It was the last Saturday of the 2023 season, and it had been a season full of near misses. This was going to be the last hunt of the season for me, and I wanted to finish it off with success. The morning had started off rough. The first two setups of the morning ended with me busting out the birds, and I was getting frustrated. I headed back to the truck, and en route stopped at a food plot where I had seen some hens earlier in the morning. I thought, “Let me give it one more shot and go set up in that field to see if a gobbler will answer.” So, I headed to the field to see if the third time was the charm.
About 10 minutes in, I had a gobbler answer from far off. I was patient with my calling, and after another 10-15 minutes, I could tell the tom was closing the distance. After another 5 minutes, he was in view. He was strutting back and forth just out of range. I made a few soft purrs, and that was what got him to come on in. He cleared some trees, and thankfully I was able to harvest a very nice mature gobbler: 23 lbs, double-beard (11 in & 8 1/2 in), and long hooks. The third set was definitely my lucky charm!
