bornagain64

Osceola down.

weight 17lbs 7 oz
beard--9"
lft spr--1 1/8"
rt spr- 1 1/8"
score is 57.9375

I had a couple birds gobbling. Some how a bird ended up behind me on the road I walked in on. He probably gobbled over a hundred times. I heard one out in front of me, to my left, but thought he was a pretty far out there. Just tried to do some soft calling, every now and then I would get a little more aggressive. I think it was a hunter, but it could have been a hen, out to my right. Every time they would call, I would cut them off. If it was a hunter I was trying to let him know I was there. After about an hour, the bird behind me is still gobbling his head off, and every now and then I would hear the bird to my left gobble. Finally I see a white head coming through the woods. He is not coming to me and I do not think he ever saw my decoy. He is making his way past me to the bird on the road. As I called to him he would start to strut and look my way, but would not come in. He changes his angle and was coming closer but was still heading to the road bird. He was directly to my left at about 50 yards, he was moving slowly to the road and would gobble at my calls. I decided to get my gun on him when he went behind some pines, I was able to get on him and only had a small window to shoot.
I estimated him at about 40 yards, When I shot he went down. The shot did not kill him, so I ran over and stepped on his neck. He was probably further then I thought.

long walk back to the truck, He felt like he weighed 30 pounds by the time I got there.