Leaderboard

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

Shot a jake on Tuesday and this longbeard today at 6:15. Had my friend Zach (11) with me on his second turkey hunt. Heard some talk at 5:40 and a few gobbles. This guy showed up silent at the other end of the field and came into a single hen decoy. 25 yard shot w/ Mossberg 935 w/ #6 Longbeards ended his morning. Good luck to everyone still at it.

If I had the writing ability to put this morning in words, you absolutely would not believe it. In a VERY small nutshell, I had a pair of adults inside of 40 yards for a good portion of 4 (four) hours. I had a head pass by at 25 yards and couldn't get on him due to too thick of a spot. All morning I was in crappy spots because of posted land/neighbor relations etc. I moved three times over 600 yards and they'd come to each spot. I had two at 40 or less yards and a couple branches were in the way. I THOUGHT they'd come 6" more but no dice..... Another spot they were going absolutely crazy, gobbling to motorcycles, cars, crows, gun shots et. I couldn't get them to come into the precise spot I needed. Maybe I can get them figured out better in the morning; I have a plan.

That's even stretching those Winchester longbeard XR's from Maine to New York anyhow

Not a bad way to start a youth hunter for me today....nothing early but round 7 hit the crow call and got a few gobbles...made a poor choice to try and close the gap and scared them...moved to a different spot around 730 jumped a hen out of a tree and another one setting up....all in all great hunt kids ready for next weekend already Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

Happy Mothers Day to all the MOMS.

!%#&@^# moved up to Ridge I know they work during day got to top hit crow call to see if on other hill 2 gobbles down side of hill I figured almost to bottom....went to get over side and sit and spooked them...way way closer than I thought....oops..... On a good note the kids eyes got about the size of softballs when it happened Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

ill need a new cheetah print thong for this beer drinking pool party extravaganza

I went to a new spot in Leon yesterday, not a gobble, started walking and calling only to find some fresh scratching, set up and called in a lone hen! Damn not a single gobble and I had her calling non-stop looking for me for 1/2 hour, live decoy! If she can't get them to gobble how am I supposed to?

Hey AT here in western NY we have good soil and still have farms it’s not like the south eastern part of the state. A 1 ½ year old buck can weight 160lb and have an 8pt rack. Where I hunt, I very rarely see spikes. With a lot of us passing on small bucks I see no need for AR’s. For those who shoot the first legal buck that comes by have at it. It’s not up to me to tell you what shoot or not shoot and I will shake your hand and congratulate you on getting a deer.

Good day no need for fancy equipment. Used crankbaits and jigheads. Lake trout and landlocks. Sent from my SM-S820L using Tapatalk

I still have a problem imagining hunters running through the woods with their tape measures trying to catch up with a buck to measure its antlers.....lol. Seriously, the more complex you make the legal harvest system, the more dead and rotting deer there will be left in the woods when hunters find out that antlers suffer that "ground-shrink" because they are not as good at "estimating" antler numbers on the hoof as they thought they were. We already have problems with hunters seeing 3" antlers where there are none.

I said the same until I did today and heard 5 toms gobbling their heads off in all directions for an hour. Shook me up so bad, that I couldn't even properly call on the pot call. Either way good luck to you tomorrow.

Patience finally paid off at about 9:30 this morning... 20.2 pounds on the digital scale, 10 inch beard and 1 inch spurs... Never heard a gobble until about 9:15... Every now and then even a blind hog finds an acorn...

