Requiem for a Turkey Load I really cannot remember the last time I blew my wad at paper. It must have been ten years ago. I’ve been shooting pretty much the same load at turkeys since 1996, Federal Premium 3-inch 12 Gauge 2-ounce #4. The boxes have changed. The load … Continue reading →
From Old.Gobbler.com: I am always amazed at how sensitive gobblers can be and how far calls can travel. A good many of the turkeys I’ve killed at flydown have come from 200 to 400 yards away. Ones I’ve taken in mid-afternoon have come from much farther. Usually, I start off … Continue reading →
When should I start Scouting for Turkeys? That’s a very good question. It certainly is a timely one. As I write this, the countdown is just passing T-Minus 7 weeks to The Opener. I’ve been at it 40 years, and I can’t tell you a set formula. For the last … Continue reading →
The temperatures were pushing 60F down at the farm, so I decided to take Dolly down and introduce her to the place. We got there around sunrise Sunday, spent the night, and then came back early on Monday. She got a good deal of firsts on this trip. She got … Continue reading →
From Quora How Do You Ask for Permission to Hunt? I am not going to put myself forward as an expert. However, I am a guy who spent 20 years asking for permission before getting my own land. I’m now on the other side of the deal. Let me tell … Continue reading →
Back in 2009, I spray-painted my Mossberg 500 with Krylon Fusion and documented it for Turkey & Turkey Hunting. The story was well-received, and folks not only liked the paint job, but liked the way I described it. If you’re interested, here’s the original story: I can report that the … Continue reading →
From Quora:What is the best time of the day to hunt wild turkey? I’m going to limit my answers to Spring Gobbler Season as I seldom hunt in the fall. Gobblers can be taken at any hour during legal hunting times. However, several things impinge on this. A lot of … Continue reading →
The tale starts way back. I had shot a Brown Bess once; it was decades ago. At some point in the deep past I read an account of a fellow in the modern-day using one as a general-purpose hunting weapon. It was one of those back-burner deals. I figured that … Continue reading →
KYHillChick and I spent the better part of yesterday roaming in the backroads between Vandalia, Ohio, and Hamilton. We were in the process of retrieving the newest addition to Deer and Turkey Camp. The trip started with a trip to Olde English Outfitters just north of Vandalia. I used to … Continue reading →
It is currently showing 13F on the thermometer. There is about half an inch of snow on the ground. All the deer rifles have had their final cleaning. Something inside me flipped and now I am starting to think about turkeys. What really threw me over the edge was that … Continue reading →
#3 son, Angus, heard me being effusive regarding Remnar’s choice of head gear and decided that I needed one of my own. Remnar showed up to deer camp the first year with an Original Stormy Kromer in Hunter Orange. I’ve always admired the hat. This year, Angus bought me one … Continue reading →
For the last few seasons, we all have been processing our mounts in the absolute easiest way possible. We have been chucking them in the pond with a piece of paracord tied to the antlers. We pull them out in about June and let the skulls bake in the Sun … Continue reading →
Mac, a 24hourCampfire regular asked “How Has Your Point of View on Hunting Changed as you aged?” The problem is that you take 40 years and try to distill it all down, it ends up with something like: “WWII happened because Hitler invaded Poland. The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and … Continue reading →
I really don’t have an explanation for this. On 8 May, as Turkey Season was coming to a close, I took a 50 lb sack of mixing salt and went out to the Campground Lick and refreshed it. This is a lick that I have had in the same spot … Continue reading →
You may have noticed that the shaman has not been all that prolific since the end of Turkey Season. It’s true. I have not been posting all that much. However, I’ve been doing a lot with the weblog. Some of it has to do with adding functionality. A good deal … Continue reading →
No, I didn’t get attacked by cicadas.No, I did not fall down the well. I’ve been fine and fit. All is well. I’ve just been busy. The day job has been extra busy since the end of Turkey Season, but the main thing keeping me away has been moving. It’s … Continue reading →
As usual, I was home in my recliner to observe the end of Turkey Season. It was Mother’s Day. However, that was just an excuse. I was pretty well played out. The weather was cold and rainy all day Sunday. I was glad I came home. One of the stand-out … Continue reading →
Weekend #3 came and went with no gobblers to show for it. Mooselette, Moose and Angus came out.  Action was remarkably heavy, at least on the west side of the farm. Moose was over at the Westwood blind and managed to call up two gobblers out of Right Leg … Continue reading →
Our last bird was taken on 4/20. Since then, things have been fairly quiet. The next morning, we got 2 inches of snow dumped on camp. My hunt consisted of brewing a cup of coffee and standing at the open bedroom window and listening. I did not hear a gobble. … Continue reading →
Moose and Remnar went out to the new blind at Dead Skunk this morning. I went out to the Honey Hole. This was Remnar’s first turkey hunt. He had expressed interest in hunting the birds over the winter, but work intervened. I was sitting in my blind at 0738, having … Continue reading →
I do not usually miss a turkey. Missing two the first week is unheard of in my long career. However, this morning saw my second since the Opener. The first was due to taking a shot without being properly situated. The one this morning has me scratching my head. The … Continue reading →
This all gets complicated, so I will lay it all out in chronological sequence. The Shaman Muffs It To begin, I had a few gobblers out in front of me at the start of legal hunting, arrayed out in front of me at the Honey Hole. As soon as I … Continue reading →
I’ve got a theory about gobblers. It is all about gobblers’ personalities. You see, I’ve been watching many generations of turkeys live and die on the property. Some traits, like the motor-mouthed trait that I first saw in Mister Moto, seem to be genetic. However, there are some traits that … Continue reading →
The Mooselette got a chance to get out and deal with the turkeys on Saturday. It wasn’t quite the show we had hoped for. The cold snap had made it a rather subdued affair, and every gobbler seemed to be henned up. However, honorable Number One Granddaughter was able to … Continue reading →
From OldGobbler.COM Ohio is proposing a change to the bag limit. The new proposal taking effect 2022, if passed, would limit you to harvesting one bearded bird from public land. You can still kill two, but only one can be from public land. Oddly, they site poor reproductive years, but … Continue reading →
