I just couldn’t wake up, when I finally did it was 0530 and getting light, man was I dragging. I almost decided not to go out but this was going to be a sunny morning, the first after a few days of cold and wet. After a few cups of Joe I was ready to go, better late than never I guess. I hoofed it up the mountain on the old tractor road heading east, about a half a mile above the house the gobbling starts, three, they couldn’t be more than a few hundred yards north of the house and another one about a half mile south of the house, it was 0700. What to do? I waited about a half an hour to see if they were moving , they weren’t so I headed south on a grassy power line a 150 yards where it intersects with another coming up from the house and planted a hen decoy. There is a field 250 yards below that the gobblers love to strut in. Those three birds weren’t far from there and they were gobbling nonstop since I first heard them, not answering me just gobbling. I started thinking it was three jakes gobbling over each other as they do. I put my focus on the lone bird down over to my right but he went quiet, which don’t mean much around here they love to surprise you. 0930 and the three to my right were still gobbling, sounds like they’re in the field below and separating. Now I start calling, cutting their gobbles, two are sounding weaker and one is booming loud, He’s coming, 5 min I see a red head pop up 50 yards in front on the other side of a grape tangle moving right to left heading toward the power line that comes up from the field, when he got there he headed up toward my hen which was 25 yards up kind of behind me, he has to walk past me to get to it. 40 yard through Brush and trees he starts his strut, twang and hiss. It’s fun to watch, but I really hate when they do that, it take them a half an hour to move 10 yards and it's nerve racking. Anyway, I’m cocked and locked and need him to move another 10 yards straight ahead for an open shot. Nope, he comes out of a strut and gets wary of the decoy and that's why I rarely use them. He crosses the power line and continues toward the decoy inside the tree line on the opposite side of the power line from me, I'm figuring he’ll pass me at about 30 yards out. He crosses an opening in the tree line and Ka Boom! It’s 0950 and that was the longest dance that I have ever had with a gobbler. 18 lbs, 9” beard, 7/8” spurs. I stepped it off with my Marine corps full 30” step and counted 45 steps which I figure is about 37 ½ yards. lol.
