its getting close to turkey season

[charlie cleveland]

i ve got 4 weeks till turkey season here in mississippi so i thought i d better remind you fellas... i ve got to get me some 8 ga rounds made up and some for the 10 ga s and the 12 s... i m gona load upsome 2 s and 4 s in each the 10 and the 8 but will probably load 4 and 6 s in the 12...sure woulda like to have got some of those 4 inch brass shells from rocky mountain but they will not get here in time for opening day but mite get here by the end of the season.i think a 3 oz load in the 4 inch shell will make a good turkey load...i hope my turkey hunting goes better than my deer hunting for sure... charlie

[Mills Morrison]

That is right. I can hardly wait.

[wayne goerres]

I have thought about trying some turkey hunting. Might be just my sport. You don't have to walk around much and I have lots of shotguns. I already have some 8s loaded up with no 4s. Will have to ask around and see if I can find out were there are some turkeys around here.

[Mills Morrison]

Wayne if you go a little north to some national forests, it ought to be beautiful turkey territory.

[wayne goerres]

How far north mills. I am going to have to check into the reg's in goerga. Would probable have better luck hunting fatm land bordered by forest lands.

[Stephen Hodges]

Ok guys, stop it, we just received another foot of snow and turkey hunting is a ways off:crying:

[wayne goerres]

75 degrees here tomorrow. He he.

[Jerry Harlow]

i think a 3 oz load in the 4 inch shell will make a good turkey load... charlie[/QUOTE]

Charlie,

You are not supposed to kill the whole flock at one time.:eek:

[Dean Romig]

I may try a 28 gauge this spring. Kinda like bow hunting... gotta get 'em real close.

Head shots only boys.


Still a long way to go til springtime around here.



.

[Phillip Carr]

I'm with you Charlie. I can hardly wait. This year the Parker Hammer 8 gauge is going out. May need to get some tips on some turkey loads. The W C Scott * will have to stay home this time.

[Mills Morrison]

Well, the season is a good month away for us.:crying:

[charlie cleveland]

boy thats a long time mills...its just short of 4 weeks for us... charlie

[wayne goerres]

Sounds like both seasons start about the same time.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Charlie that's a 4 gauge load in an 8 gauge shell. I can't imagine what something like that might do to the stock on that gun. It's yours obviously, but I'd sure be careful.

DLH

[charlie cleveland]

thanks for your concern destrey... i m keeping the powder cut down in fact i loaded up some 3 oz loads this morning shot the old gun useing 40 grains of blue dot then upped it to 45 grains..not much kick from the 40 grain load and the 45 grain load was just right..have not patterned them yet but will soon.. i know you would not want this old gun back with a broke stock..ha but really i ve read up a whole lot on the use of 2 3/4 oz and 3 oz loads in a 8 ga atkins wrote of his useing the 2 3/4 oz loads and said he would not be afraid of the 3 oz loads..a 15 lb 8 will handle this load with ease...45 grains of bluedot is a pleasant load to shoot with 3 ounce of shot...charlie

[Steve McCarty]

Talking with a guy yesterday who said that his property is overloaded with turkey. He went on to say that they were horrible eat'n. Is that true? I've never eaten a wild turkey (drunk some).

The fellow said that he took some and raised them, feeding them corn, etc and they were pretty good. Said the dark meat is really dark. Said his dog wouldn't eat a genuine wild turkey. Are they really that bad?

[Mills Morrison]

Yes they are horrible eating. Send any you have to me and I will eat it for you.

Ha! Eat a wild turkey and the store bought ones won't ever taste as good.

[Dean Romig]

I'll generally toss the wings and drumsticks... sometimes the thighs are good if you don't overcook them.
The breast meat is great! Way better than storebought... has a wonderful "nutty" flavor, but keep it moist - don't overcook it either or it will be too dry.

