Adrian Mitchell

Adrian has had a couple of seasons now where things just didn’t quite come together for him. But this year it finally went right and he got it done. Rainy opening day made us not really here him gobbling on the limb from inside the blind. But I had him roosted not far down the creek from us and had the perfect scenario with the decoys out in front of us where he was strutting all morning the day before. The day before, he had 2 Jakes and 2 hens with him and then just him and the 2 Jakes midday in the woods right there. That evening, I watched the 2 hens roost further off down the creek and then watched him and only one of those Jakes roost not far in from his spot along the creek. Opening morning we had a feeder hen decoy, the subordinate Jake decoy, and then a laydown hen decoy right in his spot in the field they were at the previous morning. I had to last minute fix one of the decoys leaning over and heard him gobble from the ground. I fixed the decoy and called from that spot and had him answer right back before I scurried back into the blind. I told Adrian to be ready because he’d probably be coming fast off the logging trail out in front of us next to the creek and he’d be able to see him before I could. Soon as those words left my mouth Adrian starts excitedly saying “right here, right here, right here!” The tom read the script and him and the one Jake were running at what he thought was his MIA buddy about to breed one of his two hens. Adrian made the shot with the 28ga and finally harvested his first Michigan gobbler. Had to put a 2nd shot on him into the creek bottom but turned out to be a beautiful spot for pictures down there and the rain let up for us just long enough to get all our pictures. Definitely a hunt neither of us will ever forget. Adrian is super excited to finally have a turkey under his belt and I am one proud father.