Lawdwaz

Have you hunted afternoon in PA since they started all day hunting? I know it's not the entire season, just the 2nd half I think. My buddy Dave (who you've met) killed one there the first year they allowed it but it was more of an ambush than a hunt.

Good Lord I wouldn't want to hunt them ALL day. Are you nuts?

Yes, Dick Kirby was the caller and my buddy Wally was the trigger man. IIRC Wally had hunted that bird a few different mornings with no luck. He was friendly with Dick and over a phone call Dick said he'd come along and see if they could get the wary bastid...........and not surprisingly the old barber worked that bird right in!! Did you know Dick Kirby was a barber in his former life?

Very nice! What did you use on them?

Oh yea! Well done TF and daughter!! What did momma have to say? I bet she was proud of her little lady..............

Echoing the good wishes! And remembering all the mothers who have passed.........keep them in mind on this day. My mom died in 1986, way too soon.............

So you killed one? Pics when ready!!!!

Interesting.......I forgot about camo tape. I used plenty of that in the day. I still have my Lynch box call I bought in '81 from a small gun shop on Main St in Clarence. Funny thing though about that call, I have never had the "touch" with it. Called in some birds of course but the mouth call has always been my best. The Quaker Boy diaphragm calls I went through over the years would have to be the Single, Pro Triple, Old Boss Hen. The later being my favorite for years. The DD Adams Double Slate was my first slate call. These days I'm happiest with a mouth call and slate from the closed Kits Calls Company. The mouth call is probably 5 years old! I don't really remember my first camo but it probably was similar to my one and only turkey vest. From a number of years ago......... I do love that old beat up vest. It's been sewed so many times, the straps are so stressed with a bird in the pouch. It has to have thousands of miles on it! '81 vintage too........made by Duxbak and designed by the late great Dick Kirby. Your 45rpm record has got to be valuable. I think I still have a Quaker Boy cassette tape around here from the 70's where my deceased old friend Wally kills the boss gobbler of Letchworth Canyon. (The State Park of course) Good memories Dan.

40 years of spring gobbler hunting means you really were in on the ground floor of it. Do you know when they started the spring season, early 70's? Were there many birds around then? What did you use for calls, box? Had you been hunting fall birds prior to the spring hunts? Were face masks in play then? Did PA have a season back then? Remember my friend Albert who I introduced you to this past February? His late father was one of the early spring gobbler hunters around here too. Albert just sent me a clip from a Buffalo news article from 1977 that spotlighted his father and spring turkey hunting. They were killing them then also! Al's dad is also the one that took me under his "wing" when it came to spring birds. I was just a 21 or 22 year old piss pot that he let accompany them on a few hunts each year. I will forever be indebted to him as he taught me a ton about calling and the birds. That's pretty cool Dan, 40 years is quite a milestone. Congratulations!

Sounds like both you guys have a pretty good day planned. Tim......be careful on that motor scooter. Red........be careful with that banana cake, I think your diet is on hold until Monday...... I'll shower and be over around 3:00.................

Red and gonehntn are celebrating birthdays today, hot dog! What great weather for a backyard BBQ.............if I plan correctly I should be able to make both parties. I'll bring a dish to pass and a 12 pack. Happy Birthday fellas.

I'd bet all the tea in China that it is a gobbler. I checked with my Iphone and enlarged the picture enough to see that it IS a strutting gobbler and it is facing to the left. You can see the blue head and tan-ish tail feathers. Guaranteed...........................................

It ain't about the bird but you already know that. Have a great time and enjoy your boys company.

Christ if it isn't my bald head it's my darn gun shining. Funny you mentioned the gun though, where I killed that bird was very mature big hardwoods and the bird was to my north east. Of course the sun was off my right shoulder and bright and powerful. In 15 years of using that gun on many gobblers I never gave the finish a thought. I've had a couple camo turkey guns and thought it was over rated until yesterday! I got nervous that he would spook when/if he saw a glare. I kept the gun kind of turned a bit to the east more hoping he didn't catch a view he didn't like.......I guess it worked. Now that I'm in my easy chair I'm thinking about that shiny gun. Think I should have it painted? I think so too...................................

ROCK & ROLL!!!!! Lets go fishing!!!!!! I'll tell you, I busted my butt for three days to kill those two birds. (only kidding, probably the three easiest days I've ever hunted since 1982) I haven't been skunked since '82, always getting at least one bird in NYS but sometimes hunting so hard you wouldn't believe it to kill just one. One of my very favorite years was when I hunted my tail off and finally killed one on the 30th around 9am. His fan and cape hang on the left side of my basement stairs as a tribute to the stud bird that ran me around for probably 5 or 6 days before he decided I was worthy of his loving. A "trophy" behond any deer I have ever shot. Truth........ I've missed WAY more than I ever should have and man do those STING. Lord......you bust your ass for them and then they commit and make the move to come in, then you miss because your DAMNED head isn't on the stock, you're peaking. Oh how they sting............................................... No deer has ever gotten into my head like a turkey, not even close. Dan I feel your pain, deeply I promise on the missed bird. Shoot your Ontario bird and lets go fishing!! Unless of course........................you want to go to Pennsylvania and kill gobblers!!!!

I had my flip flops on for the ride home today too. My feet were burning up! Nice shooting!

Great, looks a ton like Florescent Orange, Bubba's LEAST favorite color. Congrats Bubba on the big change in places.

Gardening, fishing, golf, tennis, reloading, sailing, photography, woodchuck hunting, garage sales, art shows, Lilac Festival etc etc............ Oh yea, nice birds!

Ha, that 1st comment DIDN'T go unnoticed.

Boys.....play nice, don't let the damned turkey's get too you. 'Taint worth it.

Double post 'scuse me......

Posting a location on your main visible profile isn't that difficult. Congrats on the dandy bird!

I killed another adult this morning at 9:30am. I had one on the roast in a precarious position, not easily approachable from the side I thought he'd pitch into. Went to the less desirable spot and sure enough he hit the ground after all my best sexy calls, gobbling his fool head off and headed towards a road. Then I heard another bird flap out of the tree and start making some yelps.....damn, a hen. Off they went, ignoring everything I had. The heck with them, I went south and mooched around for a bit. Took a nice 30 minute nap, called my wife and buddy then started to the east. After about 400-500 yards of walking and calling I stopped to make another call and got an answer! It's around 9;15 and he is close! Maybe 125 yards away but in a field by the sounds of it. He gobbled his head off too and it took about 10 minutes for him to make it within range. One shot at about 35 yards and his partying days are over. I hope he left his seed......................... He was a pretty good bird; 21lbs, 10" beard and 1" spurs. Man it was a warm morning and FOGGY early. I have a couple buddies I may take out now but I'm looking forward to some more springtime pan fish!!

I bet some guys don't know there is a difference between a back tag and a license. As in a back tag isn't a license......

Tomorrow could be the day that the bird you're hunting goes nuts and runs in to two rocks banged together. Only the bird knows and he won't know until he hears those rocks. You can't kill them from the couch. You have to be in it to win it. You can't win big if you don't bet big. Plain and simple, you have to put in as much time as you can muster so you are there on the RIGHT day.