My Wife and the Gobbler.

[ihaveagun]

One Spring evening about 10 years ago, I heard a Gobbler go to roost in an area I know very well. It was private land and I was the only one who had permission to hunt there.

When I got home, I had the super bright idea of asking my Wife Debbie to go with me the next morning. Now Debbie doesn't hunt, but every once in a while she will go with me. I have never killed nothing but time when she was along.

The next morning we stumbled through the dark without flashlights, to within about 90 yards of where the Gobbler was roosted. In the Dark I put out two decoys about 20 yards in front of me, in a known strut area.

I put Debbie behind me maybe 5 yards away and told her get comfortable and don't move nothing but your eyes. I had her dressed in full camo, including head net and gloves.

When the woods started turning light, the Gobbler started Gobbling. I felt that he could see the decoys and I didn't hear any hens calling. I waited until within what I thought was with in 10 minutes of fly down time and I gave a Cackle call. The Gobbler went nuts and was double and triple Gobbling. I made one last call using the old I'm hot purring call. Then I made the biggest mistake that a Hunter can make. I told myself "This is perfect, I am going to kill this bird". Now I can set back and say, you big dummy, every hunter knows that what can happen will happen and don't count it dead until it's in the freezer.

So here I am busting open with pride and confidence, my 870 on knee, waiting for the bird to fly down and into my freezer. Then it happened. Debbie coughed, as to clear her throat. Not another peep from the bird and he sailed directly away from us.

Now the rest of this story goes like this, it is engraved in my brain until I die.

I turned around and said " What did you do that for?"

Debbie "Do what?"

Me"You coughed"

Debbie "So"

Me "You can't do that"

Debbie "Why not"

Me "Cause you scared the bird off"

Debbie "I didn't cough that loud"

Me "Turkeys hear better than people"

Debbie "Well, you didn't tell me I couldn't cough"

God bless her and I Love her for putting up with me for 34 years.

[thejeeper]

That story is almost identical to mine except we are a bit younger. But she still coughed and scared EVERYTHING away! She has yet to hunt with me again....! Love her dearly..

[ihaveagun]

It wasn't funny at the time, but we can laugh about it now. I won't write about all the times I scared the big bird off before getting a shot.

[thejeeper]

I moved A FINGER to point out a bird to my buddy 75 yards away. It stopped instantly and turned around and headed for the woods. I have had hens stay with me (5 yards away) for 45 minutes or more, doing all the calling for me. Then when Tom shows up, they scoot off together. Oh then there is the time I thought I was sneaking in only to get busted by 10+ roosted birds. That "PUTT" is really loud from above!  I could go on, but that is hunting. They need to win sometimes too! Enjoy! 

[ihaveagun]

About 8 years ago, I was after an extra large Tom. I had put him to bed the night before and I got there way before first light. I set up 2 decoys about 15 yards to my left. The Tom came off the roost and was coming straight to me. I could see him maybe 85 yards away in full strut. I was as ready as ready could be. Then I saw something moving out of the corner of my left eye. I slowly turned my head to see a Doe sneaking up on my Decoys. She took a sniff of one of the Decoys and snorted. That done it, game over.
I think that Tom finally died of old age.