he gobbled about 250 or 300 yards away. Some people say don't call while he's on the roost, but I do, but very softly.
Every other time he gobbled, I called, starting soft, and louder as he got louder. I changed type of calls everyother time he gobbled. I knew when he flew down by the sound of his gobble. I actually thought he was going away from me but he was making sort a half moon arc around me. I had my mouth call in, but didn't use it till I was ready to make the shot. When I finally saw him, I laid all my calls down except the mouth call, and when he got close enough and when he went behind a tree I got my gun up. When he steped out from behind the tree I made a soft cluck with the mouth call, his head went up and the rest is history, he never made a flop.
I must say, when I got home with him I weighed and measure everything 4 times. Weight-23 lbs, beard 11 3/4 inches, R. Spur-1 1/4in., Left spur-1 3/8 in. I must add, the tape measurement pic. of the beard is misleading, when I started measuring his beard it was 11 3/4 inches but it started falling out, guess from pullying on it and the beard actually appears a little shorter. Regardless, I'm proud of him.
I emailed the photos and measurements to JW! and he usually post them for me because I am computer stupid. So JW!, even though we are on different teams this year, will you please not hold that against me and post my pics and score.
Thanks,
dog1