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Saturday 05/14: Went to our "honey hole" on private land and found out that it's not the sanctuary it seemed to be. Ran into the landowner's son on the bordering property and later got in a calling match with another guy on that property. Good thing is that the landowner's son gave us permission to cross over on their land and hunt that as well, WHICH PAID OFF! Heard this bird randomly gobbling in the distance throughout the morning but he didn't seem to move his location much. At 9:00 we decided to pursue him. We closed the distance and gave a call and he hammered right back at us and was only 80-90 yards away. We set up quick and within a minute we heard another guy moving in from our left. He was cutting and calling like crazy but the gobbler was keyed in on us. every time we gave a couple clucks, he would answer. We spotted a hen slowly working her way to us, bringing the gobbler in. She got about 50 yards away and swung perpendicular and up the hill away from us and the anxious caller to our left. We were in horrible position as it was super thick but we didn't have a choice but to park our butts when we heard him gobble. I had one tiny opening and luck was on my side when the gobbler walked into it. At the perfect time my buddy gave two quick putts and the bird stopped, giving me just enough time to drop the hammer. 3/4" spurs and 8.5" beard but it sure was a paint brush! I have one tag left but plan on devoting the rest of my season getting a bird in front of my girlfriend.

Made my first visit of the year to our local peregrine falcon pair yesterday, they were quite active.

Ran out after dinner to look for some mushrooms in the creekbottom. I didn't find any but I did get a special treat while I was there! My first fawn of the year!

SOB's are just messin with me now! Took a drive to check out a block of woods to see where I was going in the morning ... So I'm driving looking for a good place to park n walk in and a gorgeous tom walks right out from the woods in front of my truck with his paint brush blowin in the wind .... Crosses the street onto private land n just stands out there in the grass field , like what , can't touch me now! Guess I know where I'll be hunting for the rest of the season ... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

For dinner tomorrow! 18 inch brown from the Delaware river today.

I took five pine trees down and to the curb today, my back is SHOT. I may have to take a bath like some kind of weirdo. Got the kids involved!

Not hunting related . Had a female Piliated woodpecker and a Baltimore Oriole show a while ago

It may be a pretty spectacle when they're going up, but it's pollution when they hit the ground.

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Pat-rye-OT revolutionary pale ale brewed with apples Brewed by Devils backbone -Dogfish head - Lawson's Finest liquids - Stoudts and Trillium

Lawsuit seeks to ban balloon releases at University of Nebraska football games http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/05/16/lawsuit-seeks-to-ban-balloon-releases-at-university-nebraska-football-games.html It's about time!

I love the connection with the birds while spring turkey hunting. It's so fun and nerve racking to try and tell them what they want the hear. Turkeys can be so unpredictable that they could give you every sign that they are coming and yet walk in the complete opposite direction. The thing I love MOST though is hearing that thunderous gobble when they are just out of sight, that seems to just echo into your face. "oh man, he's coming!" gun up, ready to shoot, scanning that terrain for the red or white head, praying not to hear him gobble right behind you if he decides to circle. Gets my heart pounding so loud I can hear it. Not to mention the sight of a strutting tom. Can't beat it!

Forty one years ago today, I killed my first spring gobbler. He was a 14 pound jake with a four inch beard. I was thrilled and hooked for life. I still have his wishbone hanging on my memory shelf, labeled May 15, 1975.

Never did it as a kid, we had no turkeys. Over the past few years I get out here and there. Never once been before first light though! lol The three biggest issues. 1. I don't have access to any woods with fields which seems to be the ticket. 2. I am no good at it. 3. I can't get my ass out of bed at 4 am like I can for 3 months of deer!!

you just blew my mind. turkey stink so you'd rather eat geese?

There's more than ample time to do both turkey hunt and golf. Hunt in morning and golf in afternoon. In '09 I hunted a hot bird (didn't kill him that day) in the morning and played Niagara Falls CC in WNY Open .First round of the year. 3 whacked first hole and thought "what am I doing" Preceded to shoot 70 and beat 60 club pros and 30 amateurs . Perfect day of hunting and then golf. I don't bow hunt but have had many say " if you like turkey hunting that I'd love bow hunting" So if you like bow hunting you should love turkey hunting. Nothing better than listening to the woods wake up in the spring. Seeing nature at its finest, the songbirds, perhaps fox pups, fawns etc. I coined the phrase years ago. " Deer hunting fills my freezer but turkey hunting fills my heart " As far as bugs this year, it's been TOO cold for them. Thermacells could easily fix that problem for you guys/gals as well.

If any of you guys have got your May copy of "Meat and Poultry" Don't tell me what the cover story is about…..I want it to be a surprise, when I open the mail box..

Im not sure what you are asserting with this comment, feel free to PM me if Im off base here, but I posted this topic as an informational post to ask people not to post political threads in the General Chit Chat section. I thought that was plenty clear. Im going to go through and remove all of the nonsense in the thread, and it will remain locked and pinned. I Should have locked it originally, as its not up for debate.

dude. that's good camp fire wood!

