Opening day in MO and here's how it went down. I left my comfort zone and drove 25 minutes to my wife's grandparents farm. I got set up well before daylight and shortly after 2 birds started gobbling. They never answered me and flew down and went the other way. I was really second guessing myself for leaving the farms I hunt every year. I checked a few fields there will no sightings or responses. Make the 25 minute drive to my home ground. Park the truck and immediatly spot 2 hens in a field, no gobbler. I ease on toward the south end of the farm off a big field birds love to strut in. I set there about 30 min and did some soft calling, finally a gobble!! I know I need to move down the ridge to have a chance at this bird. I get set up and he answers me a couple times and then I see a big bearded hen heading right toward him. Needless to say I never heard him again. I ease out and head to another farm to a food plot. The drizzle is really coming down so I decide to set up under a cedar tree and do some sporatic calling. About 45 min in I hear a hen yelp. I mick her a few times and she shuts up. About 15 min later I catch movement to my left. 3 gobblers, 4 jakes, and 2 hens are coming, they get to 25 yds and I need the tom to take 2 more steps, he looks and turns around and the whole flock follows him back in the timber. I am bummed out b/c I just can't seem to get a break. I head to my truck and decide to try the bird that gobbled so much earlier. I parked my truck at 12:22, head to the fence and make a call, NOTHING!! Move on back to that field where the bird answered me 3 hours earlier. I call, and GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE!!!! I'm wonder what my chances are since in MO you can't hunt past 1 PM. I get set up and while getting situated he gobbles again, and again, and again. I'm thinking this might be my shot, so I call again and he cuts me off. I see him running across the field with a jake. He gobbles about 6 more times and walks up on a high spot in the filed to strut and gobble. By this time he is 35 yards and I am just enjoying the show. He pulls his head up and I let him have it. This is my heaviest bird to date, 27 lbs, 1 1/4" spurs, and an 11 1/2" beard.