[Angel Cruz]

From what I've been told the only part worth eating on the Osceola are the thighs. Everything else is muscle. Hopefully I'll get a chance to find out come March the 23rd.

[Jerry Harlow]

All of a wild turkey is good. Sometimes they may eat wild onions later in the spring and there may be that taste there.

But while growing up and even now my favorite part of a turkey was the dark meat on the legs made into a hash.

Same with geese, which have the same tough legs. Cook them a long time until the meat falls off the bone, pick out the meat from the leaders that will fall out (never seen so many), cut it up. Cook up small cubed potatoes, onions, add meat, flour and water beaten/made into a thickening, lots of salt and pepper, a good portion of butter (and a little Old Bay), simmer, and it is the greatest meal with peanut butter toast. Guess what I'm eating now?

Wife is making me clean the freezer from springs past.

[Mills Morrison]

We had the chef at Brays Island cook a wild turkey my Dad shot once and it was out of this world. Like any food, I am sure it can be screwed up as well.

[charlie cleveland]

wild turkey is very good if prepared right..i m with mills any game can be made good or bad..i m one of those fellas that can make it taste bad... our season is two weeks away from this saturday..march 15 th to be exact..i just hope hope i get a chance to try the 3 oz load on a big tom.. charlie

[Ray Masciarella]

You fellas need to move to Florida. I put one in the back of the truck this past Sunday. It was my youngest's last youth season hunt as he turns 16 this year. Opening day for us older fellas in Sat! BTW, my son's bird had a 11.5 beard and 1.5 spurs so I think he already took this season's record.

[Gerald McPherson]

I was at my neighbors today who has turkeys. He said they were already breeding. About three weeks ago I had just got out of bed and looked out the window. There was a hen and a gobbler about 20 feet from the house. I thought about killing him but then decided it was just too cold to mess with it. I hear it is much better than pen raised birds. I see several different flocks regularly but I bet they will be gone into hiding soon. We will see. I may hunt them this year for the first time. There are some really big ones around here. The one in my backyard did not look so good. I have been watching seven very large ones for several years now. This winter they don't look so well. I think they are getting old like me and now I am seeing only five in that pasture. One flock usually has about twenty eight to thirty birds others only eight or ten. I like to keep an eye on them. If they don't taste no better than those from the grocery store you all can have my share. Gerald

[Dean Romig]

The breast meat definitely has a great 'nutty' flavor. You should try it at least once.

[charlie cleveland]

ray i bet that record on that turkey holds for this season..congratulations to your son and you...charlie

[John Havard]

Pressure cooking the breast meat guarantees moistness. Also braising in a dutch oven is another good way to cook wild turkey.

[charlie cleveland]

a wild turkey really makes good dressing too..thanks for the cooking tips john....charlie

[charlie cleveland]

turkey season should have opened this morning lord the sun is shineing and about 65 outside..them old gobblers got to be feeling good this morning..lordy what i would nt give two be in the woods a chaseing one of them bad boys...charlie

[Matt Valinsky]

April 21 for us.

Ever try deep frying the whole bird in peanut oil? It's pretty darn good, very moist and doesn't take long to cook.

This year going to use a Harrington & Richardson dbl. 10ga. that I bought last fall. Looking forward to chasing those critters this spring..................

[Steve McCarty]

April 21 for us.

Ever try deep frying the whole bird in peanut oil? It's pretty darn good, very moist and doesn't take long to cook.

This year going to use a Harrington & Richardson dbl. 10ga. that I bought last fall. Looking forward to chasing those critters this spring..................

Yeah, those deep fat turkey fryers were popular about five years ago, then people took up tipping them over by mistake which cooked them from the knee caps down. Lawsuits galore.

Next season I'm going to my property in Northern Calif, which is coated with Turkey. I'll shoot them with my GH...or maybe my Sterlingworth which has an extremely tight full choked barrel. Then I'll see if my wife can cook one. I'm a partner in 1300 acres...hard hunting tho...the place is covered with poison oak.

