First off, I broke out my Vaturkey hat out of hat storage (actually my bedroom closet) for good luck.
Second, I decided I needed a totally different strategy to hunt a predominately call shy bird who was pretty much a non-gobbler as well. To set the stage, I think I had hunted this particular bird on 5 occasions so far. He's gobbled as many as 27 times on the roost to as little as one time. Always by himself and never with hens or other gobblers. Most times he has only gobbled on the roost. Last week well after flydown he called gobbled twice on the ground at about 75 yards away. I called to him that day with some soft yelps and some purrs and he never responded again. Another time he gobbled 27 times of the roost and 1 time when he hit the ground and disappeared. That day I called to him on the roost after he had gobbled those 27 times and he never gobbled again until that one gobble when he hit the ground. Another time 5 gobbles very close. That day I had a Avian X Jake decoy out and my DSD hen and I was sure he cold see them, but he still wouldn't come in. I knew he was not the dominate bird in the area because I've seen the dominate bird with hens (they roost off the property).
Today in addition to the hopefully lucky VaTurkey hat I decided I'd put out only a DSD hen in a location where it could be seen from some distance away. Placed the DSD in a funnel consisting of orchard grass between two food plots bordered by woods on both sides. I was about 15 yards from the decoy sort of situated in a brush pile where I could see the decoy pretty well, but with some trash between me and it. I was also right under a couple of large cedar trees, using one of those for a backrest so if he was roosted nearby he would not be able to see me from above.
530 I was there after my 4 am wakeup and my 1 hour drive to the farm. DSD hen out and my Fox ready to go.
My SXS this morning was the AbbyGun which is a customized 12 gauge Fox shotgun, that started out as an ejector Sterlingworth that made in the early 1920's. That Sterlingworth was customized in recognition of my now deceased first golden retriever and many other pictures of it and its story are listed in the Custom Fox Shotgun section of the forum. I call it the AbbyGun and her likeness is engraved on the bottom. While its not a turkey gun for sure, its delivers really tight patterns with the full choke (left barrel). The other barrel is Improved Cylinder as its first and foremost a bird gun. However, I always like to take it out for turkey's if I'm lucky enough to get a first bird with my Benelli. Sort of remembrance to my dear Abby who passed away last August. Last year I was lucky enough to kill a Jake with it on another property and brought the Jake home just so Abby could sniff it a bit as her health was in pretty bad shape even then. I've written and posted many times regarding the Abbygun and she continues to do her part when I do mine.
At 6 am this morning I thought I heard one gobble (I've got lots of road noise in my area which complicates listening greatly). Ears straining I listened for more, but nothing. This morning was muggy and warm. Not what I'd call a good gobbling morning. I just sat and waited. Got out the smart phone and checked sports scores looking up from time to time at the decoy, while scanning to my left and right checking for movement. At 7 am I caught something out of the corner of my eye and glanced up and he was there. Was in 3/4 strutt and circling my decoy at 15 yards. I reached for the Fox and whether he caught movement or heard something who knows, but he folded up and started walking away to my right with a purpose. Pulled the AbbyGun up and slipped the safety off and saw a little opening ahead that he would have to pass through. When he did Boom and he hit the ground and then regained his footing and started to run away. Hit him with the tight barrel and it was over. About 20 yards away and the AbbyGun and the 1 1/4 oz load of RST number 6's had done their job. Really a magnificent bird who was smart and who had lived a good life and fought the good fight. Tale of the tape was one spur was 1" and the other 1 1/8". Beard was a rather amazing 11" long. Beard started out really thick, but I think my second shot blew half of it off the bird. Weight 19 lb 9 oz.
Took a few pictures of him with the lucky VaTurkey hat and of course the Abbygun. Enjoy
Jim