Uncle Nicky

Need more info., but if you are thinking of hunting the same bird, there is a good chance he has now been educated (or dead if you pepperd him). You probably will be OK if he came in alone and no other toms make the connection that the loud boom and a human being in their woods. Haven't missed in a while, but I generally would go take a shot at a paper target. Every time it turned out to be the Indian, not the arrow.

Mostly stick with beer, more times than not Bud Light. If someone else is buying or I'm feeling wealthy, it's Heineken. If I'm out on the town, it's usually gin & tonic. I get the taste for whiskey sometimes in the winter, especially if I'm at a deer camp, usually Old Grandad if I can find it, if not, some sort of bourbon, I'm not fussy, usually add a little 7-Up to it. But rarely go over my limit, nothing I hate worse than a hangover.

I don't especially like it, and agree with most that this is just another symptom of the ongoing feminism of the American male. I wasn't in the scouts. My father was made it to Eagle scout, and attended the jamboree in Valley Forge, PA in the 1950s (he rode his bicycle there). Both of my boys were in scouts, mostly my wife's persuasion. The oldest quit when he was about 12, it wasn't "cool". The youngest stuck around until he was around 16, all he cared about was the camping trips, and didn't want to do any of the work for merit badges, the leaders didn't like that. What I observed was that the majority of kids (not all) were not the athletes or cool kids, but mostly outcasts (geeks, nerds, eggheads, whatever the slang now is), and it wasn't much about outdoor activities, more about getting badges and the race to make Eagle scout, so that they could pad their college resume. Most of the parents seemed to be promoting it also, which was a little sad to me. Based on my limited knowlege and experience, seems like scouts has changed immensely from what it was when my father was an Eagle scout. But maybe it's just the town I live in, it's very money-driven & competitive here.

In my opinion, if you are keeping your shots withing 45 yards, the pattern you have is acceptable (with the Hevi Shot). It all comes down to a matter of choice, and how much time & money a person wants to spend to get a tighter pattern. I believe all shotguns/chokes/shells shoot differently, and it can cost a small fortune and abuse to your shoulder tweeking your gun, to find the holy grail pattern. I know a lot of people frown on it, but I am confident on taking a 50+ yard shot with my spring turkey gun, if I feel the urge. But I set it up 10 years ago, and have no desire to get the pattern any tighter. I blew enough cash on chokes & shells, if I miss I know it's the Indian, not the arrow.

This is for the newer guys...Wait until the first tweety bird sounds off, then just give a few QUIET pops & putts. Once you have a gobbler respond, PUT YOUR CALL AWAY and fight every urge you have to call back. That gobbler knows where you are. Wait until he hits the ground before you start calling. There is NO upside to having a calling contest with a gobbler who is still roosted. Another tip..when you are scouting, don't try calling a bird in with a hen call. You are only going to educate them faster. Finally..don't use a crow call in the dark or a owl call at light. You might get a bird to shock gobble, but they know what sounds are appropriate at what time of day. Plus, any experienced hunter sitting in the woods will be snickering at you...

Turkey. Deers are far more predictable, and there are a lot more of them in the woods. Plus you can snipe a deer at 200 yards if you have a decent rest.

That is exactly right. If you are truly going to dry age your venison, it will be almost black on the outside and the crust will need to be trimmed off, close to 50% waste. I never was able to tell the difference from venison that was aged a week as opposed to that which was butchered and frozen a day or two after the kill, but I don't really like deer meat all that much anyway.

I'll eat it, but I don't look forward to it like I would a beef, moose, or Axis steak, just too goaty tasting. It's decent in curries, stews, chili, or the occasional backstrap steak wrapped in bacon (If I'm eating a steak, I cook it before freezing, that way it doesn't acquire the bloody taste venison sometimes gets in the freezer). Ground meat I mix 50/50 with fatty ground beef. Most deer or goose I shoot winds up in sausage or keilbasi.

You did good Rob. 325 is too low to cook fried chicken, it will come out too oily, I'd stick with 350.

