24 lb NC bird down

[brimmyfish]

I headed out this morning into the backside of my farm. Just before we sat down I hit my Harrison's Hootin' stick and had a couple gobble out toward the top of the mountain. I am guessing they were around 200 yards away. We set up and I gave a few soft yelps from my mouth call. They continued gobbling and eventually flew down. I called again, which apparently aggravated a hen in the area because she got pretty vocal and led the birds diagonally away from us. As she continued to call I began just repeating her and cutting her off hoping it would make her mad. She eventually shut up and the birds began working back to our left. I called a little more aggressively and to my surprise they had closed the distance to around 100 yards. It was kind of thick around the road bed that we were sitting in so we didn't see the birds until they were at 30 yards or so to our left. The bigger tom gobbled at around 30 yards and came on out into the roadbed strutting. He came a little closer to around 20 yds and I cut a few times on my mouth call and he couldn't help but jar the woods with his final gobble. This will be one of my most memorable hunts for years to come bc of the way that these birds worked away and then came on in after we stayed persistent. There's just something about one strutting and gobbling right in your lap that makes it even better.

His beard was kind of ragged on the end but it still
Measured 10", Spurs were 1 1/8", and he weighed just a touch over 24 lbs. The tips of his wings were also worn off.

[Dr Juice]

Nice. Congrats.

[zelmo1]

  Great bird, Congrats

[alloutdoors]

Congrats!

[Mike Honcho]

Nice job, that is a hoss and he's got a great beard on him!

[2eagles]

  There's just something about one strutting and gobbling right in your lap that makes it even better.

That is the truth!

[HunterMc23]

Congrats! 

[strum]

24lbs is a monster!! Congrats and thanks for the pics and story I love it.

[jblackburn]

  that's a stud!  Congrats!

[houser52]

Congratulations and an excellent story.

[Gooserbat]

That's a great tom. Well done

[Snoodsniper]

Good bird. Congrats!

[101st501]

That's a man right there!!

[brimmyfish]

Thanks everyone!!

[taylorjones20]

Sounds like a great hunt and for sure a great gobbler!  Good job!