Oldest grandson Brandon Allen with his first turkey. It was a Merrium(sp) with an 11" beard! A proud Pap, for sure.

Pap

He looks like a happy youngen. Nice Gobbler.

Idaho does have gobblers. I've never got one yet.

Pap

Well done. I love turkey hunting. My turkey hunting trip to Ontario was canceled do to these interesting times.

The area that I will hunt next spring has 7 roosts on it. My Ithaca NID 10 gauge will have to wait till next spring to boom in the sugar maple forests of Ontario.

Congratulations Brandon. That is a great looking bird!

My grandson Brandon, used his old Remington 870 with a full choke. He said he and his friend that had hunted turkeys before, set up in a couple of places. Made some hen calls without success. About 2pm they were walking back to the truck and cam to an old clear cut, and saw this gobbler about 100 yards away. They hid behind a bush, started calling, and he came within 20 yards when he blasted it. Go figure.

Pap

Nice Bird!!!!!!

I wish I had a better camera so I could post some pics of the gobblers that visit every day!

Wow! Pretty good Bird!

Tom Flynn

Superb!!!

Nothing wrong with those old Remington 870s.

Wayne

You got that right- nothing wrong with them! Great score on a nice bird.
Walker

That boy will NEVER forget that day!

My grandson got his second turkey this morning. He missed one yesterday but corrected his aim this morning. He is over the moon with excitement.

That's really neat to see a youngster on a,successful hunt, great picture.

Pap

The Kid is glowing!!!! Good Bird too!

He loves to hunt. My daughter will not let him deer hunt yet. Hopefully soon.

The Gobbler looks as big as the young hunter. Good job!

What a wonderful pic!!! And how blessed and fortunate you, and your son and your grandson are (assuming you took your son) to have spent that time together. Those memories don't happen unless you make that time to go and do.....anything really, together.
But right now I've got my own "pictures" in my head of that walk with my own son that I recently heard him telling someone about as "really, it was too big to carry by myself; had him by the neck over my back and his head was hitting the back of my ankle every step!"
He was 10....now 25.
But I'll bet you that your grandson is already learning, like any of us old turkey hunters know, the clearest picture you keep playing over and over in your brain right now is of that huge Gobbler running &/or flying away as you wonder how in the world did ya miss?
Man am I glad to have a computer working again (hope) after weeks of not!

I am blessed with 3 grand kids so far. I was actually watching Live PD (live when it aired originally) this morning when Ethan called me. He said Papa get over to the land I got something to show you. Walked the 100 yard trip to a smiling 1st grader and a proud Dad. I just picked up a #23 Stag from Gary Clinton for my Son-in-law, he is a great father!

What a thril!! Congratulations to all, the giver and the recipient!

Pap

Eric,
That sounds super nice!! What a great gift!!!!


Wayne

Wayne, my son in law does deer processing during the fall. His family does it for Xmas money. They average anywhere from 150-200 deer In a season. Ethan Has been helping dad skin the deer. I figured a #23 may work nicely for this chore.

A #23 should be about as good as you can get!

Eric,

That is a fantastic site; grandson, son-in-law & great bird. Proud Grandpa too!

Tom Flynn

Thanks guys, Let’s see some more pics on here. I am hoping to take Ethan and his brother Colton bass fishing if the weather ever warms up. Still in the 40’s right now.

Eric,
That is interesting 100+ deer a year.

I presume this is Upper MI??

When I was an LEO,if we came across a decent road kill deer,we would have a butcher process the deer in his own garage (not allowed to do it in the store by law). Then the meat would be put in hunters for the hungry bags and given to soup kitchens.

We would check off the tag as "left for wildlife". There was no provision in the state law that permitted it to be donated.

Wayne

Wayne, I am a troll, lower peninsula. I live in Lapeer County about 60 minutes from downtown Detroit. Deer are very plentiful here. During deer season a hunter can kill up to 2 bucks and as many doe’s as one wants. You just need to purchase a doe permit for each one. They have a youth hunt in September as well. There are a lot of nice Bucks in my area.