I'm guessing I care about as much as anyone posting on this board, as I care more about hunting in Africa then NY, and I take no offence......its a good question why and maybe I can help that a little. The context of the debate is framed around the "Cecil" the lion hunt debacle. The basic premise is does the money spent by hunters actually protect wildlife abroad and at home; but the "pro" lady on the panel is based in Africa and its her expertise, so her answers are more to that point. Why do I think this will effect you? This is a war of attrition and as hunters we will get nibbled on around the edges til' one day you may just find yourself and way of hunting being the last one standing. Its easy and emotional using all the Disneyfication of African animals to be able to target a small group, often with some wealth and public image to uphold and have our Gov't make it difficult enough to go hunting to effectively shut it down. Its fashionable now to attack 1%'ers and public figures who need to be image conscience for their shareholders and who do a large majority of BIG 5 hunting, I just play around the edges. Anti poaching patrols have taken a huge hit this year with the revenue of incoming hunter dollars to finance year round work for a 4 month hunting season with US citizens booking few hunts due to import regulations. US hunters make up roughly 50-60% of all revenues for African hunting, and number about 5,000 a year or so on average. USF&W have already shut down Lion, Elephant in many cases, and have made effective closures on a list of animals I cannot hunt, not based on the country where the animal lives and THEIR law, but our USF&W service won't allow import under OUR laws. I personally see this as another huge over reach of "we know better than you" mentality Americans in general are so well known for now worldwide. In Africa this as its a simple economic tenant.....if it pays it stays. I cannot emphasize enough how I see this directly with every trip. I have been 4 times as recent as a few weeks ago, and have spent several months hunting and several sightseeing some of the more less tourist picturesque places in SA,Namibia, and to a lesser degree Zimbabwe. (in 2005 I hunted in close proximity to Hwange Park and where Cecil originated) OK, so we are still talking about Africa? Well the arguments being brought before the courts to stop "safari" hunting by US citizens on foreign soil are EXACTLY the arguments that will be used to undermine the hunting here at home. Its why the Wyoming Wolf delisting is still held up in the courts. USF&W argument is that the science isn't good enough to base hunting as a benefit. That is setting a precedent both in the public(Congress) and courts eyes. Well guess what? The science on setting game seasons is all based on this same science of game management and its going to be incrementally challenged. (and that science is pitiful in NY by the way with basically a dart board due to a handcuffed game dept that has a broad spectrum of responsibilities and getting hunters to shut up is one of them) HSUS and similar groups have stated so in internal literature as one of the chief goals and ways to achieve their belief that ALL hunting must end. They have no time table, they will keep steering and framing the message to their skew as long as it takes. And that's why it matters.....

Who's shooting em?

A couple more 15" , and some eaters. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

Marinated a wild turkey breast in OJ and Italian dressing, per Turkeyfeathers recipe, and did it low and slow on the Weber with some apple chips. It came out excellent not dry at all

Haven't had any luck in the turkey woods so I just ran 10lbs of venison through the meat slicer and curing. Going to throw it in the smoker Wednesday morning and make a batch of jerky. Glad my brother in law doesn't like neck roast that made up a good majority of the jerky. I'll be sure to take pics during the cook. Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What a great hunt!!!We set up on the edge of a small swamp where the it hourglasses down to a skinny point.Ive used this to funnel birds before and it worked pretty much like it had in the past.I setup Reed at the hourglass and another friend to watch the backside because they sometimes circle and get behind us.On the other side of the swamp is about 100 yards of timber and a field.At first light we had gobbles 200 yards to our south but off the property edge so we couldn't move on them,the tom keep answering my calls but I could tell he was going away when another started hammering back to the west,he was quickly joined by another tom.I could here they didn't want to budge but we sat still till I heard one gobbler closer....then closer....then real close when I saw him on the edge of the field.He was making his was to our left which was perfect.I told Reed "he's gonna come right through here" as I pointed.Just like he was one a string being pulled in he was coming right to us100.....90.....80.....70....60 then he went into a small dip with some trees blocking our view.All of a sudden I saw him at 50 yards and the first second reed saw him was at about 40 yards reed folded him with one shot.....then another because he was flopping and I am pretty sure he thought he was getting away!!!!LOL I told "him he's down safety on". The next thing I see was a cross between a hydrofoil jet boat and a clydesdale running through the swamp to get to his bird!!!! His tom had a 8 inch beard,1 inch spurs on one leg and the other was 3/4,around 20 -21 pounds.The smile says it all.One of the best things in the last few years is to be able to take this young man out and teach him all I can about hunting,he is always game for whatever and most days he is pushing me as I am dog tired but I do my best not to give up.The felling is actually better than getting one myself!!!!

Don't worry I'll bring my camo one so I can hide in plain sight Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

Please, for the love of all that is Holy, NO PICS!!!!!!!!!!

whats wrong with the old one? You'll need at least two anyway for a three day event

So True! But they also dont have seasons that last into months. 30 day season for all implements and its over, with no guns in any part of the rut. Bring that type of season on and Ny would be in the top 10 best places to hunt...Instead of the worst.

Lake erie is a dangerous lake, I would stay in the harbors unless you bought a sea kayak. . One guy fishing in a canoe was blown across the lake to canada and it took him 3 months to walk back to silver creek to find his belonging s sold as he was assumed dead.. granted it was 18 40s but storms on the lake can be deadly..

I don't have a problem with trophy hunting. I don't like the "deer farming" we try to pass of as deer management. Where we manipulate habitat for the sole purpose of developing and holding big rack bucks... then film their every move until we know their travel patterns... then set up an ambush based on what the cameras tell us. I know its legal.. just not my idea of hunting big bucks.

