I havent been able to hunt much the past few weeks due to shift change and now I am on nights again. I was sitting at the house yesterday, just piddling and I figured I might as well go sit in the woods somewhere and see what happened. I got to my spot at about 230 and started walking to where I wanted to be but after 100 yards from the truck, GOOBBBBLLLLLLEEEE! I couldnt tell where it came from so I took a few more steps and GGGGOOOOOOBBBBBBLLLLLEEEE and I knew it was close but I still could not pin it down so I just stood still for a few minutes and finally GOOOOOOOOOBBBBBBBLLEEEEEEEE! I knew exactly where the bird was and it was gonna be a perfect scenario. He was on a grassy trail thats about 300 yards long, and there was a wood line that has a thick edge that runs all the way down the trail. I snuck into the woods and got on the other side of a little knowle and eased down to where I thought I was pretty even with the bird. The entire time I was walking through the woods, the bird was hammering and keep in mind, its now about 250 in the evening and it was hot. I sat down and yelped one time and he cut me off so I knew it was about to be on. As I was putting my mask, gloves, and thermocell on, the bird gobbled again and was within 75 yards. I started easing my gun up and I seen the bird slipping through the woods, full strut. He walked down the edge of the wood line and stayed about 75 yards away, gobbling at everything but he would not get any closer.He got behind a big oak tree and was coming in but he could still see me. He got to about 45 yards and I was still trying to get my gun up and he apparently seen me and came out of strut and started putting and turned to get some yonder so I just raised up and shot real quick. The bird was at 55 yards by now and he rolled up. I started going to him and he got up and started trying to run off so I shot at him again and it knocked him down but the closer I got, the faster he ran. He finally laid down and was looking at me so I was trying to slip up on him but had my sights on him and as soon as he went to stand up again, I shot and ended the battle at 3:20pm. I got to him and seen strands of the beard laying around and then I seen his beard and it was heartbreaking. I had shot alot of his beard off.
His beard was thick when I first seen him but after my shot there was only about 10 strands that reached 8". This bird put up a good fight and I have no idea how because when I debreasted him, I checked his head and it was shot up pretty bad from the first shot. I have battled with this same bird at lease 3 or 4 times this year but he always skirts around me, even when he dont have hens. He would gobble at everything and come in but would never get within shooting distance so I knew that at 45 yards, it was now or never.
Beard after the shot
