Had to start from scratch this morning. Was up 4:40 am. Coffee and out the door. Not knowing exactly where to start I headed out to the pasture and went to the highest part between where I suspected birds might be.
An early loud owl call to see if I can shock one to gobble.
Bam! Two different ones in different directions. Wouldn’t you know it. One was right behind my house. Could have hunted out the back pasture.
Oh well. Here are I am. I can hear him and he can hear me.
Now. Game on. I’m guessing now that I have time to calm down. He was about a 1/2 mile away sounding off pretty regularly. He answers my calls but not coming.
I’m guessing he’s hened up.
No worries. I know after he’s sired them. He my come around to my love calles. I started this mating game at 6:30 am. It’s now approaching 10:00am.
He enters the field 150 yards away and sounds off. Hello darling. He takes his time and strutting as he comes. I get myself into shooting position.
All he needs to do now is front off my Tom decoy set out at 25 yards. As you can see in the video. He’s not in a fighting mood. He walks by and takes the high ground and starts clucking.
At this point he has moved far out to my right out of my shooting window. Sadly I have to put the camera down so I can swing my gun out and around.
Now he is pacing looking and on alert. All I can see of him now is his head poking up over the rise.
My experience tells me he ain’t liking what he sees and is getting ready to leave town.
So I wait for the best opportunity I might get. With my heart beat showing up in my scope. I take a breath. I take up the first stage. Hold steady on the second. Then squeeze. SMACK. The mighty Tomanator makes contact. He Spring’s straight up like North Korean missile. About 10 feet and crashes to the ground flopping like a fish in the bottom of a bass boat.
Fantastic morning.
.22 cal. 15.89 JSB 33 yard head shot.
22 lb 1.1/8 spurs 9 inch beard.
3 year old.i