[charlie cleveland]

your one lucky fella to have a lot of turkeys on his place..as you this is my favorite bird or game to hunt...the turkey as become a legend he is as sharp eyed as a eagle and can hear a pin drop..it has been sais if a turkey could smell as good as a deer it would be almost impossible to get...only 7 days left till i can chase this magnificent bird again...think i m gona tote a tite choked 12 for the first day too...charlie

[Dean Romig]

I'm a partner in 1300 acres...hard hunting tho...the place is covered with poison oak.


Last year, hunting turkeys at my cousin's farm in Ohio, a mature section of hardwoods we hunted had an carpet-like understory of poison ivy as far as we could see. When we were sitting in it calling and watching birds the poison ivy was almost up to our shoulders.

You go where the birds are!

Neither of us got 'the itch'... but we were very careful handling our hunting clothes when we came in.

[Mills Morrison]

We do a good bit of controlled burning in these parts which makes turkey hunting much more pleasant. No crackling of leaves, no poison ivy and fewer ticks and redbugs. The downside here is the land is flat and open and the turkeys can see for a long way around.

[Dean Romig]

WARNING:

DO NOT STAND DOWNWIND OF BURNING POISON IVY----- You WILL wind up in the hospital with SEVERE respiratory problems.

[Mills Morrison]

Yikes! That makes sense. I have not participated in controlled burning in years, but will remember that.

[Mills Morrison]

WARNING:

DO NOT STAND DOWNWIND OF BURNING POISON IVY----- You WILL wind up in the hospital with SEVERE respiratory problems.



Geez. I sure hope you are not speaking from experience.:eek:

[Dean Romig]

Not my own experience, but that of a very close childhood friend who came very close to losing his life due to the severe inflamation, pus, and swelling in his lungs. He is still highly susceptible to pneumonia even today.

[Mills Morrison]

That is scary. I have never been a victim of that stuff and hope I never am. Dad has a fair amount of it in his woods and I don't like walking through it. Julia's family farm has very little of it but that is now leased out.

[Mills Morrison]

This will help get everyone in the mood.

[Angel Cruz]

Hey Mills I need a hunting partner!!! And he comes with his own Gun!! That's great...
I can't wait till next Sat. when my season starts.

[George Lang]

What is all that green stuff? For months now its been a black and white world around here.

[Mills Morrison]

Those are old pictures. No green around here yet

[Steve McCarty]

Last year, hunting turkeys at my cousin's farm in Ohio, a mature section of hardwoods we hunted had an carpet-like understory of poison ivy as far as we could see. When we were sitting in it calling and watching birds the poison ivy was almost up to our shoulders.

You go where the birds are!

Neither of us got 'the itch'... but we were very careful handling our hunting clothes when we came in.

For my first 14 years my family lived in New York State. For 5 years in Westchester County. Good hunting. LOTS of poison ivy. Then my folks moved to Northern Calif and we had lots of poison oak. They are very different. One a vine the other a bush. The bushes can be 10' tall and cover acres! If you catch the stuff, as I do, you just cannot go into those bushes. If a quail falls into them, and you don't have a dog...well, it is a loss. Most of them fall into those bushes. Deer too. Little tiny black tail deer. Lots of them. Trouble is, in Northern Calif deer season is in September. The hottest month of the year. Shoot it, gut it, immediately bag it.

Step into the woods in Northern Calif and you are assaulted by divisions of ticks. They drop onto you from overhanging brush and cling to the tall grass. They like to hide and feed in warm wet places on your bod. Lime disease lurks. Lots of people have it. I no longer live in California and I love being shut of that state...still own some land tho.

I envy you gents in the east. Seems to me that the shooting/hunting/woods are better there that out west. There is some good hunting out here, but generally you have to pay for it. You pay through the nose. Most of my hunting is sage rat shooting, often free, and no, I do not eat them. It is fun tho.

