Finally got one.

[NJTrapper]

Been chasing this bird for a week and a half, everything finally came together.

[gobblergetter]

Gotta luv a tuff 'ol bird...When ya finally get him of course

[BHC]

great bird, and great work on getting that SOB !!!!  is that a Ithaca?

[runum n gunum]

Congrats on a hard earned bird

[spltlim]

congrats!!

[Nomad]

You're supposed to call them in, not chase them!   Nice job, congrats.!  Was he a wise old loner or was he was with hens that made him so tough?

[NJTrapper]

Thanks guys. He was just a smart old bird. Was already henned up from day one. He would gobble his head off on the roost, answer you all day long, but never come in. If you did not come to him, he would just walk away. This was a state land bird and had a lot of other guys trying to get him also. After a week and a half of trying to figure this bird out when calling would not work, I anticipated the area he was going to and just got ahead of him and waited quietly. worked like a charm.

 

It was a hard week of hunting, just for one single bird, but it was a fun hunt to finally be successful. He was 21lbs  7in. beard, and  1in well rounded spurs from living in a rocky area.

 

Oh and BHC, that is an old Stevens model 67. A  Kmart special I got for Christmas about 30 years ago. Killed a lot of stuff with that gun.

[Drop Tine]

Congrats... It's that intens, excitment, of the pursuit that keeps us going back...

 

Now go find another one

[Cousin Brown]

Congrats!

[Rusty]

Very Nice!! 

[kmtpr]

Congrats, nice bird!

[Matty]

Congrats! Not easy to outsmart heavily pressured birds. Once public land birds get to be 3+ years or older, they have probably had numerous encounters with 200# camo-clad hens.