Persistance Pay's Off

On friday May 22, at 11:53 am I managed to fill tag No. 2 to end my 2009 season. It's been one of the tuffest seasons I've seen in awhile. I hunted this bird since the end of the first week but did have other chances to fill my tag.


The gobbler was shot in WMA 1A Butler Co. it had 9 1/2" Beard, 7/8" spurs and was 18 lbs. And was shot at 35 yrds. with a Mossberg 835 and a load of Federal flitecontrol of # 5's.



I get to my spot to listen and at 5:25am him and another bird start Gobbling back and forth. I was all most where I wanted to be, so I made a little adjustment and set up between the 2 gobbling birds . A short while later I did a little tree talk on a glass call and was answered. The bird I was after gobbled 2 times then went silent, the other bird was gobbling his head off. I waited and about 6:10 I here this bird come down. So I call soft and he lets out a double gobble, I answer him then put down the call. I end up sitting an hour and thirty minutes with nothing. I figure he's with his hens again so I change locations and due a little purring and clucking on the glass call. After about a 30 to 40 min. wait I spot movement to my left at 30 yrds. I can tell it's a hen so I start hoping he's following her, but he's not . She works passed me after about 30mins, I wait alittle and call soft again. After an hour wait with nothing going on I decide to move again. I go the area he was roosted and set up, thinking he may visit the area again. I change to a mouth call and let out some yelps and and clucks. On the 2nd set of calls I hear a gobble from the other bird about 200yrds. away. I awnser back and he replies a gobble,then the bird I,m after starts to gobble. I call again and he awnsers he's getting closer . I wait and wait nothing so I call and he awnser's put he's going away. Then out of the clear blue a deer starts to snort. And every thing goes silent again. As frustration starts to set in I look at my watch and it's 10:45. I decide to head to where I last heard him. I get set up and decide to just sit and don't call, 30 mins. pass bye then he gobbles d about ten mintutes later I spot movement at 35 yrds. I turn to see him standing there looking I count to three and pull up and shoot and the federal's do the job. As I'm going to retrieve him I look at my watch and it reads 11:53am.

Sounds like you had more action on friday than most people have had in the last couple of weeks.. its been a tough one!