I finally got the fake stump installed at the Honey Hole this afternoon with the help of Moose and the Mooselette. This is the culmination of several years’ worth of planning and fretting. It all goes back to 2016. I had been turkey hunting with my back against the same … Continue reading →
I got Turkey Camp opened up Saturday. I have learned that it is not wise to show up on a Friday night. You never know what you’ll find. I always wait for Saturday morning to go down. The place was just as we’d left it. My sons came down a … Continue reading →
I know I’ve told this story before, but it bears repeating. Back when I started turkey hunting– we’re talking Regan’s first term– A good turkey gun was any gun that could put 2 pellets through a Dixie cup at 40 yards. You put a Dixie cup on a stake and … Continue reading →
It’s funny. I looked over on the left at the “On This Day” box and it said that I had reported the Kentucky Spring Hunting Guide had been posted in 2013. Sure enough, I went to look on the KYDFWR site, and look what I found: I could not … Continue reading →
I want to clean up a bunch of questions that have been asked of me. Some have been recent; others go back a ways. Mostly, this is about ambushing, but there’s more. You keep talking about ambushing being good and stalking being bad. Why is that? Let me explain some … Continue reading →
. . . and having said all that,  let me do a complete about-face. Do you want to know what made me a successful turkey hunter? It came down to exactly one principle: Become your own expert. I have been giving you an introduction to turkey hunting as best as … Continue reading →
I’ve talked about the kit. Now, I am going to put it all together and talk you through what to expect. First off, let me tell you what does not work. If you’re a beginner, you read a lot about master turkey hunter tactics like Run & Gun. Forget it. … Continue reading →
This is a continuation of the thread I started in the last post. Now that I’ve done a dump on the firearm-related stuff, here is what I think about calls, clothes and the rest of the gear  The CallsIf you’re a new guy to the sport, you’re going to … Continue reading →
I started to put this into my missive on what the NewGuy needed to know, and it became something bigger than I expected, so I am going to put it in its own post. If you are starting out turkey hunting, learn to be still. How still is still? For … Continue reading →
I wrote a piece back in the early fall giving advice to the New Guy at Deer Camp. At least one fellow, Remnar found it to be good stuff, so I figured I’d try and compose one for Turkey Camp.  In this first installment, I’ll deal with the shooting system … Continue reading →
I don’t know about you guys, but by Mid-May every year, I’ve lost the feeling. In the good years, it’s because I’ve filled all my tags, and I’ve got to start thinking about practical things like mowing the lawn. In the bad years, I reach a point where the season … Continue reading →
The Buckless Youper, Remnar, got his first deer this morning. I was back at the cabin putting the finishing touches on yesterday’s story when I heard a shot coming from the back of the property. At 0715 ET Remnar radioed in he had a doe down and needed assistance at … Continue reading →
The season is over. I never got a chance to go out. The turkeys, however, were not quite done with me yet. Along about 1700, I heard a gobble. I looked out in the field in front of Faulty Towers and saw a gobbler working over some hens. The show … Continue reading →
It’s over. Frankly, I was not paying attention last evening as the sun went down. I was home watching NetFlix. KY’s Spring Gobbler Season ended. For me, it ended before it began. It is the first time since 1986 that I have not hunted. I really wish this COVID-19 thing … Continue reading →
The Thunderstorms are due back after Noon. I’ll be beating it back to town shortly, having concluded a very productive trip to the farm, and one of the best days I’ve ever had. I’ll give you some highlights. As soon as we heard they were relaxing the quarantine, The Shamanic … Continue reading →
As I write this, I can hear Angus in the shower. He was called into work this morning. He would have missed the Opener anyway. Last night was his birthday. He also celebrated 5 years working in a sheet metal shop. I suppose it was good news that he is … Continue reading →
This should have been a triumphant announcement. Mooselette had shot her first gobbler. However, a worldwide pandemic interfered. It was just not to be. Okay, I can live with that. I went out alone this AM with the umbrella mic, ready to record some more stuff– hopefully enough for another … Continue reading →
I came in this morning from recording material for a podcast, and I had this surprise waiting for me on the KDFWR website​​: Non-Resident Spring Turkey Permit Sales Suspended Effective immediately, standard nonresident spring turkey permits for 2020 will no longer be sold in order to conform to Gov. Andy … Continue reading →
Here’s a link to the 3/28 KY Afield show. It’s a Q&A about the upcoming turkey season. The good news is that nobody is anticipating a closure due to Coronavirus. Views: 2 Related posts: Strong Harvest Expected Know Thy Game, Know Thyself What Happened to the Turkeys? From the KDFWR: … Continue reading →
We had a hard rain and thunder on Friday night. However, it was still in the low Sixties when I got up. I had to wear a short-sleeved shirt out to the Honey Hole and still managed to work up a decent sweat. I rounded the last curve in the … Continue reading →
The Shamanic Dream Team converged on Turkey Camp yesterday as the clock ticked towards one month before the opening of KY Spring Gobbler Season. We had a lot of ground to cover. First off, we had to officially inaugurate the Kip LeBlond Memorial Grill. Kip and I were best hunting … Continue reading →
I was not expecting all that much this morning. I just wanted to get out with my recording equipment and make sure everything was ready for the upcoming season. I really enjoy recording the turkeys and if I could walk away with some sound, any sound, it would be fine. … Continue reading →
The new rule book for the Spring Seasons is out. There is no big news for hunters in the Trans-Bluegrass– it’s same old/same old. The only statewide change of note is that the Land Between the Lakes will not have a quota hunt this year. Bluegrass Depot is closed to … Continue reading →
What is the best turkey call? I am not going to be pretentious enough to tell a veteran turkey hunter what to take with him out in the field. However, if you’re still at the point where you are not sure what to use to call in a turkey, this … Continue reading →
For the better part of the past 20 years, we’ve been coming back to Turkey Camp given the following criteria: 1) It’s after the Super Bowl 2) It’s not pouring down rain. It isn’t snowing, and there is no ice. 3) The predicted HI for Saturday is at minimum 50F … Continue reading →
