Opening Day NY

[jordanz7935]

Well I started my season with a bang yesterday! Got to my new spot @4:40 and headed up the hill. Got  my decoys and myself setup in the dark waiting for the woods to come alive.I was in the right spot because   there was a flock roosted 175 yds above me. The hens read the script and half of them landed right in my decoys. The first hen that flew down to me was actually a bearded hen. I thought for sure the gobblers would follow suit but they stayed roosted for another 30 mins. Im pretty sure they could see my strutter decoy from their roost which seemed to make them wary. The gobblers ended up flying down behind me in some thick woods. They were eating up my crystal mistress once they hit the ground! Then they went silent for a while.I hit the call once more and bam they fire back 60 yds behind me. I got turned around and was seriously doubting they would come thru the thicket/fenceline to get to me. I heard the infamous Putt, Putt then i look to where i heard the last gobble and i see a red head just barely poking up above the briars.I got the gun on him by the next time he stuck his head up but i hesitated because i didnt know if it was a jake or tom. He  disappeared for a few seconds and the next time he put his head up and my 20 ga went BOOM! I knew i got him but was nervous walking up to him not knowing what he was. Well it was my lucky day it turned out being a 20 lb. gobbler with 9" beard and 1&1/8 spurs.My first opening day bird in quite a few years and I'm darn proud of him.

[hookedspur]

Nice

[ncturkey]

Nice gobbler. Congrats

[TRKYHTR]

Congrats.

[DirtNap647]

congrats

[boomer]

Congrats!!

[tomstopper]

Nice bird. Congrats.....

[Spring_Woods]

Sounds like a fun hunt congrats

[beagler]

 

[Gooserbat]

Good Job!

[mspaci]

On a great hunt like that I wouldnt worry about it being a jake or tom, its about the eperience there.  Mike

[surehuntsalot]

congrats