I have hit 3 deer with my car in my 35 years of living in Michigan. They issue road kill permits. As long as you skin the deer any butcher shop can cut it up for you. They just can’t have any hair on the meat. I have avoided hitting 100’s. I learned early on when you see one cross the road more will follow.

That is so true Eric. We have way to many deer here where I live. I started putting in a garden today as it has finally warmed up a bit and I looked out the kitchen window and there were 11 deer in my back yard and a big Gobbler and a few hens as well. Hoping I can keep the deer out of the garden I use Irish Spring soap on string strung around the garden and that usually keeps them out! I have lived here for 30 years and have not hit one yet but have come close on more than one occasion. Almost hit a really big buck on morning at the break of day, missed him by inches.

Sidney, I spray coyote urine about every 3 weeks....keeps the deer away from all 3 of my wife’s gardens. My wife’s tulips are priority one around here. Sprayed wisdom around the house today. Keeps the insects away for 2 years.

Eric, what's wisdom sprayed around your house?
Pap

Wisdom is an insecticide. It comes in a concentrate form, Just add tap water and use a sprayer to apply around the base of you House perimeter. Works great.

Do you get it at Home Depot?

Pap

Pap, Tractor Supply Co or Home Depot. Official name is ‘Wisdom TC Flowable‘

Thanks Eric!!
Pap

Eric where do you get the coyote urine?

TSC, Tractor Supply Co.

Garden section.

My Grandson came over today to show me his Turkey display. The fan is from his first Turkey and the Spurs from both. The larger spurs are from his second turkey.

WOW!!!

Lifetime heirloom!

That is so neat. He will be proud of that for ever.

Coach,
This is a pretty dumb question,but do you have feral hog hunting in your area???

Believe it or not,they are protected in my state. They are considered to be domestic/farm animals.

Some have started to show up here in New England and probably in short order,they will be a problem.

Wayne

BEAUTIFUL!

You guys are right, Ethan has gotten a lot of confidence and pride from hunting with his Dad. I am also glad my Son in law has not taken that #23 off his belt since I gave it to my daughter for Mother’s Day.

Wayne:

There are way too many in our area!

They tear up farm land, lawns, exposed plumbing, etc.

I've had 3 close friends and 2 students killed by running over hogs on the highway, losing control of their vehicle, running off an embankment, and rolling their vehicle.

Our FFA chapter sponsors a hog hunt contest every February. In 2019, the hunters brought in over 2,500 hogs. Nobody ever even noticed a dent in the population.

Coach

https://kkyr.com/7th-annual-quitman-ffa-scholarship-hog-hunt-is-february-2-5/

Coach that sounds like an awesome hunt quota- too bad it did not impact the population overall.
Walker

Coach,
Thank you for the information. Sorry to hear of the untimely deaths of your friends.

I sent an email to my state representative asking him to introduce legislation to delist feral hogs from being domestic to pest/invasive status so they may be controlled.

I doubt if that will be done,and then when the feral hogs become a problem,they will just sit back,wring their hands and blame someone else.

I understand that the damage to crops,land,and resources is enormous.

I understand that farmers/ranchers in Texas welcome feral hog hunters and that there is no bag limit ???

Wayne

Hogs are considered "pests" here in Florida and there is no limit and no dedicated hunting season. Below is slightly younger Capt. Chris with a nice hog, killed during a bow hunt in Immokolee, Florida.
Stay sharp, Capt. Chris
PS: The knife is a RMK "Griffin Drop Point Hunter"...CCS

Might have posted before how our vet in Florida gave up hunting hogs after four of his friends got sick with brucellosis.

The disease can be serious.

https://www.cdc.gov/brucellosis/exposure/index.html

Larry

Larry,

Never heard of Brucellosis before; will use more precaution while field dressing-Wow!

Tom Flynn

Cap,

Badass hunter, lookin' good!

Tom Flynn

Capt,

Super nice. What bow?? Looks like a recurve to me.

I hear that the big boars are pretty much armor plated in the shoulder area.

