Uncle Nicky

Canned (or thawed frozen corn) absolutely works on stocked trout. Don't know if it's legal in NY, but here in PA we throw handfuls in the pond or creek to get them interested, then toss in your line with a small hook and a kernel or two on it, repeat as necessary until you have your limit. Not real sporting, but it's canned fishing anyway, and the trout will die in most of the creeks and ponds around here once the water warms up a little. Maybe the corn sweetens them up a little, LOL?? Most stocked trout aren't all that good to eat anyway. If you are going to use worms, I'd stick with meal worms or wax worms, they're usually more effective, and definitely less messy.

I know it's controversial, and many purists don't consider one to be a "real" turkey hunter unless they call a bird in 30 yards or closer, but I'm way past all that. I like to fill tags, eat turkeys, and make their fans, wings, and feet into trinkets & calls. I'll take a 50 yard shot if I think it'll be the best shot I get that day, I know what my gun & setup can do. I'll sneak in one one, fake one out with a fan or gobbler decoy, belly crawl (these days a LOT of belly scrapes the ground, LOL), or set up an ambush, whatever it takes, as long as it's legal. I never shot one off the roost yet or used a motorized decoy, but never say never....

In the spring, you are usually killing older male birds, who have been struggling to survive most of the winter, and who now aren't concentrating much on food, but mating. Not to say a spring jake might not be tender if roasted in the oven. In the fall, it's mostly younger birds and hens, eating cut or standing corn, soybeans, and beechnuts, fattening up on the bounty before the long cold winter. It's mostly just a rule of thumb idea, and no 2 birds are ever going to be the same.

Spring birds I just breast them out, I either make turkey nuggets, cutlets, or marinate them in salad dressing, wrap in bacon and cook them on the grill. I usually cook the legs & thighs in the crockpot and make enchiladas with them, I mix the leftover broth with the dogs' kibble. In the fall I pluck them and roast them whole in turkey bag. I've never tried deep frying one, I'd assume you'd have to pump it with a brine to keep it moist.

I guess that is the tradeoff you get with the LB shells. I've never tried them, but everything I have heard is that they pattern tight, just as tight as HD or TSS pellets. I didn't jump on the bandwagon, I just had a feeling they didn't have good knock-down, and this sorta confirms it for me. If I remember correctly, what I was told years ago was #6 lead is good out to 30 yards or so, #5 lead out to 35, and #4 lead out to 40. I switched over to Hevi Shot about 7 or 8 years ago, I crippled a couple with lead shot, and knew there had to be a better way. I got the best pattern from Winchester HD #6s, but when they stopped making them, I went to Hevi Shot mag-blend; I haven't tried Federal HD in my gun. I am confident in taking a 50 yard shot with these shells (Hevi Shot Mag Blend). I keep hearing that TSS is even better, 50 yard kills with #9 shot, but since I don't reaload right now and they aren't available commercially, it's not really an option (yet). One thing that has been nagging at me, I shot a dud Mag-Blend shell last month, luckily the bird gave me enough time to eject the shell and rack a new one in. Not sure if it's the gun or the shells, I had the same thing happen with a Winchester HD shell a few years ago also. I'll probably have a gunsmith look at the gun once the season is over.

You have more guts than I do my friend, a BIG thumbs up!!!!!

I went to an elite cooking school (first career), just my $.02, but there really are no "secret recipes" out there, most of this stuff is common knowledge, at least IMHO. Too bad I haven't tasted your friend's tomato pie, I'm pretty confident I'd be able to tell you what makes it different or better than anyone else's. Why not just take a shot at it, I'm sure it will be fine, and possibly tweak it and improve it next time you make it?

Where I live, tomato pie is a cold pizza, with semi-sweet red tomato sauce and lots of Romano cheese on top (no mozzarella). Lots of people rave about it, I can take it or leave it myself. I've had green tomato pie years ago, it was good. Here's a recipe I found, can't go wrong with Betty Crocker.https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/green-tomato-pie/bf3369e2-ebad-4465-81bf-84cad52c9bdf

.308, 30-06, .300 Win Mag, slug gun...all should do the job quickly & efficiently.

Goodfellas Vegas Surviving the Game Running Man The Fugitive Borat

No doubt this would work, and work well. I'm not sure I'd want to go to this extreme though, I'd feel guilty about the whole affair.

Looks like your getting better results with the 3.5" shells....

Not sure on trebles, but for single hooks, 8,10,or 12 are best for small trout. I have a devil of a time putting bait on these small hooks, must be my fat fingers!

I use a Bushnell shotgun scope, I like the fact that you can adjust magnification and check out beard size and head color with it, my eyes just aren't what they used to be. Just be careful not to get your face too close to the scope when you shoot, LOL.

Good luck Pygmy!

Made the annual run to South Georgia. Birds very quiet, moving in groups still. Knocked down a jake and a gobbler, could have doubled up on either the first couple days but didn't want to tag out early, none showed after the second day. Squeezed in a hog hunt while I was there.

Another magic trick you can pull out of your bag when things are going tough, why not give it a try, you don't have anything to lose. I accidentally broke a spring flock a number of years ago, and a gobbler wound up taking a ride in the back of my truck that day. I do know that in the fall, gobblers usually take a LONGGG time to group back up if they are scattered (hens and poults not so much), curious if they behave the same way in the spring?

I had my gun worked on, I get a pattern the size of a large steering wheel at 50 yards, shooting Hevi Shot mag blend. I'll take the shot at 50 yards if I'm in the mood that day, I know what the gun is capable of.

Happy Birthday Pygmy!

Have one for me, I'm working.

Not looking for an argument, but you asked for opinions... I question why anyone would want to keep their trophies out of sight, in a seperate building? Isn't the idea that you want to be able to see these on a daily basis, especially considering spending on average $500 or so per mount? Most of my mounts are in my den/office, and all the skull mounts and turkey tail fans are in the attached garage (I'm out there probably 4-5 times a day), but as the time goes on, I'm out of room so now I'm invading the rest of the house, Mrs. isn't real happy with it, but she gets over it. Now, when I go visit friends south of the Mason-Dixon, they have their mounts proudly displayed in the front room (I'm jealous, LOL), but some fights aren't worth having...

Decoys have their place, mostly in open fields where they can be seen from a distance. You can be a competition caller, most of the time a gobbler out in a field is not coming if he has hens with him (and often they don't care about the decoys either). Decoys are just another trick to pull out of your magic bag when things aren't going the way you'd like them to.

I took a couple Cabelas gift cards and bought 2 DSD hen decoys. I'm curious to see if these high-end decoys make any difference, they sure look good to the human eye. I can't see lugging them around all day, I'll use them if I plan to sit in a blind for multiple hours.

Hobby/pastime, and a time-consuming one at that. But, it's the one I enjoy the most.

I won't say I like it, but some of the country is pretty rough and thorn covered, too tough to run dogs even. I can see how it would be the last option in some areas, but don't like the idea of ANY poison being let go into the food chain.