[Daryl Corona]

Steve,
Here in the eastern woods we have plenty of poison ivy and oak, deer ticks and brown ticks. You are not alone.:eek:

[Dean Romig]

Yes, remember that Lyme Disease started in Lyme, CT and it is rampant in the East.
Better hope you never get it - it is totally debilitating and its complications can easily cause or contribute to death. I have a number of friends - mostly bowhunters - who have had Lyme Disease for many years. The problem when they originally contracted it was incorrect diagnoses for a long time.

[Steve McCarty]

Yes, remember that Lyme Disease started in Lyme, CT and it is rampant in the East.
Better hope you never get it - it is totally debilitating and its complications can easily cause or contribute to death. I have a number of friends - mostly bowhunters - who have had Lyme Disease for many years. The problem when they originally contracted it was incorrect diagnoses for a long time.

I have a good friend who has it. He doesn't seem the worse for wear, but even if he did he wouldn't talk about it.

Here, if you get a red ring around the tick bite they load you up with antibiotics. I never go into the woods wearing shots anymore. It's jeans, sometimes with my cuff tucked into my socks. We also spray ourselves with bug dope. After we return from an outing my wife and I give each other "tick" checks. Not all that bad.

[Steve McCarty]

Steve,
Here in the eastern woods we have plenty of poison ivy and oak, deer ticks and brown ticks. You are not alone.:eek:

The worst tick season here is April and May. When I look into the woods, I can almost hear them gnashing their jaws just waiting to get a piece of me. I turn to my wife says say, "Damn the ticks, full speed ahead." When you return you'll always find a few here and there. Usually we find'em before they've had a chance to sink their teeth into me, but not always. Found one in my scrotum once. Told Pat she had to remove it with her teeth. She refused.

[charlie cleveland]

set my clock this morning to see what time to get up this comeing saturday..i f a fellow wants to be in the woods before daylight in my neck of the woods you need to be tn the woods by 5.45 a m it will start getting daylight at 6.45...now as the season goes on we will have to adjust the clocks some...now as for what time you need to get up your on your on..me i need a hour or so to do my wakeing up and get stirring mode...one thing for sure i wish they would leave this time alone... i m ready for saturday are you...charlie

[Mills Morrison]

Our season starts Saturday and you can bet I will be in the woods, hopefully with my new gun.

[Angel Cruz]

set my clock this morning to see what time to get up this comeing saturday..i f a fellow wants to be in the woods before daylight in my neck of the woods you need to be tn the woods by 5.45 a m it will start getting daylight at 6.45...now as the season goes on we will have to adjust the clocks some...now as for what time you need to get up your on your on..me i need a hour or so to do my wakeing up and get stirring mode...one thing for sure i wish they would leave this time alone... i m ready for saturday are you...charlie

Charlie, I did the same thing this morning for my hunt next Saturday. I'll get up at 4am, leave the house by 4:45 to meet my guide at 6am. We should be in the woods and set up by 7am, Gods willing!!!

[Mills Morrison]

Hope everyone has good luck. Turkeys are sneaky.

[charlie cleveland]

them turkey s are smart but maybe ther s adumb one waiting for me some where...this will be my 55 season to hunt this grand bird and aint found a dumb one yet... charlie

[Mills Morrison]

They get lots of training dodging my dad and brother. I am getting in early this year before they get educated. They also have figured out how to hang up and strut around just outside of 12 gauge range. Little do they know . . .

[charlie cleveland]

yep them turkeys gona get a surprise when they hang up on mills this year for sure..i hope it hurry up and warms up a little more.they aint gobbling in my neck of the woods yet...but heh i m paycent when it comes to turkey hunting... charlie

[charlie cleveland]

the temperture really dropped here today this will effect them old gobblers for sure.bet they dont gobble at all...but heh it want be the first time...only trouble i m haveing now is which gun to take saturday morning...charlie

[Mills Morrison]

Temperature is warm here. Warm enough for snakes. Charlie, if we average our two temperatures together it should be perfect

[Mills Morrison]

I now have some shells for my new secret weapon, courtesy of my friend, Charlie Cleveland. Wish UPS would hurry up and deliver the secret weapon now.