Also if hit and wounded,will charge the archer?

Gosh,Florida seems to be a target rich environment with the wild hogs,Burmese Pythons,Nutria,Snake Head fish and who knows what else!!!!

Wayne

The best bows, at the time, were Jennings. I owned (both) a "Shooting Star" and an "Arrow Star", set a 70 lbs. The shooting star was used on this trip (A 2-wheel cam bow). Razorbacks heads did the job. We also killed 4 with knives, trapped in a pen. Great times! 22 hogs in all.
Best, Capt. Chris

FYI, I started using cow preg test gloves that go up to your shoulder, when field dressing big game. You'll need a few rubber bands to hold them in place, but they work great.

Pap

Capt,
70 lb pull??yipes!!! Especially with a recurve!!

Although I have a Bear compound ( I call compound bows "bicycle" bows),I still tend to like the traditional archery stuff but not 70 lbs pull.

Wayne

Jennings Shooting Star bows were "2-wheel" compound bows Wayne, i.e. 50% let off @ full draw. Jennings Arrow Star bows were "4-wheel" compound bows, i.e. 35% let off @ full draw.
Best, Capt. Chris

Capt,
Thank you for the information.

Some years back,I had my 3rd eldest grand-daughter fitted with a Martin Compound bow.

She was shooting carbon arrows and they seemed to just rip right by my Easton Aluminum arrows in mid flight!!

Right now,I am incorporating "bow exercises" with my weight routine so I can start to practice again with my Bear Whitetail II.

Wayne

Well, I just found out that I drew on the late bull elk hunt, black powder, but last fall, they were all over my back yard. Should be fun!!

Pap

Pappy,
What do you plan to use for your BP piece??

Does it have to be muzzle loader or may you use BP cartridge??

Wayne

Wayne
Idaho has very strict rules for black powder. Open sights only,open breach, no bolt actions, caps only, no primers, I use musket caps, not #10's. I have a CV made especially for Idaho hunters, a 50 caliber. I also have an older TC in 54 caliber for a backup shot, so i don't have to reload. Glad my son in law lives across the street and has a tractor in case i get one.

Pap

Pappy I sure hope you get one and a big bull would be icing on the cake!

Sidney
As long as I have lived in Idaho, 51 years, I have harvested 4 bull elk, 3 spikes, and a small 6 point, western count. I was more interested in a good eating cow elk, which at last count, was 23. Open cow elk tags are extinct now because of the wolf depredation. So, last fall, I had a late whitetail buck tag, and got a small buck. At the same time, this bull elk hunt is on going too. There was a really nice 6 point bull hanging around my house! Maybe he will come back this year too. Nothing going on for a while anyway.

Pap

Congrats on the tag; best of luck Pap!

Tom Flynn

Pappy,
Sounds to me like you are very well prepared with that 50 and 54 caliber stuff.

Having a son in law across the street to supply the equipment for the haul out is a definite plus.

Several years ago,a bow hunter harvested a 305 lb white tailed deer in a near by state forest.

Haul that out of the woods and it is uphill..both ways!!!

Wayne

A 305lb. white tail is a huge deer no matter where you live. I have taken over 60 in my life time and only one went over 200. Most went 125 to 160 on a good year.

Sidney,

Most deer in my area are the less than 200 lb range. But,once in a while,a large one shows up.

Some places in the north east,they tend to get to be very large.

I think that one,up in Maine,harvested many years ago went 400+ lbs!!!!

Wayne

Was up early this morning and went out on the deck and heard elk calves talking. Eventually I saw at least 20 calves with there with their mother cows. Nice to see this year's crop.

Pap

Gosh Pap!

Looks like you won't have to go too far to get your Elk when season opens!!

Just open the door and have them come in....for supper!!!

Wayne

Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly

Gosh! Touching off a muzzle loader inside the house to harvest an Elk that came in.....might get...…...interesting!!!

Best do it before they reach the door!

Wayne

Well, I went to water my sunflowers this morning and this is what I found. I hope it's a bull and he stays healthy until late November when my permit starts.

