5 magical acres

The opening of turkey season found me at Mongo vying for a spot on the no show list, I was #7. I got there and signed in, turned around to find a spot to stand and wait, when I saw a familiar face. My buddy Jay was playing hooky from school (he's a teacher) trying to get drawn to hunt too. With 17 people trying to get 7 spots, it looked pretty good. I thought at least one of us would get drawn. Well when it got to be time and the spots were read off neither of us made the cut (looks like I need to burn my underwear).
Jay has property close to Mongo that he could hunt so we said our good lucks and headed out. I have some property that I just got this year, a buddy at work has 5 acres up close to Mongo. When he said he had turkeys I could hunt, of course I went out and scouted it. I didn't see any turkey sign so I figured it was just a pass through spot. I wasn't even going to go and check it, but then I figured I was already up that way, and if I didn't check it I was headed home anyway. So with the sun already starting to creep over the horizon I made my way to Chuck's place. I stopped on the road that parallels his property, shut off the car got out and have an owl hoot. I had a turkey gobble which was good but it wasn't on Chuck's property which was bad. With my options dwindling I decided to go and see if I could pinpoint where the gobble came from. I figured if it was close enough there might be a chance he could wander over to me if I stayed a while. So off I went to hunt down the lone gobble, I couldn't get him to sound off again. So out of desperation I went back to the same spot on the road and hooted again. This time the response I got was right in the property I had permission to hunt.
I hightailed it over and parked my car, grabbed my important gear and headed into the woods. By this time not only was the sun rising quickly but the Tom I was hunting just flew down and was making his way to the green field just to the west of me. I hurriedly put out 3 decoys, my chair and my blind and started calling. I would call and he would gobble back I could hear where he was and what he was doing. He was staying on the treeline hoping to call me out to him. With the Tom knowing where I was I just shut up and let him get a little lonely. After a couple unanswered gobbles I saw a black shape cut into the woods, and I thought to myself,"I got him". Well he stayed on the other side of a little hill for what seemed like hours (more like 15 minutes....), gobbling and strutting back and forth, I couldn't see him but I could hear him. I let out a couple putts and a yelp and was not only answered by this Tom but at least one other Tom straight North of me. I say at least because I swear I heard 2 birds to the North of me not including the one I was working. With that many dudes in the area I knew this was going to heat up quick.
Boy was I right within the next couple of minutes the Tom I was working showed himself. He blew up and started strutting, then a gobble and back to strut. He closed the distance a couple feet at a time until he got close enough for me to put the little red dot on his head and squeeze the trigger.
One shot rang out and the next thing I heard was the sound of flapping wings on the forest floor not going anywhere.
 I got up and ran over to claim my prize.

23 pounds, 9" beard and 3/4"spurs

looks like I'm not burning my lucky underwear after all

Well that's my story, my only regret was not setting my camera. That turkey really put on a show. Oh well he's in the freezer and that's all that really matters. Now it's back to fishing for me, until the air cools and the leaves turn, signalling another hunting season.

Special thanks to Chuck for giving me this hunt.