Turkey Hunting
Where do pressured turkeys go?
A fellow over on T&TH wanted to know how to mid-season scout pressured turkeys on public land. Here is my answer. I have 200 acres of private land to hunt. It is not like your public land problem. However, I might have some ideas for you. You’ve gotten good advice so far. I used to hunt private land adjoining Hocking Hills, a large state park complex in South Central Ohio. The farmer there told me after opening week, the turkeys all took to the sides of the roads and hid in the culverts. He was right. You can’t hunt right … More . . .
Late Morning Birds
I have gotten so that I hardly expect a bird to fly down to me off the roost anymore. That single idea has probably done more to improve me as a turkey hunter as anything else I’ve done in the past 10 years. A few years ago I thought I might be having trouble with my heart, and promised myself I’d stay away from the steep hills during turkey season. I promised myself I’d go to the doctor immediately after season was over. The pain in my chest turned out to be a dislocated rib. The pain in my left … More . . .
Watching the Curtain Come Down
I really did not set out this weekend to put emotional closure on the season. Turkey season for me has usually been a frustrating experience– no less due to the way it usually ended. Noon would come on the last Saturday, I’d get up and walk out and drive home, picking up something for Mother’s Day on the way. If that. Most years, early on, I get one half day a year to hunt turkey and then that would be it. I’d remember season had ended right about the time I was putting the lawnmower away. So it was a … More . . .
Last Tag Filled
“ I don’t suppose you want any of this?” I asked my friend. We were sitting in the middle of the pasture, enjoying the day. I was munching on some chopped chicken livers. “It’s really good stuff,” I added. “I always enjoy chopped chicken livers on Matzo crackers. They just kind of go together. I fell in love with the stuff when I was a kid, and I ate so much of it that my mom found a recipe. Pretty soon she had me making the stuff. It’s just chicken liver and egg and onion, but all mashed up together, … More . . .
Honey Holes
Okay. I’m ready to come out now and say what needed to be said about honey holes. To be honest with you, I didn’t coin the term Honey Hole. It was coined by Brian Warner at Heirloom Turkey Calls. One night we were exchanging posts, and I was noticing that I kept coming back to the same spots over and over again to hunt turkeys. He said there was no such thing as a honey hole. Until then I didn’t have an opinion one way or the other. I think there is. It’s like I tell KYHillChick: “You can understand … More . . .
I am a Turkey Hunting Troglodyte
I guess this contemporary versus traditional argument has been around a long while. I guess I didn’t notice it until recently when it came to turkey hunting. It could be that the turkey hunters I know are mostly illiterate and don’t own PC’s, so they don’t know they’re part of a camp. Somebody coined the term “Traditional Taliban” on here. “Old-Schoolers” is another term. I’m not going to use the terminology of one side to characterize another, but it seems we are locked in a never-ending tussle between traditional versus contemporary methods. I would like to submit myself as an … More . . .
Update from Turkey Camp.
Well, it was a good fresh start. It wasn’t going to last. I bagged that gob on Friday. Friday evening, my wife and sons showed up. We were treated to a bunch of hens and a mature gobbler out in the pasture just before sundown. The didn’t much mind us; their closest approach was 150 yards. The gobbler did not seem to have his heart in it– he strutted once, and then spent the rest of his time feeding. That was sort of how Saturday was. I took Angus back to the same spot as the day before. The same … More . . .
Double Beard with a Double Barrel
I was feeling a might heavy when I went out this morning. The birds have just not been cooperating lately. It’s coming to the end of the first week. I’d stayed home Monday and Tuesday due to rain. Wednesday the wind had gotten outrageous, and it was promising to blow big time again. The kids were coming for the weekend. Once they arrived, I’d be devoting my energies to calling in birds for them. Besides, the crunch is on. I’m a Pro-Staffer now. I have the reputations of a magazine and a call company to hold up. Try telling that … More . . .
A Fresh Start
I was feeling a might heavy when I went out this morning. The birds have just not been cooperating lately. It’s coming to the end of the first week. I’d stayed home Monday and Tuesday due to rain. Wednesday the wind had gotten outrageous, and it was promising to blow big time again. The kids were coming for the weekend. Once they arrived, I’d be devoting my energies to calling in birds for them. Besides, the crunch is on. I’m a Pro-Staffer now. I have the reputations of a magazine and a call company to hold up. Try telling that … More . . .
I Made it to Camp
I finally made it to Turkey Camp. It was 62F outside and 50F inside, so I turned on the attic fan, opened the windows and came out on the front porch. I was met with two hens out in the far pasture, so I grabbed the binos and started glassing. They’re coming and going out of the tree line. While I was waiting to see them again, I set up the laptop on the shooting bench, put up the string between the tin cans and tried to get a signal and here I am. The kids don’t show until tomorrow … More . . .
An Anonymous Acolyte and Mister Remmy
I received the following comment the other day regarding my “Bubba’d-up” Mossy: Anonymous said… Inspirational. That’s what your ministry has done for me. I too had a sticky-tape camo job on my Rem 870 home brew turkey gun. Since I am the President of the “Order of the Blue Snood” here in Washington State, I felt it was time to give ol’ Mister Remmy a makeover. A visit to the local Fred Meyer store and $28 bucks later I was spraying my way to the coolest do-it-yourself bubba gun I’ve ever done. (OK, it was only my second.) I will … More . . .
Yute Hunt 2009 — Angus Counts Coup
Angus and I went this morning for Day 2 of the KY Yute Season. Angus was armed with his 20 GA Mossberg bolt action. He was shooting Federal #4’s. We spent another morning like Saturday, with a bunch of half-hearted gobblers barely paying us any mind before fading off. Like Saturday, we packed up around 0900 and moved to another part of the farm, with the intention of looking for gobblers that might be starting to heat up. We tried a few spots, nothing paid off and the sun was getting high enough that a mid-morning nap seemed to be … More . . .
A Letter from Brian Lovett
From: Brian Lovett, Editor Turkey & Turkey Hunting Hi William: Welcome to the Turkey & Turkey Hunting Web Pro Staff! You have been selected to be an inaugural member. The purpose of this Pro Staff is to highlight our most loyal and serious customers. We will expand the staff in the months to come, but we want to limit its membership to only a handful of participants for each state. Although inclusion in the Pro Staff is a voluntary and honorary appointment, we will periodically reward staff members who are most active on the Web site. Most members have already … More . . .
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