Outdoorzman

Thanks Steve! It's good to be back!

Hi Everyone! It's been a looong time since I've visited the forums. Been a busy year! I've been pursuing a lot of outdoor goals and have been focusing more and more on my outdoor ministry. I'd like to thank Team Realtree for taking the initiative and posting an article on me in the REALTREE.com "NEWS" yesterday. Check it out! Currently, aside from the ministry taking top priority, I'm now also on prostaff with "Knight & Hale", working under turkey calling champion Chris Parrish, and I'm also with "AMERISTEP". In the realm of outdoor television I've spent the past year as vice exec. crew director (Northeast region), for "AVERAGE JOE'S HUNTIN' SHOW", (Pursuit Channel), where I manage crew & staff in (13) states. I also hunt & film for them as well. Still an outdoor writer and seminar speaker, I now write primarily for "U.S. Hunting Today" and "Bowhunting.net". I can't wait for turkey season, (May 1st here), and I invite all of you to come over to my official hunting & ministry page at facebook where you can see notes and pics galore. The direct link is attached to my name on my email signature! This month, thanks to Phillip Vanderpool of Hunters Specialties, I've been invited to be a part of the annual St. Jude's "Kids Hunting For A Cure" event in Huntingdon, TN!! Money is super tight but if at all possible I'd love to attend this event and help call in a turkey for a child, so I'm going to try and make it happen. Wish me luck! Time to go check out the Turkey Forum!!! Boo yahhhh!!

And I suppose, after contemplation, I could say it this way, concerning my own calling... There will always be christians walking by faith and discussing the Bible by faith, however, many times the simple topics can become arenas for dissension and quarreling, based on opinions. My position...though I'm right there with you guys, is this...That there is still a need for christian 'teachers' who have the ability and training to step in-between brothers & sisters whose arguments could be straightened out by simple grammatical or cultural truths in clarification; Otherwise, with no direction, divisions would grow with wild abandon. That's where my own strengths lie, and as I mentioned early on, I try not to sway any believers through opinion when facts are openly available. Then it becomes a matter between you, (the student), and God. There is no pressure from me.

I like the comments and discussion guys. And muggs is right on about being too 'analytical'. I just wanted to bring out the point that when my back is against the wall in defense of the gospel, I have a leg to stand on with those who would try to use logic to tear me down....and believe me, there are lots of folks who boldly stand up and preach on something they know nothing about, which often ends up stumbling someone else...and I'm speaking of the few who speak and react before thinking or studying. Fortunately, most of my ministry is good old fashioned spreading the gospel, sharing my faith, and trying to win people to Christ, and in humble, open-minded discussions. And to m gardner I say....dead-on about convicting rather than convincing. I'm often led into the convincing arena with others more than allowing for their conviction, which is something I shall work on. And the Bible is indeed the true and only source of God's word, completely applicable for us today. I just feel that my specific calling...which seems to be continually drawn out...lies more in classroom teaching & education rather than simple faith. Even though I walk by faith and not by sight, there seems to be a need for a little analytical discussion with those who brazenly try to twist the word for their own agendas. Wow...this is a great forum. Love talking with you guys. We could combine all our thoughts and ideals and really enjoy a campfire in some remote hunting lodge somewhere, couldn't we! LOL!! Remember...there is ALWAYS something to be learned from the Word; it truly is pregnant with revelation no matter how many times we read it. God bless all my brothers here at Realtree. Hope to share camp someday.

Sounds like you're having a blast. The next time a yote seems to hang up out there a ways and he won't come in, try stopping the regular calling and start 'kissing' the back of your hand really loud....or have a squeaker call ready as a coaxer call. That works pretty sweet.

I'd like to try it. It sounds like a blast. I spend alot of time in the woods chasing ole tom and this year Maine is allowing us a 2-bird limit. How does the team thing work?

My favorite calls are the HS Infinity Latex, the new line that came out last year. Remember that everybodys palates are different in size and shape so the same calls some like might not work well for you. Experimentation is the key with diaphragms and I can do any turkey call in the woods with the Raspy Old Hen. The plastic frame calls are not designed to bend (in any companies line) but HS also has an Alumistrut series with aluminum frames that CAN be bent to fit the contours of your mouth more efficiently if you choose. Other companies also sell aluminum frames and they work better for some.

My advice would be to stick with a hoot tube or hoot flute if you have trouble with backpressure. These are the plastic barrel calls that you simply cover a hole with a finger and blow into. Absolutely no backpressure at all but the lack of pressure reduces volume. That said, you could always amplify the call by cupping it with a coffee can or call adapter bell taken from like a moose call or whatever.

Hey Rhino-- Man that's a great point and I do exactly what you said. I scout for deer AND turkeys every time I'm in the woods and I start early, too. I have several areas I hunt and I know them well, which makes a buig difference.

