This years secret to success was to set out the decoys, take a nap, wake up and shoot the Tom standing a few yards away while he listened to three green lumps snoring in the bushes. My buddies and I had been up since 2:00 am. It was a great spring afternoon when we setup the decoys at 3:45pm. By 4 were all out take a needed nap. At five I woke up and notice a little cat stalking our decoys. I woke one of my friends and whispered there was cat to our left. He got out his cell phone to video the silly cat creeping up on the decoys. I needed to sit up and as I raised up a little I saw turkeys right in front of me. I quickly laid back down, slipped off the safety on the old Fox. I raised up as high as could on my elbow and took the shot at the Tom. My friend that was still laying down behind us in the brush asked me why the heck I shot the cat. I laughed and told him I killed a turkey. I'm not sure he believed me.
This Rio Tom weighs just over 20 lbs. and has a 9 inch beard. He had little short, less than 1/2 inch, spurs. They old Fox AE did what it was designed to do.
