Scored on a Tom this morning......
 

Well, I got the first one for this year, this morning. They are really acting weird around here right now. I went out before daylight and got set up and when it got light, I really didn't like where I was. The fog was so thick, I couldn't see the trees on the edge of the clear cut at 100yds. The birds weren't gobbling much either. I heard a couple way off, so I decided to go to an area where there are usually a couple gobblers roosted, using the fog as cover to make it across the clear cut. I went down and found a nice area just off the side of a logging road next to a creek and set up with my back to the creek. I waited a little bit before calling to let everything kinda settle down (racket I made:eek:). I let out a few yelps on my mouth call and waited.........nothing. I waited a while longer and yelped a few times on my slate call........nothing. So, I took a nap. When I woke up, the fog was gone and it was a blue bird day around me. I think I napped for about 40-45min or so. I woke up with my mouth call hanging out of my mouth and stuck to my lips.:) So I got it back where it should have been and let out a yelp........He Hammered. I didn't really know where it came from, because of the sound bouncing off the hills and a creek right behind me, but I definitely heard him gobble. I let out another yelp a couple minutes later and then shut up. About 5 or 6 minutes later, he was standing on the side of the hill in front of me and let out a gobble and scared the crap out of me. There he was in the thickest mass of briers and young saplings and looking for his date. I yelped and he gobbled and was looking for his hen. I didn't set my dekes up and was starting to think they would be useful at this point. Anyway, he stayed on the side of the hill looking desparately for the love of his life and we got into a chess match. I didn't call very much, just enough to keep him interested. He couldn't pin point the hen, he didn't know what side of the creek I was on, so he took flight and landed in a tree about 10 steps from me and was looking for his hen. I then took him. Now, some may have a question of ethics, and I thought about it before I shot, but the bird was clearly looking for me (then hen), so who am I to disappoint such a magnificent creature?[8D]

RE: Scored on a Tom this morning......
 

Congratulations!!! Nice Bird

RE: Scored on a Tom this morning......
 

congrats!!! that would be EXCITING....shooting him like that to me wouldnt be like blasting one sleeping on the roost sound asleep....you called him in.....he just got on a perch to try to find you...congrats......dont question it.....i wouldnt shoot one off the roost....but i definetly think if i had one fly to a perch in a tree to look for me because he couldnt find me i would blasted him....people will argue with me because i took one flying one year.....fall bird....flushed it from the top of a pine tree......wasnt calling or anything...actually looking for pheasants....dropped her like a brick....knew i could do it.....fall thats my tactic....never had luck calling them....so i sneak around trying to catch up and bust them then......works for me if you know your birds.....sneak through a feeding area and you can find yourself in the middle of 40 turkeys all running wild....worked last fall.....only i could never get one to stop without having 4 or 5 other heads behind his! congrats on your bird......that would been an awesome hunt

RE: Scored on a Tom this morning......
 

Job well done. You got me pumped, I still got two more weeks to go. ;) Bobby

RE: Scored on a Tom this morning......
 

WTG Gobbling Buck!

RE: Scored on a Tom this morning......
 

Man, I want one too!!! Great job, and congratulations!!!

RE: Scored on a Tom this morning......
 

Congratulations and a Nice Story!

RE: Scored on a Tom this morning......
 

That is sweet! Great to start having the success stories come in. Gets us pumped up for the later start here in the North.

You didn't shoot him off the roost. You called him in and he ended up standing on wood. If he ran in and stood on a log wouldn't be much different. Just an interesting little twist to your hunt that will be memorable for life.

Congrats!

RE: Scored on a Tom this morning......
 

Hey did you get photos?

RE: Scored on a Tom this morning......
 

Congrats on your bird and a great story! Over a month to go here before the season opener. How's about sending some sunshine up this way? We had snow flurries going on again this morning. [&o] I just keep telling myself, "Think spring... brrrrr, think spring already."