Thanks for starting a thread, Gil, and congrats on your gobbler. Riding a bicycle to get one is impressive! I would be out of the game if I had to do that, but I can still chase them using an electric golf cart.

Our season in Alabama is into it's 3rd week now. I didn't have any luck opening day, but on the first Friday of the season I went to very hilly tract of land near Lake Martin and heard one gobble. He was down a steep draw that I didn't want to enter, so I set up near a deer plot on the ridge. I got him to answer a Hatchet Creek mouth call and he was soon in the patch, where the little sawed off Yildiz took care of him:
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He was a nice bird that weighed just over 20.

The next Friday I went to my farm and heard one gobble about 10 times in the tree. I got in good position on him and had a long and loud conversation with a hen that was with him. She eventually came in to settle the argument, and her boyfriend followed. It was another nice one that weighed just under 20:

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This past Friday, I went back to the farm and heard one gobble twice on the roost. I hunted him for 3 hours, walking a big circle around him and setting up to call from several different locations. I never saw or heard him again, so at 10 am I decided to do a little blind calling. I set up beside a recent cutover and called with a Dixie Darling box. A box produces a sound that carries well when the wind is blowing and I often use it for blind calling. I had been sitting there a few minutes when I suddenly spotted a big gobbler coming right at me at a fast walk. I got the gun up without him spotting me and gave him a bad headache.

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I knew as soon as I picked him up that he was an exceptional bird, and he weighed 23 pounds. That's the second heaviest I've ever shot. The weights, beard, and spurs are just a curiosity to me, but I do measure those things. What's important to me about the turkey is the quality of the hunt he provides. This one wasn't very exciting since he didn't gobble or do anything to let me know he was there, but I will take him and be thankful. Good luck to all the turkey hunters!