Pap

Mike--

Animals eat things we don't think of trying.

Wondering if sunflower leaves are tasty and safe for humans, I found the following:

Sunflower leaves, brewed alone or together with the plant's roots and flower petals, make an earthy tea. You can also eat raw sunflower leaves as salad greens or boil them, if you prefer, in the same manner as spinach.

Larry

Watch for him spitting the shells on the ground.
Feed him now, eat him later!

Larry,
Lots of natural stuff out there that is beneficial to you.

Look at cat-.tails,everything is edible and beneficial. Even in the root is a worm that can be used as bait for fish.

Wayne

This could be my ticket. Getting pretty bold early.

Pappy,
Gosh! It looks like you could just open the kitchen door and invite him in................'for dinner"!!

At the very least,you will not have to drag him too far once you harvest him.

Wayne

Pappy is there any kind of antler restrictions on these young bulls?

Not on my permit, any horn qualifies. Other permits require at least 1 fork.

Pap

May be a good fall for whitetail bucks in VA this year.

In the back yard tonight. Hope they stick around until November 10, when my permit opens up.

Pap

Now that is KOOL !!!

Pappy would you rather shoot a young bull than an older one? At this stage in our lives tender meat is better than antlers.

Pappy, do y'all have a lottery for the different permits or can you buy your choice. Sure is a great view on the property there.
Walker

Yes, I would take the "rag horn" over the big 6 point. Even a spike would work. The rag horn is,a 3 year old and larger bulls can be 4-7 years old. Lucille shot a huge cow elk many years ago and we stopped at a check station. The game warden took out a tooth to age it and said it was the oldest cow elk he had ever aged at 18 years old, and he had been checking for 28 years. I figured that was going to be one tough cow elk, but it was as tender as any I have harvested.

In Idaho, you must declare which elk unit that you are going to hunt. Most all elk units have an open season, but some have a limit on number of tags. Some sell out in 15 minutes, depending on location. I put in for a late black powder bull hunt, 50 tags. They only had 25 cow tags, so I went for the bull and lucked out. Last year I didn't draw on elk, but drew on a late black powder buck hunt and got a little 3 point. I burgered the whole thing but mixed 50/50 beef burger 80/20. Best burger ever.

Pap

Had these boys in the back yard this afternoon. Hope they hang out until the 10th when my hunt starts.

Pap

Good luck Pap; great eatin' there!

Tom Flynn

Pap,
Looks like you should invite them in for..............supper.

Hope all goes well on the 10th.

Wayne

I have lots of deer in my yard most of the time but that can't compare with what Pappy see's on a regular day. Hope you get a nice one tomorrow.

Well Pap:

Today was the 10th. Did they hang around for you?

I hope so! Keep us posted.

Had 30 head in the back yard, all cows, one spike, but couldn't get close to him with all those cows. Grandson Hayden Elmore, daughter's son, got his first elk, a nice spike, notice the Randall he used.

Pap

Way to go Pappy and Hayden; nice spike!

Tom Flynn

Pappy,
Super nice harvest!!!
Wayne

Good goin' Hayden!

How many more days can you hunt?

Very nice elk, the first one is always special. After all these years I can still remember my first deer like it was yesterday.

I have until the 30th. 6 inches of new snow. A big spike is hanging around, so maybe I'll get a shot. Notice Hayden used his Sportsman Bowie, his favorite Randall.

Pap

Well, I had kinda long shot for a black powder, but hit a nice spike. He acted sick for about 40 minutes and then went into some thick brush. I decided to wait until tomorrow morning. About an hour ago, my son in law went to check to see if it had expired. It had. Only problem is no Randall pictures since he is doing all the gutting and hanging. Still, a nice fat spike elk will be some great eating.

Pap

Congrats Pap; good eatin' there!

Elk and Beans!

Tom Flynn

Good-Goin' Pap! Freezer trophy!
Best, Capt. Chris

Way to go Pappy! That is going to make some fine eating.

