I got up on this morning at 4 am as i do every Turkey hunting morning, and this was the sixth day in a row i had been doing it, <P>And i was going for my second turkey of the season, The place i was hunting i had layed off of it, Because it get's a lot of pressure,<P>Public ground and with a lotta turkey's, equal's lotsa hunter's, <P>I had roosted a bird the night before and was still thinking of my game plann as i was getting dressed, when i got there at 5am i was the only truck there, Kinda surprised me with it being Saturday but i was happy,<P>I started down the trail and still had'nt really decided on my plann of attack. everything going though my head as to which way is he going to head after fly-down and i think the hen's are still nesting in the same area as last year, <P>Well i got to where the trail split's off to the finger where the ole tom was, and i hunkered down and still did'nt have a clear plan, i sit there for 10 minutes and i heard voice's comming down the trail, and a flash light, I stood up as they arrived and i knew who they were and started talking to them. The ole timer said i had'nt seen ya this week and i said i thought i'd give ya all the frist crack at these ole bird's, He laughed as i did, But the light was comming quick and we got serious quick too, <P>He said ya hunting over there today and i smiled and said, yeah i got a bird roosted over there and i've been trying to figure out what i was going to do, The ole timer said, me and my two boy's won't Bother ya then and chuckled and said good luck and i said, same too ya,<P>He chuckled as though he had been down that trail, i had been looking at for the last 10 minute's, and the same trail i was thinking about when i put my head on the pillow last night,<P>Well still dark i headed down it and walked without a flashlight as i knew this trail probably as well as the yearling buck's in the area, Cause i'd been hunting this same area for the last 12 year's, <P>I had decided to set-up on the end of this finger, which came off the main ridge i had just left. I sat down and waited, As it got light the pink of the morning as i call it, The ole boy let off and Gobbled on the roost, and my heart started kicking it up a few nothch's, I thought ok i did'nt bump any deer too hard, too make ole tom to keep the closed mouth, That was the reason for my hesatation as much as it was for me to think my plan out, I've found if ya come flying though the wood's ya bump all kinda critter's in front of ya and sometime's an old tom will notice that and not gobble, <P>I guess he's about 100 to 120 yd's down that finger to my right a little, I hit two very soft tree yelp's and he gobbled and i smiled, He know's i'm here, I'm in the chess game, his move now, cause i wont make another call till he's on the ground, <P>He gobbled on his own for another 10-15 minutes and i heard two more bird's down the ridge maybe 300 yd's away wondering if maybe the ole timer was on em or if they might come in and play with me today.<P>He's on the ground and i gave him the soft yelp's soft and low, And he gobble's hard again, and then just from instinct i cackle and pull my cap off and flap it against my leg, with my head turned away from him, He gobble's and i chuckle to myself and ask myself why did i do that, He sound's good and hot and i'm playing around, <P>He's comming and the light is good, the sun is peaking over the ridge accross the valley behind me, I gave him a trio of yelp's and Whamm a double gobble he's 60yd's out just over the knoll in front of me, It's clear and Houston all system's are GO, <P>I can hear em spitting and drumming Puf-Varoom Puf-Varoom Puf-Varoom , I love that sound,<P>With the sun at my back and hitting the ground in front of me i see him poping his head over the knoll comming up the hill, His head is so white, white as a fresh snow, with red wattle's and blue trim he is Awesome i mean completely awesome with the sun on em, I already had the gun up and i'm sitting there he's 40 yd's away stopped with his head up looking for his girl friend, And he let's out a thunderious gobble which shake's the ground i'm sitting on, I smile under the face mask and the ole heart pick's up a few more nothch's which i can hear my own heart pumping now, <P>He heading directly to me, right for me and i let em keep walking he's thirty yard's now and still walking right toward's me, Looking hard,<P>He get's 20 yd's out and i cluck on my mouth call and his head goes stright up, I shoot and he hit's the ground hard, No need to get up and run too him i know he's going nowhere soon, What an awesome morning i thought i look at my watch and it's a little after 7am <P>I go to him and check him out and know thier's a God for sure and he blessed me with this awesome morning, <P>Sorry it was so long but i did'nt want to leave anything out, <P>------------------<BR><B>Sunrise Is Awesome!!!!!!!!</B>

You need to send some of these stories to Rick. Hey Rick, what do you think?<P>Jack

Great story Turkey Hunter, got me all excited and no place to go..... <P>Won't be much longer now!!!

<B>TH</B>, sounds like you had yourself quite a hunt there!! Just curious, what were the stats on that bird?<P>------------------<BR> <B>"Spring Season......the Best"</B>

21,lb's 8,1/2 beard 1 inch spur's, a nice 2 year old,