So I went on my first real turkey hunt today, I have killed turkeys before but only as a byproduct of deer hunting..... God was it fun. I went with my friend who is also my deer hunting partner. We got in the woods around 5 set up some decoys and started calling...... With in 5 min i we heard a loud gobble coming from stright in front of us.... I kept calling and he kept gobbling.... After 10 min we were able to locate him in a tree about 50 yards from us.... As the sun came up he kept gobbling but flew down to our right and disappeared.... After 10 min of silence and no response to my calls we heard a gobble to our left... I called and he gobbled back... And now the bird who had gone off to our right joined in...we could tell they weren't coming closer and decide to move 30 yards in the direction of the bird on the right... We kept calling and he started to come closer.... We watched him cross the road and come into our little section of timber..... He was not alone.... It was two small jakes together.... We called them to within 30 yards but did not shoot because they were just too small.... It was a blast and we will be back out tomorrow morning Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Geeze, Bill, with all of those jakers around you should have a good crop of hard gobbling two year olds there next year ! Good luck in the morning..

They are a hard tree and will throw sparks off a chainsaw, great burning wood for heat. They are a tree of compressed soil,usually found in old pastures. Have a winged seed like an elm also known as hop hornbeam. I've been removing mine for a few years now as no one cuts them at they just compete with my good hardwood time regrowth.

I am confused. Because we are members of this forum, we are automatically part of a "self selecting group",, If I read you correctly, even though you are a member of this forum, you are not part of this same "self selecting group" because most of the people you hunt with are not members. How about the rest of us whose hunting companions are not part of this group either. Why are we automatically pegged as being part of this "self selecting group"? I guess I don't have a clue what your definition is of this so called "self selecting group" and what you are trying to get across with this comment.

Thanks, I have been working on my 16" Chestnut Pal, it's a little bigger than the 15' Chum in this video, hopefully it will be ready for the fall trip. After many trips both in the ADKs and Canada it was in need of alot of repairs, alot are done but it still needs to be finished. Your correct, I need to go lighter on the provisions, leave room for all that venison I'm going to haul out. Thanks Fletch, I'm glad you like the thread. Hopefully this fall will bring another trip and maybe some success, although just getting out there is alot of fun and I would say somewhat successful.

Windy here as well....damn I gets light early didn't get set till 525 no gobbles yet....come on birds just holler a few for me Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

it feels so much better jumping on trampolines

When (rarely) I wear a thong, I always wear it backwards Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

actually that's from a female Bigfoot in need of vagisil

Mea Culpa. You are right, I misunderstood what you meant. My apologies.

Bingo, nothing too it....... Congratulations!!

Nice job! And congratulations to your young friend Reed!

A few first light gobbles but tom flew down with hens and they wanted nothing to do with me.. had 5 jakes come in silent at 730.. 4 left..

My sources latest haul.

A few years ago I sold mine, to a friend of a member here. I just did not use it anymore. I still have a DW 6 inch blue .22, that gun has the lightest d.a. trigger of any gun I have ever shot . Kpkot , no just the 8 inch . Back in the day DW were hard to beat , just solid great shooting guns, they've been in and out of business so many times I don't know where they stand today though . I got my .22 in the '80's and the .44 I guessing mid '90's . The guy who bought the .44 had every single model they made except the 8 inch SS I sold him!

Another morning of hearing and seeing zip. I can start to feel my interest in turkey hunting waning again this year. It gets old getting up at 4 am and getting skunked over and over again.

Baby Back Ribs Brussel Sprouts rice Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That overgrown field can be great nesting cover.. leave your fields long on fall for nesting in spring. If you have timber growing on edge of field trim some lower limbs off them so birds have easier time to get into them for roosting 2 to 3 in limbs 20 ft in air are great roosting limbs if they have enough clear space above and below them for birds to get in. It's a lot of trimming but it does work and make a difference..

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not thinking this will be on my favorites list. Pretty eh Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Now I know this is not a hunting trip, but I did post a video of my recent trip into Lows Lake on Youtube, and thought some folks might like to see it. Just like the last 3 out of 4 years I plan to head back into Lows opening week of deer season, the last week of October barring any drastic weather forecast. I used my same fall outfit, a small wall tent, wood stove, cot, food box (wannigan), I ate good got some quiet paddling in with my wood/canvas canoe, drank alot of coffee cause the beer/booze is a thing of the past for me these days. I had planned to cut and cache some firewood for October this trip, didn't happen, but I found a good source so I'm pretty confident I'll be good this fall.