[Dean Romig]

Mills, what shot size?

[Mills Morrison]

2, 4 and 6

[Dean Romig]

All in the same shell?

[Mills Morrison]

No, not in the same shell. I think 2 each of no. 2, 4, and 6 and then 4 others. They look deadly.

[Dean Romig]

Yup, 'Deadly' is a good description.

The BIG one is a U.M.C. Co. No. 8 with #4 shot (sorry, no oz. shown)
The small one is a Winchester Ranger No. 12 with 1 1/8 os of #4 shot




.

[Mills Morrison]

From my antique shell collection . . . l-r : 8, 10, 12, 16, 20

[wayne goerres]

Mills Check and make sure Charlie didn't throw a pumpkin ball in there. Ups is sure making me nervous . How about you Mills.

[Mills Morrison]

No punkin balls, but I need turkey loads now anyway. Any shipping service makes me nervous, but they usually come through.

[Mills Morrison]

Out for delivery as of about 40 minutes ago. Of course, it goes to my FFL first

[wayne goerres]

Warm your camera up. Cant wait to see it.

[charlie cleveland]

well in the morning will be the big day...no more waiting...it s suppose to be pouring rain but i got my rain suit laid out got the decoys in the truck gun standing in the corner and shells in the hunting pocket...yep got a full tank of gas..callers laid out...oh yeah got the clock set for 4 am all i need now is to get a coupla hours sleep and hope a turkey comes my way tommorrow...like to have never decided which gun to take for the first day i m nearly scared to tell its my dads old smith and wesson 3 inch mag auto matic.. i chose it because my dad gave it to me and wanted me to try it...oh well...got to get up early...charlie

[Dean Romig]

Knock 'em dead Charlie!!

[charlie cleveland]

well no turkeys to pluck tonight..got up at 4 am cooked some bacon and eggs and was in the woods listening for turkeys to gobble but never heard a sound.as daylight came i went and set up on a big green field..about 9.00 i seen something i got the bino s out and took a good look it was 2 hound dogs they left thank goodness..i then went back to the house and cooked up some biscuits and ham..shoulda cooked something else i craved water all evening long and only had a part of a cola that i had carried with me this morning...the after noon hunt was really good i changed locations and hunted a large soybean field..only trouble the turkeys were already on the field there was about 15 turkeys in this field but not in a flock they were scattered over this 80 acre field...there was 2 really good gobblers in the field so i snuck around the far end of the field and set up my blind..i must have set up on the wrong end of the field for nary a turkey came my way..but while i sat there i seen 6 wood ducks 1 large hawk and about 500 crows andabout 300 doves.it was strange a lot of doves were cooing and most were still in 2 ;arge flocks.then 6 big helicopters came by with in shotgun range..the same helicopters run a big gobbler off in this same field last year..well i stayed till 6.00 pm and came home it was a good start to hope fully a good season..will be back in that field monday before daylight i hope..and maybe them helicopters will break down for a few weeks...charlie

[Phillip Carr]

Boy I am envious of you guys. Did not get drawn for a turkey tag in Arizona, but New Mexico opens up 1 month from today. My 8 gauge Parker is back together and I am really looking forward to tying to call in a big old Tom.

[Mills Morrison]

My 8 arrived at my FFL Friday, but after I had to leave for my folks' place in SC. SO hunted with the Triple X Full PH 12. Went DARK and early Saturday and heard one but he did not come in. Went again Sunday with my youngest son and heard one again that would not come in.

We did have some hog hunters come Saturday afternoon to work on Dad's wild pig population and that was fun enough. My sons were all over that.