Sorry to hear about the miss, but I'm sure it was great to be out there. Season doesn't start here for another month and I'm anxious to say the least.

Your story reminds me of the very first gobbler I called in, my Stealth Tom. A lone gobble at sunrise, but 500 yards across the hollow. I hadn't scouted that ridge and it showed. I called, but got no reply. I tried a fly down and still nada. I waited about 5 minutes and cutt loudly, only to have him answer, but farther away. I thought I heard another faint gobble to my right, but if it was, that bird had to be even farther away than the first.

I sat another 15 minutes just thinking of what to do since nothing had answered close by. That first bird had a mature gooble that makes you want to run back to the truck and drive to the other ridge. I decided to stay put and called once every 5 minutes or so. No replies.

The fog rolled in thick as pea soup, cutting visibility down to about 10 yards. It had been about 25 minutes since the talking stopped and to my surprise, a exceptionally loud gobble roared out from my right less than 20 yards away! I swear he about knocked my hat off. Here was the gobbler from my right that I had heard off in the distance, looking for me!

It took about a second to get the mouth call in place, (after nearly swallowing it), and another second for a couple less than perfect soft clucks. I'll never forget him, walking through the foggy mist like a ghost, straight up my gun barrel, to the resounding boom at 14 yards.

I'm sure if the fog wasn't there that morning, he'd have seen my jump when he gobbled in my ear. Gotta love turkey hunting, both for those sneaky and bold birds alike.