I took two guys from work that had never been turkey hunting before. Set up in a patch I had disked in first light. He flew down early there Tuesday so I wanted to beat him there. Had a bird start gobbling a long ways off at 5:45. We went to him and got him to gobble a few times but he shut up. While I was calling to him I heard a bird answer me from behind us across the railroad tracks. Not our property so I didn't put much thought to him. 15 minutes later he gobbles in the clear cut between me and the train tracks behind me about 100 yards. I get turned around. The two newbies are facing the other way so I had decided to kill him if he shows. Heck I'll take them hunting but I ain't letting one slip by us. I get him across the little clear cut and of course he goes to my right and I can't get turned. I see him at 49 yards craning, then going into half strut, craning, half strut. Not moving at all. He can see me so I know he's looking for her. Clucks and purrs don't move him. I just need him to go left about 5 steps, he goes right and gets across a road from us. I let him slip by us. He's in some thinned pines now. He then proceeds to gobble and strut at everything I do for the next 45 minutes. I tried all I knew to do. Silence, fighting purrs, soft calling, silence, aggressive calling, silence... Finally he gobbles just over the crest of the hill and he's at about 45 yards. I tell the boys to get ready. Which they already were. I can't see him because of a brush pile. I see one of the boys stretch his neck up to see... putt putt. Game over. He gone. 🤦🏻‍♂️ I shoulda John Wayned him when I had the chance. Oh well. It was a fun morning.