Man, that's bigger than the one I REALLY shot 2 years ago!! lol

My pleasure, guys...And for the record I don't believe in the word 'religion'; What we have is more 'relationship' than religion. And I don't know about being a 'great' teacher, but I DO agree less pressure and no forcing something down throats is the best way. I'm not a pastor; I don't have a 'church'; It's not my job to judge anyone...that falls to Jesus. If I can try to be as unbiased as possible, that's all I can hope for. However, many times a person will come to me with something stuck in his head, trying to get me to sway to his understanding of a passage and if I believe that person is off base, I have to tell him so, but by giving him the facts first. No matter where we stand on a biblical issue, there will always be facts that can be applied to it first, and if the person lets me identify those, and THEN we can discuss it's modern day application, we have a good base to work from. Hope to see more great discussions in here!! We can "agree to disagree" on MANY christian topics, that do not hinder our salvation, and that's where the 'opinions' come in. Each has his own and sometimes that's not a bad thing because though we all are of one universal Body in Christ, the Bible says there are MANY different callings and types of service, and I think the problems with our divisions lie there....

I've been studying the Bible for the past 18 straight years and have accumulated approximately 35,000 hours of one-on-one time with others through personal study, college courses, mens studies, and library research. I've studied everything from apologetics, to theology and doctine, to the concept of faith, but perhaps the greatest area of research has been hermeneutics & exegesis. THAT, ladies & gentlemen, is where we separate opinion from fact. Suffice it to say I like things simple....and religion is NOT a simple topic to many; Here's what I see in the New Testament...'follow Jesus, learn his teachings, become a disciple, and share with the world'. That's pretty basic. The development of Christianity was the building of hundreds of local assemblies in Paul's day and all NT teaching shows sound structure concerning how the Body of Christ as a whole should be, even today. Folks....we have an unbelievably long way to go. Today, on practically every street corner, you have a church, and each claims they have "the truth", and because of that, though we should be acting as brothers & sisters worldwide, we are divided on MANY topics. The Bible was inspired by God and written by men, but its books and epistles all came from a culture that, quite frankly, is foreign to our way of life, some 2000 years after Jesus' ministry. This is where exegesis comes in. I started "Mountain-Man Outdoor Ministries" just this past fall and though it's easy to break off into opinions when teaching the Bible, I at least try to approach it from a different angle. Exegesis and hermeneutics is dissecting not just scripture but scriptural content, and that means in order not to take a passage 'out of context', you have to analyze the original words for exact meaning, who wrote it, to whom it was written, and when, along with having a cultural understanding of the time period in question. Then, we have the arduous task of taking what we've learned and seeing if and how it can be applied to us today...a different cultural society, some 2000 years later. My job is to present the student with as many facts as possible concerning his/her biblical question, then let them make their own decisions based on their own personal walk with God. That allows me to be less "judgemental". And the only time I'll give you my opinion is if you ask me for it. I guess the point to all of this was to let everyone know that if you have questions, I'd be glad to work with you to find some answers. This forum may or may not be the place but I'll let you decide. Fact is, even though I've got accredited Bible college courses under my belt, along with years of study, I'm still just a hunter and a redneck outdoorsman just like most of you....no better, no worse. My 'Mountain-Man Ministries' business cards say it like this: "Christian Studies for Rednecks and Sportsmen". So praise God and pass the ammunition!!! Let's go huntin' and share our faith around the fire!! :gun2: That's just my "2 Cents".....

Maine has had some tough snow conditions for the turkeys but they're still growing overall. And it's my personal opinion that even if you do lose a large amount of birds, all will balance out in the egg production this spring; The ratios of male to female young seems to always favor replenishing that which was lost. Plus, many birds that experience a bad winter or wet spring tend to lay accordingly, whether by more eggs, more clutches if some are destroyed, or whatever. Again, just my opinion but I wouldn't fear.

Ok....I've been hearing lately about the new Hevishot 13...I have been offline and out of commission until recently, and now I see it on posts in here. What's the scoop on it. I used to shoot Hevishot but in my ultimag and with my choke it was not the best combination so I switched to Winchester Supremes and have even had great patterns with Federal Flight-Control...which so far I love.

As I mentioned in another post, Maine goes generally from May 1st to June 5th, give or take a day. Our location/zone originally opened to turkey hunting in 1996 by chance lottery only, but now it's over-the-counter. We can only hunt til noon and no Sunday hunting. Bag limit was always 1 bearded tom but starting this spring, (2010), we will be allowed 2 bearded birds. I'm pumped!! What are your season dates, how long can you hunt, (half or full days), and what's your bag limit in spring?? Two years ago me and my partner both took doubles in Vermont (over 2 days), and the cool thing was both hunts made it on outdoor tv. Of course, my buddy took 2 in one shot and I had to make 2 shots in rapid succession to kill my 2 birds...but we did it! Am hoping to do it in Maine now!!