Tom, Did you sit in a ground blind in the middle of that hay field?
You bet your arse I did. Right smack in the middle of it!
In the past when I used one (I don't like to) I tucked it in the woods at the bottom of the ridge or in to some brush somewhere. Usually I roost them and sit on the ground against a tree w/in 100 yds. Like I said, in years past, I've seen them fly down on the ridge and walk out into the field and strut 100-200 yds from where I was usually set up.
I figured what the heck...if I didn't get one that way at least I tried it.
We set it up 40 yds from each wood line where they roost, 200 yds from the west tree line (rare to see one there) and about 200 yds from the road the bird came across. I figured I could poke one on the edge of the wood in either spot with in 40 and would try my range estimate if one happend from across the road( which has happened several times).
The tom was getting nervous when I shot, which I figured 30'ish yards. He was 42 former surveyor measured paces. That's quite a bit further than I like them to be but he was about 10 seconds from bugging out of there.
Right smack in the middle of it!
