whiskey

Duck hunting is great. You can cook eggs and bacon and sausage and chili and all kinds of other great food while you sit in the blind. You can run heaters to keep warm, drink beer and whiskey and shoot tons of shells at a few ducks, in the event you somehow hit one, then don't worry, the guide will send the dog to get it and he will clean it for you or send it off to be mounted or, more likely toss it in the back of his pickup till the end of season. You don't even have to hunt at all. You can just tell your wife you are going on a duck hunting trip with your buddies, stay up drinking all night and sleep all day. Tell her the birds weren't there when you come home empty handed. I am sure there are serious duck hunters and weekend warriors that enjoy the hunting part. There are another huge mass of wealth alcoholics that bond in duck blinds. The couple of times I tried it, I hated it. It's not for everyone, and it's tough hunting if you are serious about it. Finding a devoted duck hunter to buy gas in exchange for a trip would be the best route.

If you are planning on eating them, call Steamboat Bill's in Hendersonville, he will order some for you. I used to catch them in creeks when I was a kid, my daughter has caught a few in the creek by our house. The ones around here aren't big enough or prolific enough to try and make a meal of. You can catch them and keep them in a bucket or cooler of water. Catch a few big males and you can fight them against each other. They eat minnows and worms.

from one turkey hunter to another...

I figured out how we can get them. We got to get us a couple of saddle bred billy goats. I used to ride one around the hills and hollers back home. Don't try it bareback, you got to have a special goat saddle. We are gonna need a long legged one for you.

I looked around and didn't find anything. See if you can catch a re-run of the show and then check the shows website, or give them a call or send them an email.

My fear is, that without a mentor, you will become frustrated quickly and toss in the towel. Hunting can be easy. It can also be very difficult. Hang on and I am sure someone here will come forth in your area. There are alot of Tennessee Hunters on the site linked below, go there and ask for help in your area. Tennessee Deer Talk: Viewing list of forums

Congrats

Congrats to your boy!

Congrats on a great bird.

Our neighbors screwed up our morning plans. We moved and managed to find birds, but not until it was too late and they were headed off our place. Moved to another property and got on birds, but couldn't get them trough the thick stuff between us. They never left the middle of the field for over two hours. They just circled around and finally laid up under a shade tree out in the field. Went back to the first property to try to get on an afternoon bird with the wind blowing like nobody's business. Saw six toms total this afternoon, but both times they had the upper hand and I just got to watch them leave. Good news is that we have birds. Plenty of time to shoot them in the face Guess I am going to have to get GunTroll to show me how to do it.

Congrats. Fine bird.

Congrats, now get back and get that other one.

Well this thread has the appropriate title. I got my butt kicked today. Birds roosted on another ridge than they have been roosting for weeks. Morning set up was busted. We adjusted and got on the birds before they pitched down, but couldn't get in front of them. Followed them all morning, just a step behind them. We didn't get aggressive since it's only day one of 6 weeks. A steel T fence post does not make a great back rest. Gonna get back at it in the morning.

Good luck fellers! I'm hunting with a wild man tomorrow, so keep me in your prayers.

She doesn't call yet. Maybe next year. I didn't have to call much either on this hunt. Just a couple of purr/cluck runs. They just came our way like I had hoped.

Found it! He was thinking of the craftsman's village just outside town. Thanks for the tips.

I got out and shot today. I got the Burris FastFire II sighted in and got some great patterns at 40 yards. The Hevi 13 #7's shot well enough to kill every shot, but the Hevi Magnum blends gave me a little tighter, more consistent pattern. I am going to hunt with the Magnum Blends this year. My daughter killed her bird with the Magnum Blends in 20ga/3" and that sucker's neck felt like a bag of gravel when I pulled him out of the truck. I was shooting with my game warden buddy and converted him to Hevi 13 #7's after he saw how they patterned in his 870. It was so much more impressive than the #5 leads he had been using.

A buddy of mine sent me this message and I would appreciate any help that you guys in the eastern part of state might offer "Have a question that you may be able to answer for me. I'm planning to drive through your area late this summer on my way to Atlantic Beach, NC. I'm looking for a village or group of handcrafters that moved out of Gatlinburg 15 years ago and made a new settlement about 20 miles from Gatlinburg. I was there once but haven't been able to find an address or phone number for any of them since. They were in a rural area, seemed to me like East of Pidgeon Forge, but honestly I was lost the whole dang day and didn't know my directions." Thanks

I was worried about this too. I was so excited when a domestic rooster cock-a-doodle-do'd and the woods lit up with gobbles.

Hunting is a lot of fun. My favorite part has little to do with the gun I am carrying and a lot more to do with the time in the woods and the time spent with friends. Hunting can be a lot of work and a very frustrating at times. My best advise is to find a mentor that enjoys hunting for more than killing and can teach you woodsman skills.

Pictures here. http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/hunting/55291-her-first-turkey.html

Cape is in the freezer and breast is cleaned, bagged and ready for our next camping trip. We love pan fried wild turkey on the camp fire! Now I just have to keep her from showing me up again.

This morning, Saturday, March 26th, was the Tennessee youth turkey hunting weekend. I have been scouting the flock at our hunting lease for more than a month. I watched the birds go to roost on Thursday and then set up my blind to put Lana and I in good position for opening morning. Well, all night Thursday, I second guessed my placement. I decided to get up early and watch the flock come off roost Friday morning before work. After watching the birds I decided to move my blind again Friday evening. We were set up across a long pasture from the birds' roost. I had the decoys out and us in the blind plenty early this morning. The birds were gobbling great on the roost and we could hear 3 distinct groups of toms gobbling in front of us. About 10 minutes to 7:00 the first birds came flying down in to the pasture. We had two small groups of hens pass in front of us and were listening to all the gobblers in front of us, but hadn't seen one yet. Then we hear gobbling behind us, at the top of the hill. Lana looked over her shoulder and could see two gobblers strutting at the top of the hill. I couldn't figure out how they had gotten behind us! Just then I looked across the pasture and saw two gobblers heading towards us from the front. Just behind the two toms was an army of hens, probably 40 or so. The old boss hen, with a 5" beard, came trotting in ready to pounce my decoy. She was all ruffed up and dragging 5 sisters with her. That was all it took to pull those two longbeards in front of us over to the decoys. There was 2 year old and a 3 year old bird strutting together and the 3 year old was behind the younger bird. I was whispering to Lana, "Get ready, stay on him. I am going to bring him out of strut." I said calmly, "Hey Tom!" The 2 year old's head shot up and Lana hammered him. 17 yards out, 20ga Mossberg with Undertaker choke, 3" Hevi-Shot Magnum Blend and he never even flopped! 2 years old, 17 pounds, 8" beard and 7/8" spurs. I am one proud Dad!

You can't get there from here.

My daughter uses a mossberg 500 in 20ga. with an Undertaker Choke. Last year she was shooting the Nitro Turkey loads in #5 and it patterned pretty good out to 30 yards. This year I switch her over to Hevi Shot Magnum blends and they put a lot more shot on target.