Easter Gobbler

[Hatchet Jack]

My 16 yr old son killed this guy Easter Sunday during the Maryland (Youth) Junior Hunt weekend. Normally we would have gone to church that morning instead of the woods but this virus seems to have changed everyone's plans.
We started out low in a bowl at the base of the mountain Saturday morning due to high winds the night before. Figured they would all be roosted low. I was wrong.
By 7:30 we moved and went up high and struck up a conversation with two different birds. Neither of which would show their face. Right before we where to leave for lunch a red headed jake came silently out of the woods to our set up . He skirted our decoys just out of range.
After lunch we went back up high. Within an hour we started to talk to multiple gobblers. Eventually one of them, a nice tom with a red white and blue head came to the edge of the woods right at our set up clearing and started his show. Our decoys were set up out at 20 yds in front of us, the tom strutted out at 45-50 trying to get them to go with him. After about 30 minutes he vanished back into the woods.
A little while later a big white headed tom showed up silently at the edge of the woods. He put on a show like the tom before, just out of gun range of my old 870 that my son insists on hunting with. I will only let him shoot at a bird up to 30 yds max with that gun.
As we were salivating hoping for Mr. Whitehead to get in our 30 yd . circle a lonesome hen was heading down the hill to join our hen decoys. This got Mr. Whitehead extra excited and he started to move his show a little closer. I told my son as soon as he clears the clump of brush you can take him. As the tom cleared the brush still in full strut my son slowly slipped the barrel out the blind window. I saw the front of the barrel start to wobble in slight circles as my son was lining up the sight on the toms head. Mr. Whitehead would have none of this as he folded up shop, turned and started to head back toward the woods. I told my son to shoot. At the shot the tom went straight up into the air about 10 ft and flew straight into the woods. It was a swing and a miss. We looked for feathers at the shot sight and grid searched the woods just to be sure. To say my son was bummed out would be an understatement.
While eating supper that night. I told my son we can go back out the next morning for a few hours since there was no church service. I teased him about being able to redeem himself. And that he could use my ulti mag with the red dot scope this time. He agreed.
The next morning found us back in the blind at the top of the mountain one hour before sunrise. Within about 15 minutes of sitting there in the dark, we heard a gobble about 120 yds above us on the edge of the powerline. I joking whispered to my son "we will be back home for an early breakfast". As the sky started to lighten I let out some soft purrs with my glass call. This got the tom so excited he started gobbling every 60 seconds or so with no help from me. Once he hit the ground he let out a double gobble. At that point I started purring again. Looking up the powerline we could see this dark black object heading our way. At that point I told my son to get the gun barrel out the window "now" and rest the barrel on one of the cross member rods. The tom stopped behind some brush about 20 yds shy of the decoys and started to perform. We could barely make his outline thru the brush. I didn't have to tell my son anything else as he waited for the bird's head to clear the brush. Once it cleared. It was Bang,Flop,flop,flop,flop.....and High Fives back in the ground blind. His bird dressed out at 20 lbs with a 10'' beard.
Redemption is sweet.

[Hatchet Jack]

Tried to post some pictures along with the story. Not sure what I am doing wrong.

[fishr64]

Congratulations to the young man!! Good story with a happy ending.   

[Tom007]

Wow, that smile says it all. Congrats

[blake_08]

Congratulations! Way to stay after them.

[tomstopper]

Awesome. Congrats to you both

Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk

[Muzzy61]

Congrats!

[Hobbes]

Beautiful bird.  Sounds like a great weekend.

[Gooserbat]

Congrats

[JeffC]

Congrats to your son, great read and picture.

[Hatchet Jack]

A follow up to Mr. Whitehead my son missed on Jr. Hunt Day.
I saw him with six lady friends yesterday while hunting opening day. He looked unscathed as I thought he would. He is still a silent bird. He put on a show for over 45 minutes as I was trying to call him and his ladies down hill to me. He never once gobbled or made a peep.

[Sir-diealot]

Congratulations to the young man.

[Yoteduster]

Nice bird congrats

[Greg Massey]

congrats

[greencop01]

Congrats, persistence kills !