Early End to Mississippi Season

[dublelung]

This season has had a few ups and downs. The biggest down is that due to a couple of medical complications I haven't been able to share a hunt with my dad. We always start the season together but he wasn't able to go the opening morning this year and has only been able to go twice and I was forced to work both those days. The biggest up was my son and I finally got a to hunt together Friday morning. We haven't hunted together in a couple years and haven't hauled a gobbler out while hunting together in about 8 or 9 years.
We started out the morning where I killed a gobbler opening day. After not hearing anything on the roost we decided to sit about 50 yards apart and do a little blind calling. He sat where he could see the ridge top and I sat where I could see into the bottom. Roughly 30 minutes later a hen fired up behind me on the ridge and came my way. She passed within a few feet of me and pitched across the little water filled dip and took off running up the opposite ridge away from us. Another hour passed without any activity so we decided to ease the direction the hen ran thinking she may have heard a gobbler we couldn't hear. Once we moved a couple hundred yards that direction we set up and my first yelp on the Big Boy Traveling Call was cut off by a gobble. I yelped again he he gobbled again. He was a long way off so we gathered up and quickly went that direction. I knew he was most likely across a small beaver pond so we got to the edge of it and I yelped. Nothing! I yelped a couple other times and still nothing. I cutt real loud and he gobbled on our side of the pond. He apparently flew toward us while we were going to him. Neither of us could see the direction the gobbler was but we had to plop down where we were. Ten minutes pass and I call again, this time he was far enough away my son could move on him so he went down the ridge where he could see a little better. Next thing I hear is drumming and it's right on top of me. To my right was a wide open bottom but to the left was yellow tops so thick you could only see in spots. The drumming kept up for about 15 minutes and I couldn't tell if it was moving or not. I yelped to him again and his gobble about blew the tops off the weeds, I eased up to my knees and saw him about 30 yards away strutting in circles. He'd come as close as he was going to and was putting on a show! I cocked the hammer on the H&R 16 ga and when he spun back around I let him have it! When I got to him and got my foot on his head I looked around to see where my son was. He was plenty close enough to shoot but ended up sitting down in a small depression and couldn't see the gobbler at all. I was hoping for him to get a shot but it just didn't work out and I'm not one to let a gobbler linger around once he's in range. We had a great hunt and a great time together! Hopefully Dad will get to feeling better and the 3 of us can make a couple hunts before season ends.
I started the season hoping to kill a gobbler with the first gun my dad ever bought for me, when I was 12 years old. I never figured I'd limit out with it. Modified smooth bore barrel with the Apex TSS #9s is bad medicine.



My 2nd gobbler of the season


First gobbler of the season

[BB30]

Congrats! Always a good time when spent in the outdoors with loved ones.

[Twowithone]

Congrats on your gobblers.

[buckmark13]

Congrats and nice pics.

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[tha bugman]

Congrats!!!

[kyturkeyhunter4]

Congrats! On some nice turkeys

[daddyduke]

Congrats!  Those are some Great memories. Thanks for sharing.

[owlhoot]

Congrats on those nice ones . Sounds like a great time.

[Tomcat655]

what you got goin on on the end of that 1100 ..I like that

[dublelung]

what you got goin on on the end of that 1100 ..I like that

That's actually a model 11-48 with a poly choke. My son is a pawn shop junkie and he scored that one a couple years ago for $230.00

Thanks fellas! It was a real good season.

[zelmo1]

Nice birds, Congrats. You are done and I am 4 weeks out still 

[taylorjones20]

Congrats!

[Tomcat655]

oh ok ..cool deal..I like it.  I'm all about a score like that

[tomstopper]

Congrats on some nice birds and better memories made

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[surehuntsalot]

congrats on your season