Turkey drought over for Tut

Going to last year 3 trips 3 turkeys.

First trip of alabama season this year for me was yesterday, they didn’t gobble to my owl call going in which is weird and I was counting on it so I really didn’t have a great plan without that that but went to a field I know has a good location and set up a few decoys on edge and set up chair tent, (because these birds can see your eyelash’s move at 50 yards) and sat back for the game.

Of course, right at 6:00 am a turkey starts going gobbling like crazy, hotter than a 5 dollar pistol at the other end of the logging road. (I knew the mfer was there, but he wouldn’t gobble for me so I didn’t wait there) Now if I wasn’t in my tiny arse tent I would have booked it back as fast as possible, like anyone on here as he gobbled for 15 minutes straight.

But after nearly dying I look at shite differently now, I was just glad to be in woods at all, plus I was completely comfortable in my tent my decoy spread was good, one Jake too hens one feeding, all super realistic though not moving. So let him gobble all day if he wants. I am good. Plus I know these woods, there is always a bird in the swamp behind me, always one that struts the mill pond (right off our property) and always one in ravine of the creek that runs into it.

I did a mock fly down and some clucks etc and shut up. So around 6:15 I heard the N Swamp turkey fly down do a gobble, the pond turkey the same right after and the creek bird next. But the creek bird gobbled a few more times, so I thought he doesn’t have a hen yet so I did a little call and I thought he may gobbled back but wasn’t sure as he was probably 2500 yards away or so in a deep ravine so I did one more call and shut up. About 10 minutes later I heard him much closer now and he sounded like he was walking on the other side of logging road to coming to me, big deal happens every time.

I called a few times he gobbled in response, again big deal every trip here that happens, then suddenly he double gobbles and is with 100 feet, right off the field. Probably could see if not for bushes. He gobbled I called etc for 30 minutes, he didn’t want to come into the field.
Since I know the property, and have seen this behavior before I suspect that this may not actually be his territory and he is worried about the dominant bird. Anyway, I can’t do anything but stay put so I call and wait as he struts back and forth trying to get hen he can clearly see come to him, 30 minutes later he gives in and I take him. Beautiful bird, 10 inch bead but only 20 pounds. The new TSS shell drops him like pancake.

Then about 5 minutes later I hear a pissed of gobble from the swamp, the swamp bird that is probably over this field is coming now. (It’s not even 7 am and even though my buddy is coming to help, (I am not supposed to pick up anything over 8 pounds rn etc ), and limit is one bird a day in Alabama I have 20 minutes so I decide to see if I can call him in too for fun.

Same game as before, back and forth but I get him in range and good luck at him as he tries to slide around the side and he is definitely the dominant bird 12 inch beard easy. I will save him for another day. Then my help arrives.

7:40 am and I am done for the day, one dead could have killed 2, and have taken bird last 3 hunts, (although one was barely not a Jake).

So quit fricking with me, I am alive and good, some turkeys not so much