Mount Pleasant Magazine Nov/Dec 2018

44 www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.ILoveMountPleasant.com | www.BestofMP.com I sat frozen with my shotgun resting between my knees, pointed at the food plot in front of us. The lower half of my body was either numb or cramped with pain. I had been sitting atop an exposed root on the side of a hill overlooking a clearing for hours. The thin cushion attached to my vest offered little comfort or relief from the hard ground. I didn’t dare move or try to shift to a more comfortable position. My hunting partner had expertly called in a large gobbler. The “boss” had run off several 2-year-old birds at the top of the hill some 300 yards away and had now made his way swiftly down the hill to our position. The sweet, soft calling from my buddy had stopped. Suddenly, the target area filled with birds. Hens were scratching and milling about a mere 10 to 15 yards away. Some adolescent males, or “jakes,” had appeared as well. It was chaos and only a matter of time before one of them spotted us and blew our cover. The big tom was nowhere to be seen. I struggled to stay focused. Why wasn’t Carl calling anymore? Where did our prize go? Had seconds passed or what it hours? Like a magician, BY MICHAEL MANNING COCHRAN Planning and Perseverance Hunting theWildTurkey