Osage Roost
All Hunting => Fall Turkey Hunting => Topic started by: SOONER on December 01, 2009, 10:20:20 AM
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hello all
well i'm out of the woods and back to real work till spring season. as my friend ron says (living the dream). i guess after 40 years of real work a guy should be entitaled to that.
we had a great fall with the turkey dogs. i was able to be involved in 25 kills some as the major and some as the private. out of the kindness of his heart porter said he would help an old guy post pictures so they will follow as i send them.
our season started very tough. we would break birds in 60 degree not a breath of air days and they refused to call. a week into this i was pulling what little hair i have left out. my good friend pete clare from turkey trot has always told me he hated the biginning with all the folage and very little turkey talk. i had never had this problem till this fall and alway wondered what he was talking about. now i know and it was not much fun.
finnaly the seacond week my good friends steve mann and dennis canupp came to hunt. well steve spent most of his time chasing swamp doneys. this is a bad habbit he has somehow fell into and dennis and i try our best to break him of. somehow ohio deer just get under that boys skin. dennis and i broke a flock of something one afternoon late. maybe i should say keekee broke them and dennis and i got her to the woods. as normal they said nothing so we left at dark thirty. in the morning we were back with gary bunofski and his dog sugar. we set up in the dark and after a little trumpet work by dennis and i we had a bird calling from across the valley. i thought it to be an adult hen and my heart sank but after fly down gobbler yelping and gobbling started down the ridge. a little calling from our end and he stepped up over at 30 yards i watched and he soon went down from a load of what ever dennis had in his turkey gun. nice bird 9" beard 3/4 spurs. the rain started and we got out of there and took some pictures and went to breakfast. on the way back the rain let up for just a few minutes and we caught a flock of gobblers in a field at my farm. we let sugar break them and went back to the house to get our stuff. of course the rain started again but we managed to gobbler yelp and gobble a nice 22 pound bird in and gary got him shot.
my friends zummer and ralph snodgrass came and we killed an adult hen in the morning and a nice gobbler in the afternoon. there were a few more kills before and after but i'll just hit the highlights.
after this we went to turkey trot and had a great hunt with 10 birds killed in 2 1/2 days. on this hunt we had pete and scotty bayshore and steve lecorchick guiding and dog running along with gary and my dogs. we were never an hour without having birds broke to call to. everyone was in retro gear as the picture shows. most had their old doubles or model 12's and harvested birds with them. along with the friendships and stories and great food at the lodge it was a tremendous time.
by the time new york hunt was over the leaves had fallen and we worked them over in ohio. as always when i had one gun we could have killed 6 birds and when i had 2 or 3 guns we struggled to get one killed or several days with nothing but sore feet and backs.
one memorable hunt for me was 12 year old alex on her first fall turkey hunt. her and her father jim came. i had donated the hunt to wemen in the out doors so this was the first we had met. we did a little 1 mile walk first thing and did not come up with anything. on my farm and on our way to a second woods my dog keekee started pulling and snorting on the mule. this dog has the most uncanny nose i've ever seen. at the top of the hill i let her go and for 10 minutes she scattered turkeys. we set up and in two hours should have killed a couple birds but just could not get it done. we rebroke them and almost had another before lunch. after lunch i told alex and jim to get their hiking boots on. we parked the mule and had not walked 200 yards when keekee was breaking birds 150 yards in front of us. we went to the break point and set up. an hour into it a young gobbler started gobbler yelping and clucking to the call. i told alex the bird would walk around a thicket and come in above so hold your gun here. of course you know what happened. he marched right thru the biggest green briar thicket in the county. alex held steady and let him come and we killed her first turkey. i tried to tell them it is not always this easy but what can you say to a father daughter who just had the best fall hunt you could ever experience. it is hard to explain that normally you walk 10 miles plus in a day and some days come home with nothing. fortionately those days are soon forgotten when you have a day like this one.
i'll let some of the pictures tell the rest of the stories.
Here are the pictures!
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff126/badpap1/fallgobblersIMG_0164.jpg)
gary dennis and i with some wet gobblers
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff126/badpap1/100_2266_01.jpg)
turkey trot hunt l to r scott bashore,watkins,gary,pete clare then best dressed terry day then dayrl stubbs ,steve lecorchick and ron bolyard
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff126/badpap1/DarylStubbs.jpg)
pete and daryl with nice gobbler last day of new york
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff126/badpap1/retro1.jpg)
terry with nice gobbler
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff126/badpap1/SteveHickoff.jpg)
steve hickoff and scott bashore with nice last minute gobbler
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff126/badpap1/DonJasonRon007.jpg)
ron,watkins,jason erb ohio jenny hens--- jasons bird flew back from the next hill top and ran over him
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff126/badpap1/Alex.jpg)
12 year old alex
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff126/badpap1/Fall2009Turkey.jpg)
my friends ralph snodgrass and dunn zumbrum with zumers gobbler
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff126/badpap1/WatkinsTurkey1.jpg)
daryl and i with daryl's ohio bird
12 year old morgan she is just like holding a bobcat
after the break. you may say she's wired
just a little tight.
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff126/badpap1/WatkinsTurkey2.jpg)
me-bob anderson-ron ron holding my gobbler and me holding a tired out miss. keekee
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff126/badpap1/WatkinsTurkey3.jpg)
pete and i after the break before the calling
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff126/badpap1/SDC10151.jpg)
gary-joe facco-me-joe jr.
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Marlin that is an awesome story! Congratulations. Look forward to seeing the pictures. The boys love those calls.