You should return five cans and get a quarterback. Hehehe

Most of the balloons that I keep hauling out of the woods are those Mylar party balloons. So it is great that they are focusing on the mass releases of balloons, but I think the release of all balloons should banned along with the sale of them. It is the dumbest activity I ever heard of. That crap is non-biodegradable, and I have no idea how long they last in the environment, but they don't seem to ever break down.

Well you've heard my previous rants on balloons ,nuff said.

Doc , sorry I didn't get back sooner . Yes , it's an old wild apple tree . The camera has been in the same location for years . Here is a picture of another Deere that I got .

We had a gen-u-ine Spanish omelette prepared by our Spanish exchange student, it was delicious

I was gone all day today, from 7 am till about 6pm. Walked into the house and noticed an awesome smell. The wife and my daughter surprised me with a roasted turkey, mashies, peas, stuffing, gravy biscuits …..They must want something…….

Long Trail Limbo IPA. Went really well with some raw clams.

Youth Hunter I was mentoring this morning.

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Thanks again guys! I struck out on the mushrooms again today, but I bumped into my little buddy again on the other side of the creek! He's not one for posing just yet, but he's a natural when he's in front of the camera! Anyone know what that ground cover plant with the blue flowers is called? It grows like a carpet down here and really hides the fawns well.

Thanks guys! Elmo, by the time I spotted the little rascal he was only 3 or 4 ft away. I knew he wasn't going anywhere so I looked around for momma and didn't see her, so I spun on my 18-55mm lens and got down to his level. By then I was more like 1.5-2ft away and that's why you only see 6 shots here. Mom would have had to clear a creek to put the hooves to my head but that thought was always on my mind. The doe leave their fawns here a lot during the day every year and are seldom ever around but she'll come back for him. The fawns I find here have a very good survival rate from what I've noticed compared to fawns further up the hill that have coyotes and other critters to contend with. This spot is relatively close to houses where predators don't hang around much day or night. Year after year they just love to hide their fawns here!

Only one of my uncles turkey hunts. My whole family fishes and deer hunts. I picked it up as an excuse to get into the woods. I'll admit my least favorite part is the bugs or the 4am wakeup calls. To all the members here who DON'T hunt wood chickens. Why not?

I'm sure I've voiced my displeasure with this system before but I'll say it again. IT SUCKS. Between slow internet yesterday, a system that doesn't recognize mine or my daughter's email addresses and the fact that THEIR system was down this morning for a few hours I've had it. Finally I get a bunch of information imputed and I get to the part where you're supposed to link with the IRS system to automatically put our 1040 info into the FAFSA system and it won't work. It is such a FUBAR system I can't believe it. All I can do is try and call them after work tomorrow.

I'm still looking for my Easter basket and yet to kill a bird this year but found the beer. You could have iced it though. Thanks ! P.S I left the tree limbs

I find it interesting how Trump has upset the apple cart this election year. I will be a little uneasy with my vote for Trump, but the alternative is less appealing. Seems to me that Mr. Trump will stand up and try to improve the country more so than the present edition of the congress that appears to sit on it's hands and cower to Osama...I mean Obama. Clearly the establishment is worried about their kingdom as presently set up. Maybe that's a good thing. We shall see.

LOL... hope you didn't forget the Epsom salts....May I have a long time before I get too old for tree work....though It does take me much longer to do...cutting isn't bad ...even limbing can be fun...but they sit a bit before getting hauled off to the brush pile fences...and then I really have to block off a long time...so I have no excuses not to get it done... Job well done...but on a cool/moist summer night, a crackling pine camp fire can be nice...

Rather play golf.

Sorry to hear that Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sorry for your loss and may his spirit be ever present in all your future hunts. Godspeed to his family as they move through their loss.

It's the road that leads to sagamore hill on cove neck

use more soy sauce next time and cook longer ;)

Beer camp visited again.

Yup that's it. Just had dinner there on Wednesday. If you like dessert, you have to try it at least once. Huge portions. It seems you drove the extra hour so yeah you got the shaft. The entire area is nice, except the city of Binghamton and the Village of Endicott has changed drastically over the past 20+ years.

At least it finally stopped raining....

Man, you either got it or you don't, when it comes to those super sonic raptors in flight! Excellent job tracking those tough targets!

Jeez Loiuse Wooly...your shots are absolutely amazing...a highlight for me while on this site....and I agree with alloutdoors- that first shot of the second series is outstanding!

Love that last pic...................WOW......

Actually, Bill, it is 43 years of spring turkey hunting..I hunted 1973 and 1974 and never killed a bird until 1975. There was not a lot of turkey hunting info available at that time, and remember saying, out of frustration, " If I ever KILL one of these dam things, I'm going to GIVE IT UP, but I'm going to kill one". Then, of course, after I finally shot one, I was hooked.

Veterans’ group in Chicago suspects being ‘muscled’ by city out of facility near proposed Obama library http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/05/14/veterans-group-chicago-trying-to-muscle-it-out-facility-near-proposed-obama-library.html Expresso, do you think this could possibly be true? Or do you think these people are criminals?

Found this matched set a few weeks ago. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I can't be the only guy to pick up some bone while turkey hunting... also found a real old chewed up 4 point side.

DJ's taxidermy in Bath NY. Did an excellent job on my pedestal mount and my nephews first buck mount!