last chance

[charlie cleveland]

got up this morning at 4.00 sure didnot feel like going old bones didnt get enough rest...but pushed myself and was in the woods beforedaylight....was a beautiful morning every bird and creature around was voicing off their calls...was gonna set up on a road over looking a hill but i heard a gobbler...he was about 300 yards away but i could only close the distance by 100 yards for there was some hens giving the treetop clucks just beyond me...i got my 2 hen decoys out and gotin a natural blind behind a big pine....as i was clearing out a shooting place i heard two more gobblers i d hit the jack pot more gobblers gobbling than i had heard the whole six weeks of the season and here it was the last day...only one gobbler kept gobbling though the other 2 after flwing off the roost were silent.. i did not know whether to go after the gobbler or wait him out..he sure was vocal gobbling at every thing that made a noise...the gobbler slowly made his way to my little setup he was over an hour getting to me..he steped out into the old logging road i was setup on he sure was a sight to behold feathers blazing in the sunand blowed up like he was mad at the world...what a fine display he put on..the old gobbler was about 50 yards out he kinda hung up at that distance he wanted them hen decoys to come to him after all he was the boss around there... i had not made a call to him since he had hung up so i gave a couple soft feed ing clucks and he came in about 20 yards as he walked i noticed he was crippled...he again hung up he was in the kill zone but i waited...then a live hen had come up behind my decoys i could have not had a better helper that hen lured that gobbler in ..i let him get up to the pine tree i was setting behind and gave him a load of 2 3/4 inch hevi shot no 4 s.yes i did have a 3 1/2 mag in the left barrel i aint got the right barrel fixed yet...well the old gobbler met his waterloo this morning at 7.00 hed been a worthy apponent... he weighed 20 lbs. 11 1/2 inch beard and 1 inch spurs... he was a 3 year old by my standards...as i cleaned the bird i found shot in his leg some body else had drawed first blood but not enough... i sure was thrilled to get this turkey last chance and the last day..... i took some pictures but they failed to post will try again.... charlie