Mike Mims
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Marlin,
Great story and some fine hunts. I am glad you are enjoying retirement. You are right, after 40 years a man should be able to do what he wants to do!!! Zumer told me that he and Ralph had gotten to hunt with you this fall. That had to be a blast with those two. A lot of turkey knowledge gathered for that trip for sure. Congrats and best of luck at Nationals. I am sure I will be calling and trying to talk you out of another call.
Rickey
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Great story Marlin!! Thanks for sharing it.. Sounds like ya'll had a great time..
Al
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Marlin great story and one question, did you notice going "old school" clothing on the birds hamper the hunts in anyway? I think we are all brainwashed to believe camo is the only way to successfully harvest a bird and looks like you guys did just fine in retro gear!
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porter:
not at all. i rarely wore a face mask. only when i had very important people like mr. zummer or someone like that did i put a face mask on ha ha. same old rule (do not move). i'm excited about trying it this spring. tomorrow i'll bore you with a few more pictures if that's ok.
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Congrats on a great fall Marlin.
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Pictures are awesome , especially the black and white oldie whatever, the Carhart's and hats plus the side by side double barrel brings back memories!
Thanks for sharing.
Mike
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porter:
not at all. i rarely wore a face mask. only when i had very important people like mr. zummer or someone like that did i put a face mask on ha ha. same old rule (do not move). i'm excited about trying it this spring. tomorrow i'll bore you with a few more pictures if that's ok.
You send any pics you want!!!!
Goes to show, sometimes we put too much importance on camo when the simple rule of do not move implies :)
Look forward to seeing more photos!
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Marlin,
Looks like you guys had a blast. Way to go!!! *up*
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Marlin, Looks like you guys had a ball;.I'm looking forward to my retirement. I've got about 8 months to go *bannana* Thanks for sharing those retro pictures.You guys put the smack down on alot of birds.
I'll be calling the 3rd week of dec about another call like we talked about.
Bruce
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Man ! ,,, that's bein' active . I see some of them fellers went all out on the retro . In some of the pics , that dog looks plum used up.
Congrats to ya Sooner , and all that were with ya.
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Congrats on the fine fall hunts and the memories made with good friends! *up*
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Congrats on the fine fall hunts and the memories made with good friends! *up*
absolutely. looks like you guys had a blast. congrats.
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Congrats, Marlin and the rest of the guys and of course the dogs too.We were able to get my dog it's first bird this year, absolutely nothing like it.
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Looks like everyone had a blast! *up* *up*
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We did have a blast.....(Pun intended)
Marlin is a great host, a fine callmaker, and a good friend......
Zumer
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This is the last year i will turn down your invitation to come. No more next year maby; If I have to walk i'll be there next year;
What a great season Marlin;
jackie
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Do it Jackie......It's a great time......
Zumer
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Congrats to All!! Looks like a great time.... *up*
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Looks like alot of fun!! I can't wait to hunt with dogs in the fall. Sure looks like it beats pounding the shoe leather to find them old birds!!
Congrats!!
Lee
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Marlin those last 4 pictures are amazing too! You had a heck of a fall I'd say!
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Congrats on a great season, and great pictures!
Whats up with the goofy guy wearing the tie? ;D *peep*
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Congrats on a great season, and great pictures!
Whats up with the goofy guy wearing the tie? ;D *peep*
It was a "old fashion" hunt, a "gentleman's" hunt a "throw back" to the old days. A lot of folk hunted like that at the turn of the century especially up north. it was NY you know. I thought it was cool as heck!
Mike
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Those pictures (although goofy, funny looking, whatever you want to call it) took me way back. The one with the Tie gets the best dressed award from me! It's cool as all get out :)
I may hunt that way once or twice this spring. I need to find some clothes, then I'll be set!!!!
Fall hunting is so much fun. I'm beginning to start liking it more than Spring!
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*up*
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Hey guys... I was just (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-taunt003.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php) I know the "goofy guy" *peep*
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Great post!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Hey guys... I was just (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-taunt003.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php) I know the "goofy guy" *peep*
I laughed big time after your PM... I guess you do "know" the goofy guy really well ROTFLMBO Probably better than anyone else!!!
Once again, congrats to everyone and I'm sure it was a blast for everyone!!!!
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Great story and pics....looks like alot of fun.
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Hey I know 2 of those goofy guys. Terry great looking clothes and Gary B I think your dog is better looking. ;D Great hunt guys and Marlin thanx for the story and pics.
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callmakerman:
did you mean gary's dog was better looking than him??? i'd even throw in better mannered.
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hey, i just signed in this forum yesterday and already im getting tag teamed, don ,you know im the best mannerd and obedient dog you ever hunted with.i have the green briar scars to prove it! gary
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Marlin I can't make him to mad as he's cutting some willow for me. ;D Bill
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That Erb fella's farm has some awesome walnut on it.......Makes a fine paddle call.
Zips
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... Congrats to Marlin & all who hunted - great story, great pics, & sure does look like a great time indeed ... 8) 8)
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I resemble a couple of those photos. First post here, redneck southern boy who has had the great fortune to meet and make friends with some great yankee gentlemen while pursueing fall turkeys. This all started because of one great callmaker who I now count as one of my best friends. He has introduced me to some of the finest people that chase them big turkey birds and make some outstanding calls. A few here will recognize my username from a few other boards. Glad to be aboard, I can't offer much but will read here often. * hi *
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dayrl:
needed some pictures to keep the mice outa' the lodge
sooner
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ROTFLMBO ROTFLMBO
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Don't make me get out the crossbow!
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Congrats on an awesome fall season
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Congrats to all. Great memories.