For the first two weekends I have heard no gobbeling. Saturday morning I heard birds in two different locations I worked a pair but they gave me the slip.
Sunday morning I went to a different property. As the sky started to turn pink I let out a owl hoot. A bird answered from way off the property. This started a chain reaction and before it was over I had heard gobbles from 6 different locations. I set up on the closest ones. One of the hens with them was very vocal. I imitated her every call. The two gobbelers double and triple gobbled. But in the end the hens flew down and led them away. I decided not to push it and did not follow. I slipped out and went to eat breakfast.
I started thinking about a third bird that was close by and seemed to be by himself. I arrived back about 9:45. I walked up the logging road calling along the way. I didn't get any response and just sat down. I heard a gobble way down across the swamp. A few minutes later I heard it again. I walked back to the truck and down a finger ridge that over looks the swamp. I took out the heart breaker and made a few loud yelps. The third bird answered me. I sat down and waited about 10 min. I hit the box and he answered again. I remember the old knight & Hale rule that if he will answer you twice you can kill him. I dropped down the hill and up the other side cutting the distance in half. I hit the box again and got an immediate response. We went back and forth for about 10 min. He hadn't budged. I moved a little closer and he still wouldn't come. About this time another bird gobbled about 3-4 hundred yards up the ridge. This time I moved on up the hill but cheated towards the other bird. We went back and forth a time or two and then the other bird gobbled. This time I was ready and answered him immediately. The close bird went suddenly silent. I said to myself he will come in silent too try and keep from loosing to the other bird. I hunkered down and waited. Sure enough in just a few minutes I caught movement. It was his fan going up and down. He circled around me and I was starting to get nervous that I wouldn't have a shot. I looked ahead of him and saw a lane even with me I could shoot 35 - 40 yards down. I waited for him to go behind a big tree and readjusted my gun. When he entered the lane I gave him one putt. He ran his head up and the Heavy 13 folded him up. I looked at my watch it was 11:40.
10.5" beard - 1 1/4" - 1 1/8" spurs

Nice big Tom! Where is "in the shadow of Currahee"?. Our season up here in MI doesn't open for two more weeks yet.

Im located in Georgia, if you have ever seen the mini series "Band of brothers" my office sits right on the site of the basic training barracks. They run up and down Currahe mtn. in the movie.
Our season runs from the middle of march to the middle of may give or take a few days.

Nice Bird!

Good job! We need to go coyote calling again.