Got to the lease about 6am and we started on the same ridge we had called last Saturday. Got to our first place to get a response and heard a gobbler a long way off. It was on the opposite side of this ridge line about a 3/4 mile away. Tim knew exactly which ridge he was on so we took off through the hardwoods. After about a 15 minute walk, we get to about where we felt he was. We called again and he was about 100 yards away on the exact ridge Tim said he was on. He has hunted this land for 15 years, so he knows it pretty well. We set up on the bird about 50 yards from the roost and I bet he gobbled 200 times before he flew down. He was on fire. But it was not to be on this bird this morning. He flew down along with about 10 hens, and hung up and would not come in. We will get him tomorrow
After lunch at about 1pm we surveyed a field that we have been seeing some birds in every afternoon, and low and behold they were there today as well. Knowing where they were and knowing we could not get that gobbler off of those hens, we decided on the ol sneak attack. There is a creek that runs beside this field just where they were heading. We get to the creek and get to about where we think they are. Tim climbs up the side of the bank to take a look see and they are about 20 yards away from where we are. He sees the tom at about 40 yards right next to the creek getting ready to cross to the other side. That is when I ease up the bank and find his head through the grass and BOOM. He hit the ground and never moved. Man was I pumped. He is not the biggest bird on our lease, but he is my first. Finally got the monkey off my back.
This makes 5 birds we have taken off our lease so far.