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I've killed a couple with my bow from this same spot and hope to do it again next Friday.

Side note: This was one of 5 long beards I called across the genesee river that morning. Only 3 left as my friend filled a tag as well with his 10ga. I find it interesting many published pieces says they don't like to cross fences, water ways, etc.. however over the years I've called countless birds across that river.

Well the VT opener started with pouring rain. I had set my blind the day before based on scouting, recent sightings and terrain features. The rain broke around 7:30am and around 8:00 I heard a gobble a long ways off. For the next almost hour I called very little and would rarely get a response but when he did gobble he was closer. I heard 2 more off in the opposite direction, so I was feeling hopeful. Just before 9:00am I could hear him drumming and knew he was close. 5 seconds later he was posturing on my Jake decoy at maybe 7 yards. I drew, settled in and focused on shooting a perfect arrow. Everything slowed down, my clicker popped and the arrow hit the feather I was looking at. The bird hopped off about 30 yards peeling string tracker line with it! He was down in seconds. I caught the shot of film too! He had confused me as he came in because I saw him for all of 20 seconds before drawing on him.... and his beard was short and blond. I’ve never seen that before. I guess it froze or rotted off. He was legal so I gave him the green light! I’m so pumped it worked out so well today!

This morning I carried my 835 and set up in the oaks where he was yesterday. No gobbles heard this morning and I was reminded I am getting old. I was very uncomfortable sitting on the ground so after an hour and a half, I went back to my blind.

Once there, I was comfortable and was able to drink some hot coffee and eat some of my cookies. About an hour later, I heard some hen clucks coming from the oaks but no gobbles. I called a few minutes later and saw a strutter about 100 yards away. I was very softly calling about every five minutes and he would come a little closer along with his two hens.

He finally decided to find his new lover and came strutting and gobbling his fool head off. I shot him at just under 30 yards. His stats are 23.75 pounds, 1 1/4 spurs, three beards... one 12", one 6" and one 5"!

He is one STUD of a bird. I wished he would have cooperated when I had my bow in hand but I'm happy to have harvested him with my Mossberg 835. He is my second biggest bird of my lifetime.

John - near that river is my favorite place to hunt by far. Something about it just draws wildlife like a magnet. Admittedly there are times I get tired of only having the fenclines and extremely sparse woods around it to hunt (since most of the land is farmed), but that quickly changes when the action heats up.