Last saturday was opening day here in Ohio for fall turkey season. I've been out sitting in my blind for about a week since it is archery deer season. Every day like clock work, turkeys have been parading past my blind. Saturday morning I went out there to my blind with a WWII vintage 16 ga. model 12 Winchester and sat down to wait for those birds. I stuffed a home rolled shell loaded with home made #6s in the chamber and had another in the tube mag. Just short of 2 hours past dawn, up strolls a nice turkey hen of around 17#s. End of story. 15 yards and one boom! That turkey will be the main guest at a feast at my dinner table very soon. I have to admit, it is really satisfying to get a bird with a shell that you loaded yourself. The tail will be mounted on the wall next to the tail and beard of the big gobbler I got with a bow a couple years ago. North wall of the garage is the bird wall. West wall is the deer wall and east wall is the fish wall. (30# King salmon!) I have a hard time working in the garage. I sit back and look at the walls and the memories come flooding back. Wife wonders why it takes me so long to get things done out there.

Way to go, smokpole. Congrats on a job well done and enjoy the turkey dinner. You earned it.

Congrats on the bird with a vintage gun and hand load. As we speak, I’m fletching a dozen arrows with feathers from the turkeys I arrowed last spring. Fun critter to hunt.