[Harold Pickens]

Strolled out the back door at a leisurely 9:00am yesterday, and spotted 2 longbeards and 2 hens at the edge of the hayfield 300+ yds away. Snuck around the back of a line of round bales, crawled in-between 2 and set up. Wanted to put a decoy out, but they would have spotted me instantly. Called a few times and they gobbled back, got them to within 150 yds, but then the hens steered them off. Nice weather, enjoyable show, packed up and went fishing-brought back another nice string of bluegills , crappies, and had a 3 pound bass flip off just as I went to lip him.
So today, walked out the back yard at 7:30 in the rain and sat up where the gobblers were yesterday, and spotted them 100 yds in back of where I was set up yesterday. Was able to sneak around the crest of the hill and get a nice set up against the round bales on the other side of yesterday. I set a decoy up 30 yds in back of me where it would be easily spotted. The birds were on property I don't have permission to hunt, so I needed to call them over the property line. I yelped a few times and 2 red heads popped up on the horizon--and just laid the call down. There were 2 big longbeards and 3 hens, and figured the hens might give me trouble. They could see the decoy and slowly worked in . The gobblers put on quite a show for me at 25 yds--could have killed them both with 1 shot, and maybe a hen to boot. Finally one stepped thru the farm lane into the field, at 15 yds. Wow , 7 1/2's , are devastating at that range. 10 1/4" beard, 1 1/8" spurs, didn't weigh it, but at least 20 lbs.
Had the Lefever 16 and a Parker 16 hammer gun laid out, but because of the rain, grabbed the scoped 870, wished I'd grabbed one of the doubles.
Done for the season now, turkey for dinner tonight.
Oh, BTW, was about 50 yds off my back yard fenceline.