Strut10

Re: Win 1300 or Rem 870 You won't go wrong with the Winchester. 'Course you won't go wrong with the 870 either. I have owned / shot them both and have seen very impressive patterns from both when properly set up.

Re: Camo I like to wear Advantage pants or bibs and a limb pattern like Hardwoods or even the old Brownleaf on top.

Re: COTW - .308 Winchester My first rifle was a Savage 99-C in .308. I've not been without at least one .308 sporter since. At one time, me, my dad & brother all had 99-C .308's. Now, a couple of us use .300 Win. Mags on whitetails from time to time. It's been an ongoing observation that the .308 with a 180gr. bullet plants more deer on the spot than the big .300 Mags. No kiddin'!! We've seen it time and again. I've got a special spot inside for the "little" .308!!

Re: Turkey..smart or stupid? Stupid. VERY stupid. But..........they are afraid of everything, curious of nothing, have terrific sensory perception, and most legal methods of taking a gobbler in the spring go contrary to what the bird's nature would have him do. We, as hunters, like to think of them as "smart" so we don't feel so bad about getting whipped by a critter whose brain is the size of a marble.

Re: Finally!!! Sounds good!!!! You've got lotsa time to get all your "brushin' up" done. We'll make a turkey hunter out of you!!!

Re: New or Used??? I'm with vtbowhunter.........mostly always new, but $$ talks. I recently got a brand new (but ever so slightly used) Browning bow with accessories that retailed for over $850. Bought the whole shebang on eBay for $381!!!!!!!!!!! Who couldn't love that!!!

Re: Nine Years Later... BIG CONGRATS, jimt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Betcha the next one doesn't take nine more years!!

Re: Neck shots Irresponsible. I know people who take great pride in being "neck shooters". I also know that there's not much margin for error when taking a neck shot. I've also told those couple guys that I refuse to give up my day of hunting to go tracking after a deer with its windpipe shot out. Be rsponsible ad be respectful of the game you shoot. As for the "don't wanna waste any meat" argument....BULL!! If a person's that concerned about the "hamburger" between a couple ribs, then that same person would be boning the meat off the neck, too.

I build my own ladders, use climbing stix and tree steps all 3. Take your pick. The home-built ladder is the easiest to climb (but heavy to move). The stick is pretty easy to climb, pretty easy to set up and a pain to carry, too. Treesteps are easy to cary fair to climb and sometimes a real pain to install.........as well as illegal in some places if it ain't your tree you're running them in to. My "comfortable minimum" height is about 18'........usually, I'm at 20'-22' and 25' or a little more is, sometimes, just right............all depends on the situation.

Turkeys will move here and there........concentrating their activities in a particular area for a time then moving on. Usually its got to do with a food source, I think, but also in the spring, due to breeding habits. Chances are.......if you saw turkeys in a certain area this past spring....you'll see 'em there again next spring. Whatever drew them there at that particular time of year will, likely, bring them back again.

Re: What would you do? If I understand correctly......your law states that you cannot legally shoot the deer (without the license) until it crosses the fence. I let the deer walk. If I can't do it within the law....I won't do it. Cheatin' ain't winnin'. Were my stand that close to the property line, I'd go ahead and buy the license so if this particular situation does arise........I shoot.......with a very clear consciense.

In PA, the basic method is find a flock, break it up, sit down at or near the break-up point and call 'em back. Learn the kee-kee (lost call of a young turkey) and the assembly yelp of the old mama hen. I leave the dekes at home.........good way to get shot.

Re: How early do you clear lanes? June or July .........if I can determine that early that I'll be hunting a particular tree.

Re: Is a rifle a good gift for the wife? The Mrs. always enjoys getting a gun as a gift. If the gals have been hinting around about it...........I'd say go fer it!! There's a good selection of rifles to fit the girls now. We went to a big shop and had them lay out about 6 or 7 guns that would fit my wife. Then she went through all of them and eliminated the ones that she didn't like. She ended up with a Browning A-Bolt Hunter in .308. Good luck!!!!!!!!

The "school of hard knocks" will probably teach you more about turkey hunting than you wanna know. Sometimes (often) the lessons REALLY BITE!!! But you'll remember them the best. Give those birds a couple days off, then go smoke one of them.

Re: Some illegal things that don\'t make sense. There are lots of laws that seem to make very little sense. In the fall PA turkey season my .300 Win. Mag. is a perfectly legal weapon to use. #2 shot in your 12ga. will get you arrested. Go figger....... And count me in as one of the "nut cases" who will shoot a snake (ANY snake) on sight. Period.

Re: CB Radios....... Got one in both my Cherokee and the Mrs.' Gr. Cherokee..........makes long road-trips more entertaining and we also use 'em when we're hunting different locations. Some of the places we used to get in to in W. Virginia...........you want to have some means of communicating with civilization!!!!!!!!

Re: Got spotted this morning, should I keep hunting the same spot Not the same exact spot and probably not tomorrow, but go back and kill the booger!! Just remember to watch 360 degrees and if you haven't been hiding your face (no matter how handsome you think you are) get a net or paint on. Gloves too.

Re: What call would you suggest? I'd call like a nut.............to the hens. Usually the only way I can kill a "henned-up" tom is to irritate the hens to the point of having them come looking for me to run me off. Hens can be quite territorial and possesive. If you can get them upset enough (cutt aggressively at them......mimic their cutts and interrupt them when they call) they will come after you. The gobbler will follow. This is not a "high-percentage" situation. More often than not, the hen will go the other way with the gobbler in tow. If she does come to you, chances are, she'll be in your lap before the tom gets close enough for a shot.......so good camo and NO MOVEMENT are a MUST. If the hen doesn't "fire up" within a couple minutes of calling, don't persist. Either try to figure out which way they're going and try to head them off or just go find another gobbler to try. Tomorrow's another day!!

Re: Never seen this before Yep........dusting. Sometimes they'll use the same spot for years. Usually these are good places to find an old tom hangin' around, waiting for the "girls" or he's followed them there.

Hard to tell when they will or won't be active and responding..............but I don't think it'll be all over for a while yet.

Re: Do you keep a trigger lock on you\'re pistol I forgot to add that it is still physically impossible for my kids to work the slide on my defense pistol (Glock29 10mm). It takes way more hand strength than either of them has. So long as there's not a round in the chamber it's harmless. Even so, I keep it in a place accessible only by me and the Mrs.

Re: Do you keep a trigger lock on you\'re pistol My defense home-weapon is ready to rock AT ALL TIMES..............no trigger locks. My kids have no access to it (and when I test 'em by unloading it and leaving it lay somewhere, they'll come tell me to put it away). All the rest of my guns are locked in a safe. Teach your kids young. My 8 year old girl can shoot my Glock 23 40 SW. She would not dream of even looking at it if I did not hand it to her myself and supervise her. I firmly believe there's no such thing as an "accidental shooting". "Unintentional shootings" all go back to ignorance of, and/or disregard to, the principles of safe gun handling.