Thanks guys. It was a tough shot, 3 spikes were milling around with about 30 cow elk, so had to wait a long time before I got a clear shot. When I shot, the smoke was thick for a while, the bunch of elk ran off, and this one spike didn't go as far as the rest of the bunch. Then he stumbled, but stayed upright. I knew I had hit him, but no clue where. He stayed upright for about 30 minutes, then walked under a big Ponderosa pine, and laid down. I walked back to my house, reloaded my 54 and drove my Kubota over close to where he laid down. When he heard the Kubota, he got up and went further into a thicker part of the woods. That's when I said let's wait until tomorrow morning. My son in law went to see where he was about 8pm and found him dead. I was relieved and he took it to the barn and hung it up. Waiting today for the liver, heart, kidneys and tongue. Will let it hang for a week at least.

Pap

Congratulations Pap
You should be enjoying some good eating this winter

Peter

Nice 5 1/2 year old Finger Lakes NY buck. 11 pointer 144” rack bruiser of a deer 3 minutes after sunrise opening morning of rifle. Dropped him and ten minutes later got a nice Doe twenty yards away from him! Good luck all.

Happy hunting!


Tom Flynn

Great buck Tom!
Congratulations, Capt. Chris

That is a fine looking buck great way to start the season.

Really nice buck Tom!! When you do the burger, mix it with 50% beef burger and 25% beef fat. You'll like it and so will family and friends.

Pap

Nice Buck, Tom! Congratulations.

I was in the woods all day today. Saw 3 bucks, one real good one. He never got to where I could take a good shot.

Good goin’, Tom.

What an outstanding buck!
Way to go Tom.

Tom
Great looking buck, congratulations

Peter

Thanks guys!

Good luck to all of you.

Tom Flynn

OUTSTANDING Tom!

Tony

Tom
It ain't nice. It's awesome.If I saw one around here like it.
I'd be in shock and unable to shoot.

While my daughter and grandkids were over making Christmas cookies yesterday...my Son in law wondered out to the property and bagged this buck. He is giving the meat to a good friend with terminal cancer.

Eric,
Super nice harvest and even better gift to those in need.

I salute your son in law for being so very generous.

Wayne

Eric,

Look at the smiles! That is the age to get them involved with a good clean kill and a good deed for a great cause.

Tom Flynn

I like that blue shirt with the Gold M on it.

Get them thinkin’ about it early!!!

Thank you gentlemen for the kind words.

Coach, both Eaton 8 and Colton 5 can sing the complete Michigan fight song. Their mom was required to take a Wolverine sports class her 2nd year at Ann Arbor. She has been a fanatic ever since.

LOL Good goin’!

My grandson who is in the Army and stationed in GA. right now came in Monday and he loves to hunt, I got him started early, he is coming over with a friend tonite to see if they can kill some coyotes, he says they are on his trail cam every day. Even though he is in Ga. he keeps a trail cam here at all times, when the batteries get low his friend who is also a friend of mine will come and replace them as he lives close by. Last year they killed quite a few Red foxes and one gray.

Good time of year for harvesting predators as their hides are best. Let us know how they do. What rifle are they using? Going to use predator calls?

Pap

Sidney,
Is your Grandson at Ft.Benning or Gordon?

Hope all goes well wit the 'yote hunt stuff.

In my area,we are pretty much over run with the critters.

Wayne

They only managed to call in a Red fox and his friend missed it. They have electronic calls and special lights and my grandson shoots a 260 when night hunting. I gave him a nice Sako in 270 but he says it is to nice to take out. He doesn't know how much it has been thru in the 50 years before I gave it to him.

He is stationed at Ft. Stewart.

Sidney,
Nothing but the very best wishes for your grandson.

Wayne

Thanks Wayne. He is going to do 20 then may try to become a game warden or park ranger.

Sidney,
Sounds like something similar to what I did,only I did not make a career out of the Military.

Believe it or not,in High School I was pretty much being groomed to be either a teacher (Phys Ed) or,now get this


..........................A Minister! (uh-oh)

Wayne