Actually, calling them up a mountain is usually easier than calling one down a hill, but they like to go downhill first thing in the morning (usually). My experience is there is no "Turkeys always..." in turkey hunting. Catch them in the right mood on the right day, and you'll probably get one to cross the road. My advice would be to set up as close to the roost as you can get, and wait them out, calling sparingly but loud enough to be heard. Give it enough sits, and you'll eventually pull one in. Good luck!

I somewhat have my doubts. Between the cold, snow, and probable lack of food, I don't think they'd survive or breed nearly as fast as they do in the south. I had a friend near Tully, NY (he's dead now), but he told me stories of hogs on trail cams and even had a picture of a hog someone had killed nearby, so they've been feral in some parts of NY for a while. We have small bands of them in PA and NJ also, but nowhere near the nuicanse numbers they experience in Dixie & Texas. My un-educated theory is that we don't have the right type of environment for them to thrive and get out-of-control.

9 pages...actually, pretty amusing.

No, it's not too early to start listening. I'd just listen though, no need to start educating the birds before the season starts, they'll pick up on the pressure on their own just fine. My take on locator calls...not really necessary, gobblers on the roost will let you know where they are, and there are enough crows and hawks and gunshots and horns and roosters and jets to get them going on their own. But, if you like playing with your toys like many of us do, I'd use a coyote or owl call in the dark, and a crow or peacock call during sunlight. Good luck!!

Deja Vu, 15 years later.... I remember when they made crossbows all-inclusive in PA, all the same arguments, pro & con. If anything, it got more bowhunters into the woods, and now less guys rifle hunt in PA, many are tagged out before gun season starts. I do realize they take much less practice than a longbow or compound bow, but the premise is the same; you are shooting an arrow and need to be extremely fussy with your shots, or you will wind up with a crippled deer rather than a dead deer.

Small game & deer-my father taught me. Bow hunting-self taught. Turkey hunting-mostly self taught, but I did have a couple great mini-mentors along the way.

I did not go with an outfitter. 3 times I hunted a private ranch and paid a trespass fee, and once I tried my luck on public land, successful each time. It is not especially difficult, the tough part was getting close enough to make an ethical shot; their eyesight is incredible. I would suggest finding a range where you can take 300-400 yard shots, and getting good enough to make shots at that range (for rifle hunting).

Savage Model 99, .358 Winchester. It has to be at least 50 years old, I bought it in 1976 with my paper route money.

In our culture, I mostly agree. I know I'd have a tough time if I had to give up meat or fish. But some cultures in other parts of the world eat little or no meat at all. As the years go on, I do notice that I don't feel especially good the next day after eating a 16 oz ribeye, even though it feels like I've died & went to heaven while I am actually eating it. I think we'll see more vegans & vegitarians in our culture as time goes on, I know my family doctor is always trying to pressure me into eating less meat and more vegetables. I tried, but all that fiber doesn't make me feel so hot either.

I don't think being a vegan automatically qualifies you as being a wimp or pussy, but a lot of vegan men certainly fit the profile. My one son is dating a girl who's a vegan, she's nice enough and doesn't skeev at the mounts around the house or make faces when the rest of us have a steak, so I can't be too rough on her. She's slowly but surely influencing him though. But I will say, he's probably in better shape than I have ever been in my entire life, slim but not skinny and he works out and rides a bike all the time; maybe there is something to eating a little more healthier?

Aggressive Game Calls, "Red Tail Hawk". So simple, even I can get a good sound with them.

Thanks for the offer, I may just take you up on it.

I've been on 4 salmon trips to Lake Ontario so far, with 4 different captains. Twice we got, "Salmon not really biting now, let's fish for lakers". Once was a boat ride. And the other day was so-so (caught 1 decent fish, the rest were undersized or just barely legal). Not saying it's not a good fishery, just doesn't seem very consistent. Just my experience, anyway.

Harvey Weinstein would have known what to do.

Actually, I'd be interested, and I might be able to get another guy or two together if needed. I always wanted to go up to Massachusetts. for a cod trip, but as I was researching a few months ago, it looks as if the rules have changed, and you can only keep haddock up there, so I "missed the boat" on that dream trip. I fished with this captain before, he's very good, and he runs trips out of Montauk; NY cod limits are pretty liberal compared to the Mass limits.http://www.charterboatwindy.com/fishing-info.html