Scouting Turkeys with Google Earth
I want y’all to understand that I’ve been doing this for 30 years or more. It was only recently I found Google Earth’s Ruler function. In the past, I would take a topo map and plot this stuff out. I have even done the trigonometry necessary to do it without a map. Google Earth makes it sooooo much easier. All you need is : 1) A lensatic compass. 2) Pencil and paper or something to record your readings. Back home, all you will need is Google Earth loaded on your PC. Optional, but not absolutely necessary is Google Earth or … More . . .
On Learning to be an Expert Turkey Hunter
There was an outdoor writer many years ago that opined that turkey hunters fell into 3 categories. 1) From 1 to 20 turkeys, the hunter is trying his best to learn how to hunt turkeys 2) From 20 to 40 turkeys, the hunter is trying to tell everyone else how to hunt turkeys 3) From 40 turkeys on, the hunter has learned to shut up and keep his opinions to himself. Look, I don’t mean to be telling y’all how to hunt turkeys, but I’ve been at it most of 40 years. The way I look at it, sometimes it … More . . .
Turkey Season Post-Mortem 2017
When I look back at Turkey Camp 2017, there are two things that immediately come to mind and they’re both the weather. The weather was uncommonly warm this season.The harvest in our county was down, and I can only think the weather had something to do with it. It was a record mild winter. That gave the turkeys a leg up. I am fairly sure we had more survive the winter than average. It also meant things were a little accelerated. However, rather than moving everything evenly forward a couple of weeks like it did the flowers, the warm weather … More . . .
Biscuits and Gravy in Browningsville
We were down at Mister Browning’s store in Browningsville. We heard there were good biscuits and gravy available on Saturday mornings. O.D. was there. O.T. and O.P. showed up as well. One thing you have to remember is that it is important to have a fresh set of turkey hunting duds if you plan on going to Browningsville for breakfast in season. I was tagged out, and Supercore did not want to hunt in the pouring rain. He dressed. I stayed in my civvies and wished I hadn’t. Folks looked at me like I was some kind of heathen. They … More . . .
Shamanic Tag-Out: Scratch One More
It’s now a little after 0930, on the third Saturday of KY Spring Gobbler Season. I’ve been tagged out for a little more than 2 hours. I woke this morning with the expectation of not even hunting. The heavy storms started around midnight with high winds, driving rain, thunder, lightning and several bouts of hail. I was listening to thunder when the alarm went off at 0430. The skies lifted long enough at 0530 that I suited up and told Supercore I was making a dash for Midway. The way it was thundering, I was fairly sure I was going … More . . .
Supercore Scores!
After a long dry spell, Supercore scores on a nice 2-year-old at 0820 this AM. The gobbler came to his calls and trotted within 10 yards of the Jagendehutte. Supercore had to engage in some close-quarters combat with the gob, but eventually got it tied off to the ATV and brought it home. It’s a 19 pounder with spurs going 11/16ths and a 10 inch beard. This breaks a dry spell we had since the Opener last Saturday. The gobs have had a bad case of lockjaw. We all were out today. SuperCore was the only one to see one. … More . . .
This is Earth. Scratch One Gobbler
I did not make a podcast this morning. There was not all that much to hear. On the other hand, this morning ended up being about as perfect a hunt as I am going to have in this life. It all began yesterday. When I got here to open up Turkey Camp, there was a gobbler and hens out in the yard. From noon until sundown they were out there. I had to be careful coming out the door or walking around the side of the house. I knew it was the same gobbler that kept showing up because he … More . . .
Turkey Camp is Open!
As of Noon today, Turkey Camp is open! I pulled into the drive today and there were a gobbler and there hens out in the side yard. I had to work quietly carrying stuff in through the back door, because I had turkeys watching the front door. Where these scouts? Did they have the house staked out? Naw, that’s crazy. That’s paranoid delusion. Still. . . As I write this the countdown timer is showing T-minus 18 hours Plus. I expect the rest of the Shamanic Dream Team to start arriving before sundown. Meanwhile, I’ll listen to Rush, put out … More . . .
Mooselette Goes Turkey Hunting
Well, sort of. Mooselette, my #1 granddaughter made it out to turkey camp with her daddy, Moose. We had a chance to go out to the Honey Hole and listen to the gobblers and hens at flydown. It was below freezing, so I brought along an arctic sleeping bag for her to crawl into. Afterwards, we came back and patterned our turkey guns. Moose asked to have his mother’s 20 GA Remington 1100 brought out. He had not shot it since was about Mooselette’s age. Mooselette, all of 5 now, had a chance to try it out. Her reaction? Less … More . . .
Honey Hole II
I was out at the new Honey Hole, putting up the blind that I built last year. It’s made out of the some of that fancy 4D burlap. I cut a 54″X12′ piece in half and made 2 27″ inch high pieces that I then rimmed with paracord. Last year, the blind worked great, except both Angus and I managed to shoot into instead of over the burlap– same hole, too! Go figure. Anyhow, this year, it’s back up, pretty much as it was. One thing I noticed was the fancy 4D camo had faded considerably. I had an old … More . . .
One Month to Go
The Countdown Timer on my webpage will cross the 4-week threshold as I write this– 1 month to go before Spring Gobbler Season opens. Normally, I would be down at camp, scouting. Hopefully I would have the umbrella mic up and be recording some hens. I’m not. I’m also not fretting too much. SuperCore’s birthday party is tomorrow, and between the inclement weather and the logistics of coming back to town for the party, I decided to stay back in town.
More . . .So you want to hunt turkeys, huh?
I have never claimed to be an expert Turkey Hunter. I only claim to be an expert Beginning Turkey Hunter. I started hunting turkeys back during Reagan’s first term. I still consider myself a beginner. If I were just starting out turkey hunting this year, here’s what I’d be doing. First off, I would be concentrating on where I was hunting. If more than 35 seasons at this, I can tell you that turkeys are very much tied to the land. What a gobbler does this morning is intractably linked to what his great-great-granddaddy did. Some things change. Roost trees … More . . .
Plotting the Return to Turkey Camp
It’s coming up on 10 weeks to the start of Kentucky’s Spring Gobbler Season. What am I doing to get ready? About a month ago, right around New Years, I went down and checked my supply of turkey ammo. I shoot Federal 3-inch #4 lead. It is not the rarest ammo out there, but nobody local carries it anymore. About this time of year, it shows up in decent quantities on the websites. The last time I needed some, I ordered from Grafs.com. Hibberd’s, my LGS would also order it for me. I try to do a minimal amount of … More . . .
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