First Alabama Gobbler (Watch as my friend Timber calls up a gobbler for his friend Issac)

The 2020 spring turkey season has come and gone. Our season here is normally April 1st-30th. This year the Alabama Department of Conservation gave hunters a few extra days. The season began on March 28th and ended May 3rd. While there was some good gobbling early on, the birds were fairly quiet after the second week. Every now and then a rare bird might gobble more than a couple of time on the roost, but were "hushmouth" after flying down.  I had a great time, but only called up and killed one bird. I called up another to about 15 yards but he came up on the wrong side and I couldn't shoot him.  I think one thing that hurt our season locally, was the COVID-19. I say that seriously. Every swinging Richard with a shotgun and boxcall was off work with nothing to do hit the woods in search of a turkey. I have never seen so many hunters in the woods as I did this season. So, there was a lot of pressure. I have seen a few seasons like this in the last 27 seasons I have hunted turkeys seriously where the birds just do not gobble. I hunted almost everyday rain and wind permitting. The birds were there, they just wouldn't gobble. I only set-up on one bird while he was gobbling in a tree. I think I only set-up on five birds all season long. I didn't go the last day of season. It was windy and I was tired of hunting birds to hunt.  I know a lot of hunters who did not kill a bird. One of my friends, Timber, tagged out early. He was fortunate enough to go on some early hunts south of where we live and I believe he killed three down there (5 is the limit). The season in the south opened March 15th. Anyhow, he took a friend who had never killed a turkey and filmed the entire hunt as he called the gobbler in and his buddy shot it. It is a great short video of a "textbook" turkey hunt. They had roosted the bird the evening before. Enjoy.