Strategy worked this morning at 9 AM and I got us ~10 points insurance. I actually got there early and set up my Ghost Blind at 4:30 AM where they have been roosting lately. However, the gobbling was far deeper in the timber. But I stayed there until the gobbling seemed to be moving more to my south, so at 8:30 AM I picked up and relocated closer by about 200 yards. That proved to be key. Three mature toms peeked out of the wood line to my left and cautiously moved out into the cut corn field. I had a while to look them over and chose the third one, as he seemed a bit larger. Shot at 40 yards - 23.75#, 10" beard, 1 1/16 spurs = 65.00. Tail feathers and beard were soaked from the rain so he ain't so pretty.
I'm so glad to be done with the mosquito infested swamp. I got poison ivy on both arms.
Every step walking the trail my boot felt like it would be sucked off my foot. But this is where I was seeing the tom action. Weekend warriors wanted nothing to do with this poison ivy and mosquito nightmare swamp. Instead they pounded my plan A upland piney woods spot so I had to look elsewhere. These guys basically exterminated all the toms in the pines. That was a newly added public section that was great for the first 2 years. Then the warriors found it. On my first hunt there this year a group of four of them all came together! That was the writing on the wall.
I'm definitely going to have to be more careful next year if I return to this area.