First off, congrats to all that have scored. Still a little time left for those that haven't, so stay at it.
Last week I went to Iowa with my dad for a 3 day hunt. Last year we both took nice birds, but this year was quite different. The weather was cold and windy and the birds were not responding real well to calls. They were gobbling good on the roost and for a little while on the ground, but that's it. 3 full days of hard hunting produced one blown opportunity at a father/son double. Our last night there, the outfitter said we could hunt the next morning (we had a couple hours before we had to leave). My dad decided to catch up on his sleep, but I wanted to go anyway. The outfitter explained spots on either side of the lodge that I could go to. I said I would walk out the door and go to the first gobble I heard. Sure enough, the next morning I walked out of the lodge and heard a gobble before I was 5 steps from the door. He was down in the bottom I wanted to hunt anyway. I set up on the opposite hill overlooking the creek bottom in a cow pasture about 40 yards from the woods where he was roosted (about 100 yards away). He was hammering on the roost. I let him fly down, then started calling. He was answering everything and gobbling good on his own in between calls. I was facing down the hill, woods to my left. He came out into the field about level with me. Instead of coming down in front of me, he worked his way up the hill. I finally saw him at the top of the hill about 40 yards behind me, but through some small bushes. He gobbled about 50 times in the next 5 minutes in the same spot, but I couldn't get him to come down for a clear shot. Finally he eased on over the other side of the hill. I sat there for a minute thoroughly enjoying what just happened thinking oh well, I didn't get him but that sure was a great way to end the trip. Then I thought maybe I could re-position near the top of the hill and try him again, so I slipped up towards the top. I used a small tree on the top of the hill for some cover as I snuck up to get a peak over the crest of the hill. As I got right behind the tree I see the back of a turkey fan only 25 yards away. Man, he is right there and facing away from me - perfect! I get my gun up halfway before he turns around, still in full strut. A hen pops into view and feeds up the hill in front of the strutting gobbler. She is bringing him closer, but I'm afraid too close. I'm standing there behind a small tree with my gun out of position and two turkeys now less than 20 yards away. What a show - full strut, drumming and coming closer. Finally the hen moves enough to my right to get behind a limb of the tree, amazingly the gobbler turns away from me at the same time. I get my gun up on the gobbler. He turns back and is broadside to me now. I yelp quickly a few times to get him out of strut. His head goes up, I shoot, and he's down - 12 steps from where I stood. Exciting hunt. I just wish my dad hadn't slept in, or this could've been his bird. 25 lbs., 10 inch beard, 1 5/8 and 1 9/16 inch spurs.
My goodness! What INCREDIBLE hooks! Way to not give up and take advantage of your opportunity! CONGRATS BIG TIME 