2005 NE of Deer Lake WA. Around noon on day three this limbhanger longbeard sounded off to yelps from my long box call. I closed the distance and set up. He was gobbling well on his own, so I did some light clucks and purrs only, setting the call down each time. Within ten minutes he was drumming close by. He stepped into the clear and met his maker.

Everyone deserves an unaccompanied hot tom once in a while. It makes up for a lot of exasperating days.

He had a modest 8 1/4 inch beard and weighed 19 1/2 lbs. The spurs were 15/16 inch but curved enough to hang on a limb.