Uncle Nicky

I would say shop around. The taxidermist I use charges $450, $550 for full strut. AND he does nice work.

I usually save the thighs for stew meat or turkey salad. I use the boneless breast for cutlets, chicken fingers, or my newest favorite, turkey "poppers" (brest meat cubes marinated in Italian dressing, wrapped in bacon, & cooked on the BBQ grill.

Probably not, I've never seen one in the woods. If it was the last weekend of the season, it was hot, and I was disgruntled I'd consider it.

Just my $02, but if you want a high-quality out-of-state hunt, I would go to one of the southern or mid-west states.

Without seeing the place, judging by the map, it looks like there are a lot of pretty clear areas. I would start near the power line at the road, and get there early, while it's still dark. With some luck, they'll gobble before flydown, and you can get within 100-150 yards of where they roost while it's still dark. If this doesn't work, sounds like setting up inside the power line closer to the road would be your best bet. Good luck

My own land- I'd put up a trail cam & a sign that says "Please grow your dope somewhere else, you are being watched". A friend's land or a place I have permission- tell the owner, and let him deal with it. Public land- nothing.

As a kid, I would have to say my father. In my 30's, I decided to learn to turkey hunt. I met up with a retired NY DEC biologist who was a part-time guide, I also made friends with a good-old-boy from Georgia when I was hunting in Canada. Both the these guys were turkey hunting fanatics, and took me under their wing. To this day, I still get together with both of them almost every year and chase birds either in the hills of NY or the swamps in GA. I would have to say these guys are my heroes, and some day hopefully I can pass it on to someone new and enthusiastic.

We ate them quite often when I was growing up. They taste like rabbit or squirrel. The biggest turn off for me is that you generally have to gut & skin them in the middle of the summer when it's 90 degrees out.

Pretty expensive to use scent-free soap all year. I used to keep my hunting clothes outside all year-round so they would stay scent-free, one summer the yellowjackets made a nest in one of my hunting jackets, they actually chewed a good part of the material up, I had to throw it out. Now I put them in storage after turkey season and get them out before arhery for deer opens up.

I was thinking you were going to say Squeaky Fromme.

I love mine, big thick seat cushion to sit on, plenty of pockets, even a pouch to carry the bird in after I drop one. I even use it for squirrel hunting, less trouble than carrying a backpack around.

My predictions: 1). Antler Affliction will continue to grow, most areas will have AR in place. 2). More & more private property will be posted up, and leasing or joining a hunting club will become more prevalent, unless you want to hunt public land. 3). Bow hunting will become as popular or more popular than hunting with a rifle or shotgun 4). Predator hunting, trapping & small game hunting will make a small comeback, for those who can't afford the price of leasing or joining a hunt club 5). There will be a huntable wild hog population throughout much of the country

My Mossberg 500 likes Winchester BRIs best. It only cost me about $200 in ammo to reach this conclusion.

Slightly off topic, but.... Crazy as it may sound, I LOVE spring turkey right before a thunderstorm. I can't think of anything that will get birds gobbling up & down the valley like the sound of thunder.

Probably has to do with moisture/humidity, it's not usually the slate but the striker. I switched over to waterproof strikers a few years ago, no problems getting the sounds I want now.

Like many here, unless I want to cut all ties and leave the family behind, I'm probably here for the duration. I do plan to move further from the suburbs at some point, possibly to my camp in NY if I can talk the wife into it. The grass is always greener, my parents retired to Nevada, now that they are in failing health and no family is close by, I am sure they are regretting it. Thank heavens they have a network of other retirees that they rely on for help, and they return the favor when needed. I wouldn't mind living in the south or Texas or Florida, but I have friends and distant relatives there, and no matter how nice they are to your face, I will never be "one of them" and they will always think of me as a Yankee.

Thanks Meat First, I agree, before I sign anything, I'm going to talk to a lawyer. Before I sign a lease (if I do decide to lease), I plan to have one go through it with a fine tooth comb.

#4s, out of a full choke gun. Most of my shots are long, I believe I've educated the squirrels after all of these years.

Fido. I did have a dog that used to tear apart the trash, chew the remote controls, eat dirty diapers, even ate a buddy's set of false teeth, I renamed him "Dicky" just to get even. I used to crack up every time I had to call him.

Yes, I've Googled the company, and I've been doing a lot of speed reading on the topic since last night. I can only find one negative item about this company so far. And, as G-man mentioned, I may have been partly wrong about them being able to drill under my property without my permission. It looks as if "forced pooling" is legal in NY, but not in PA, where I was finding most of my information.

Growalot- I'm in the research phase right now, that is why I created this post. I'm hoping to get honest answers from somebody who has dealt with gas leases, rather than rely on the hype I'm getting from my neighbor or from what I've read on the internet. Everything I have read so far says that the drilling can't be performed under my land, unless I am part of the drilling unit (land that is part of the lease), so in theory, they can't drill under my land, unless I sign a lease. But I'm not 100% sure I believe this yet.

I have a small camp (60 acres) in Allegany County, NY. It looks like fracking is going to pass in NY state soon, and I was approached by one of my neighbors to join an "alliance" of land owners sponsored by CX Energy from Wexford, PA, it looks as if they are a broker who shops around for the best gas lease offers. The pitch I was given is that the bigger the co-op, the more money we can eventually bargain for. Does anyone have any experience with CX Energy, or a company like them? My second question is, what type of money can I expect to get if I DO decide to lease? I realize that every area is different, but was just curious what the range might be. In all honesty, I'd rather keep the land for hunting & possibly retire there some day, but if I'm surrounded by wells, trucks, and drilling, I might as well join them if I can't beat them. Thanks in advance. Uncle Nicky.

Get in touch with Bob Beigh at Endless Hills Guide Service.

2 Tuesdays ago, played hooky from work. Went goose hunting in the morning & shot my limit, hustled it back home & got together with a buddy who took me to his secret deer spot, and killed a doe in the afternoon. I know it's all about the experience, but some days it's just plain fun to pull the trigger.

I usually double check first that the gun is unloaded, then I stick my pinky down the barrel. The farther down I can get my finger, the more open the choke. I make it a point to mark all chokes with a permanent marker that don't come that way from the factory so I'm not guessing if I'm in the dark or in a hurry.