This season has been a pretty tuff year for us. I have had a couple shots with a bow that I have no idea how I missed. I had been debating on taking the shotgun out and today we got off work about 30 mins early and on my way in i looked down a power line and spotted a bird strutting in a spot that i have permission to hunt but I very rarely see birds. Well I said that is a sign right there so I got home grabbed my stuff and my gun this time. I went back to where the bird was and the land owners was there mowing around the buildings and i knew they was gonna start mowing back not far from where the bird was, so I decided to not bother them. I was headed to check out another spot when I looked in a tree line of another farm I have permission to hunt and there stood a bird. I grabbed my binoculars and could see he was a tom so I went right on up the road and parked. Well I was almost running going around the field to make it to the woods incase he decided to come on up in the field. When I made it to the woods i dropped down to the bottom of the bank and made a circle to where I thought the bird might have went and I started crawling up the hill behind a big tree. I got there and noticed a couple hens at the other side of the field working my way. I decided to back up and move over to where I had seen him. Once again I crawl up the hill behind a big tree and once I get in position I start raising up. I spot his head so I just stay still. He moves on up the hill and hoes behind a tree allowing me to raise my gun.well I set there a couple mins and nothing so I decided to move over incase he had went straight out the hill to those hens. Well I lean out just enough to see him and I can tell he has his head down. I raise my gun and yelped a few times and at 5:45 I was blessed to have my 1st bird of the season. He weighted 19 pounds 14.5 ounces, 8 1/2 in beard and 1 in spurs. This was the first hunt of year that I had packed me shotgun and I may pick the bow back up or stick with the shotgun I'm not sure.
