Got my first turkey on my own land behind the house this morning. I also did it with a special gun I bought about 20 years ago from an old timer named Cleve Morris who’s been gone almost 8 years. The gun is some kind of no name, “made in Bazil By companhia brasileira de cartuchos” single shot 20 gauge chambered in 2 3/4". Killed a few squirrels with it over the years but never any big game animals.
So anyways, got set up this morning at the corner of my property around 6:15 in a small opening with a hen and strutter decoy. As it’s breaking day I hear a couple gobbles on the roost like most mornings. I always hear turkeys gobbling on the roost but never on the ground back there. I hear one in a usual spot, about 200 yards across the cutdown directly behind my property. I only do some light calling as I don’t think there are any birds near me. This bird gobbles a quite a few times until the sun is up then it gets quiet for a while. Getting closer to 8 am I finally hear a bird gobble a little closer and i’m thinking he’s on the ground. He continues to gobble off and on for about 15 minutes. I tried calling to him but never got a response. i’m guessing he’s around 150 yards or so and likely not hearing my calls. Finally i decide this guy is lonely and looking so i get up and get to the farthest corner of my property and do a series of loud yelps. He cut me off both times. I hurry back to my tree and get ready. It got real quiet for about 5-7 minutes when i noticed a bird coming through the woods. As soon as he got to the opening he saw the strutter decoy and came in running!
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