Called One In for My Uncle

[Nick]

This was the 5th week of hunting on the heavily hunted state land, but my uncle still hadnt filled his tag and had the day off today. He wasnt too enthused about going due to the call shy and spooky birds but I offered to guide him with my turkey hunting expertise and he agreed. We got deep in the woods before daylight and the new day brought new life to the turkey woods. There were several gobblers thundering off through the woods, now we just had to get on one that was close without spooking it trying to get through the water and swamp. We set up on a group of what sounded like 3 toms on the roost. I gave some soft tree yelps and then the real hens kicked in and when they flew down, they flew away from us and the hens drug the toms away. So we got up and was hearing a tom several hundred yards away gobbling his fool head off so we started making our way closer through the swamp. The last time the bird gobbled he was off to our north west and when we game out on a familiar trail, we figured we knew where the bird was...off in a small clearing. So we stopped on the trail and I gave a couple yelps on the box call and got no response!! We were stumped....So we decided to sneak up the trail to the clearing and see if we could see him. We made it to the clearing about 75 yards up the trail and couldnt see anything when all of a sudden he gobbled back the trail where we stood and called to him with the box call!! So I hit a big tree off to the right of the trail and I told my uncle to sit on a pine about 10 yards to my left where he could see down the trail. I got out my slate and did some soft calling. He would answer about every other time I called. He answred for probably 15 minutes and wasnt moving so I decided to not call and see if he would come to investigate. After a couple minutes he gobbled on his own a couple times so I decided tro hit him again with the slate. He answered but he still wasnt moving. I knew I had to try something different. So I put in my mouth diaphram and yelped on that and he double gobbled. I started getting more aggressive and switching between the slate and diaphram when all of a sudden he gobbled and he was so close you could hear his ole chest rumble. I started looking and finally caught a glimpse of him about 30 yards out and he broke into full strut just off the side of the trail. My uncle was sitting in a low spot so he couldnt see the bird. I knew all I needed was to get him to come about 5 yards left and my uncle would be able to bust him. I did a soft purr and a yelp on the slate and he folded up and made his way toward the trail and just as soon as he stepped out my uncle dusted him. It was an awesome morning and I was just as excited calling him in as I would have been if I would have pulled the trigger! The bird weighed 22lbs, 9 1/4" beard and 3/8" spurs. Oh and I got a trip to the waffle house for my guide service.

[HuntnMa]

that's awesome , congrats to the both of you

[Chrud]

Good deal! Congrats to you both!

[jbeck]

Well done.

[huntn4bucks]

WTG Nick. Nice job. You gotta love those free trips to waffle house too.

[need2hunt]

Awesome hunt, congrats to both of you.

[ruttinbuc]

Sounds like you two had a real good hunt, Nick! Love it when a plan comes together.

[Gus]

Congrats to yall

[PA_Spike_King]

Way to go you two. But where are the pics? LOL

[Nick]

[ QUOTE ]
Way to go you two. But where are the pics? LOL

[/ QUOTE ]
ahh, ill try to get one but it will be a week or so.....no digital camera this time

[okbowman]

Great Job!!

[Rhino]

Way to go Nick. Congrats to your Uncle.