YEKRUT
Well-Known Member
I haven't had a chance to hunt TN due to being in Texas when it opened last weekend and being busy all week at work since getting back. I had some big meetings at work today and finished up a little after 12. I took a half a day and headed home. I made it to TN about 1 and went to my old lease first. I walked in and pulled a camera I put out valentines week and let it download to my phone while I did some prospecting. No luck there so I headed to a place I can hunt about 5 miles away. I was checking roads and seeing how much pressure had been put on the birds. I looked at 2 spots and had decided where I was going about 2:30 and was driving that way. I was moving on about 30 mph on this gravel road and topped a hill and there was a gobbler literally 5 feet off the road. I had just enough time to see him gobble and a hen walking through the pines off the hill. I figured what the heck and pulled over about 300 yards past them, got my vest and gun and headed off to try and get in front of them. I haven't hunted this place in probably 10 years and the pines have gotten really big and open since I last stepped foot on it. I sat up where I thought they were headed and yelped... Nothing. I gave it a couple minutes and yelped again... Nothing. I did it a couple more times without a response. I had almost decided that I needed to move forward when I yelped and he cut me off at about 100 yards. I immediately heard him drumming and flipped my safety off. Now the wind is blowing 20mph and he was downwind, but he was loud. When I saw him first he was 80 yards in full strut drumming. I soft yelped once more and he worked his way to 40 yards where I let the TSS do work. I walked to him and he never flopped. I sat down at 2:45 and was back at the truck at 3:09. I love evening hunting. I went and picked junior up from the babysitters and we had a large time taking pics and cutting up a turkey. :)
