Around 5:20 am, I heard two or three gobblers when I got to the power line cut that I was planning to walk along before setting up on the next field. They sounded like they were roosted right over the power line, so I had to cut back into the woods and take the "long" way around.

I hurried around so that I could beat them off the roost as it was a glorious, clear morning. I was on the opposite side of the toms when I walked back toward the power line, setting up about 70 yards in the woods between the birds and power line and the field behind me. Although I wasn't familiar with these birds, I was relatively sure they wanted to strut in the power line cut, based on their roost position.

At about 5:50, I was set up and ready to yelp. The gobblers busted out with my every call. About 6:15, 3 Toms showed up right in the power line, which was at least 70 yards away. They strutted back and forth, but would not come into the wooded section closer to me. Every once in while, I blended a Gobbler Tube into my calling sequences. This always seems to either fire up the Toms or pull the hens away.

Finally, around 6:50, a couple hens walked within 15 yards. They stared, and walked away. 5 minutes later, the Toms started on the same path the hens had come... but turned off at about 50 yards without presenting a clear shot. As they walked out of sight, I determined that they must have all stepped through the wooded section and into the field behind. So I decided to sneak that way. Nothing! I popped off a "gobble" to prompt a shock gobble, which I received, only the Toms had moved much farther away than earlier in the morning... following hens, no doubt.

I had to go in to work and it was about 7:45... so I packed up and dropped down to the power line. I was planning to follow it out. I looked along in front of me, but saw no sign of the birds. As I passed the early morning strut zone, I picked up a fresh breast feather and wished I'd set up closer to the power line. Just then, I looked to the top of the knoll and saw tail feathers popped up in a fan! I ducked down as a huge Tom strutted by within 15 yards! As I stumbled for my mouth call, should I need it, a second Tom appeared from my left at about 35 yards. I waited until he got within easy range and shot him.

As he flapped, the huge Tom ran to the scene and began trouncing my bird... as I watched from 15 yards. My bird was a great bird, but his buddy's chest hair was 12" if it was an inch!! The third Tom wallked up to the scene, saw me and putted... or I may have caught the Boss barehanded!!