My brother of the bow, Marty Mc(the third Wensel), had to twist my arm and drag me down to Florida again for my 10th season chasing these feathered yard carp. Shuster and Biggie will be joining us Friday week for the opener with the hint of Krispy Cremes on their breath from the long trec from Ga. Man ole Man..... Gobble Gobble Gobble.....it does not get any better than this for me in bowhunting!!!! Thanks Marty ( your pot roast stills suxz)
(http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c114/swamprooter/Floridaturkeys.jpg)
(http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c114/swamprooter/Floridabears.jpg)
Ferget the birds....dayz pigs in them thar woods! :bigsmyl:
Ya'll have fun Joey, hope the gobblers cooperate.
Good luck there Joebuck. I`ve already had my pop up blind in the yard practicing out of it. I hope to kill one with a homemade longbow this spring.
While you got the big redneck down there try and help him with his shooting....
Great pics.RC
Very cool pics. what part of FLA were those taken in?
bbassi..it's south fl....sometimes we have to part the hogs to get into the woods!
JC...you wouldn't shoot a hog would you? You know what Sam Roberts says you got when you kill a hog?.....a dead hog. :)
RC...i feel sorry for that 1st bird that walks by you. Biggie says you taught almost everything he knows.
Joey, if you are overcome with the desire to shoot a pig, leave them brown nose omes alone.
Yard Carp??? :scared: Oh Man!! Y'all Cant be Serious!! :eek: :eek:
Turkeys, Pigs, and Bears - oh my! Yes, said like in the Wizard of Oz.
Could be another form of a red neck slam.....or make an interesting table spread.
Have fun (I'm jealous).
I`ll be honest ,I have left a gobbling turkey when a pig squealed. i can`t help it. RC
Feathered yard carp. Thats the perfect name for them. They reak havoc on a field of corn when it first comes up. I do my best to put the spank on em in the spring. But, we are only allowed one here in Michigan. At least in the fall we can kill a hen too, thus limiting the damage. Too many deer are blamed for the crop damage turkeys cause. This bad winter will help. Feathered carp, I agree.
Good luck in Florida.
Man I wish I had hogs like that down here in Texas.
What 's that box thing hanging from the tree?
OK, Joey... Let me throw this out there for y'all. Which one of you guys is the best turkey caller? I know the perfect place to find out...at the PBS turkey calling contest in Pittsburgh. We got some really cool prizes and not enough entries. Whaddya say?
Wicked photos! It's good to see pictures of bears in Florida. I recall reading about them from the classic bowhunting books, but had no idea they were still there. I hope you guys have a ball!
Good for you Joey...that's a fine group you hang with!
Best of luck bud :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :notworthy:
Joey,
Aren't you supposed to be slaving away on your turkey presentation for PBS??? Oh yeah, more research ;)
kevin B....I'm defintiely in....could you enter me? i don't know who to call, my dog ate my magazine
SteveO...You need to change plans and come to PBS. i'm almost through with presentation. Just waiting on one pic from Biggie and Marty showing their unique way of turkey hunting. :scared:
Curt..I love hanging out with these guys because i always look 50# lighter...but don't trust them with a plate of fried turkey tenders....
Joebuck, I've come up with a simple menu.Friday Sat. and Sunday eve--Pot Roast.
Sure hope you've been practicin! I notice you haven't posted the pictures of last year's bird on your thread.
I'm sittin with you the whole time you're there so the truth will be known! Can't wait.
Joebuck,
It is killing us not to go to PBS--we keep trying to figure out how to make PA not 16 hours out of the way going to IA/KS!
You guys have a doughnut feeder to bait Biggie's stand? Is that the secret? :eek:
Steve O ..Biggie has really tighten the strings on Marty in the blind according to conduct rules. Something about No Cell phones, only 1 methane gas leak, 2 Donut rule each morning. Marty couldn't handle it so he has jumped blinds and rooted over to mine. Have you ever tried calling up a longbeard while your partner is on the Cell telling his wife to feed the horse,dog, cut the grass, take out the garbage....its a chore hunting down there.. Iowa is utopia I heard.
Joe, we are going to change the deadline for entry. You will now be able to register at the banquet itself. Talk those other guys into it, will ya? Side bets might be optional...
Thanks Kevin but it would be futile. Those guys are such great turkey hunters they don't use calls. It's unbelievable. For 12 years I have been trying to figure out their secret. I'm still stumped. All I know is their bows make a hail of a lot of noise sometimes.I have made them mouth calls, pot calls , long boxes, short boxes..they have my whole collection...but they never use'em.....they have a secret weapon of something another.....
Corn? Turkey chow? Maybe Krispie Kream Krumbs?
They claim their hunting turkey rubs! They said Jene taught them that when the birds start to bugle and bloom in the fields , well they make rubs with their dew claws. All I know is I'm always eating their turkey tenders and hardly ever mine. Obviously there is a Florida law about turkey hunting feeders and rightfully so because it's a safety issue as well as ethical. Those 400# bears act plain nasty around those popcorn throwers.
The birds look very small. Is that how they are in Fl? kinda like the deer are small bodied
17-22# gobblers..12-14# Jakes..They are not Iowa weights but their smarter?! :rolleyes:
"...but their smarter?!" You are still talking about the turkeys, right?
I think they use rattling turkey feet.
OK guys enough abuse!
Marty and I have killed more birds together than most all of you yankees :-) Yes, there are some secrets we use and bait isn't one of them.
One year we had nothing but vultures hangin around our blind.
Marty, I got the coffee table fixed and the Girl Scout cookie lady just stopped by. WE'RE READY!
I just wish somebody made a bigger blind......
Ratz...judging from the title of this thread I thought this was going to be an update of the twins stopping for the fish sandwich special at the Jack in the Box in Texas.
Smarty and Biggie have killed some turkeys together in the blind. Smarty has learned not to use a 4 letter curse word beginning with "s" and ending with "t" when missing a bird with his bow because Biggie mistakes it for "shoot" and then proceeds to give the gobbler a load of #6's right in the face. Their favorite turkey call is to put some shell corn in a can and shake it real loud!
Biggie, I have a new plan. We put 2 double bull's together, ya follow me so far?. In the blind that is in the rear(behind the killing field), we put the coolers, hibatchi, cot, and various supplies for the day. Maybe even the turkey fryer for a really fresh meal.You'll blow that special call of yours, the turkey will bugle as always, he'll come in and dance around, I'll miss with an arrow and you finish him off like before with the number 6"s. Joey will come back to the blind before daylight, asking which road his blind is on, and we'll move it, so he can't find it as usual.
I sold all those calls he built me, so I could give him a deposit on a Swamp Rooter Bow, so I hope you kept one for blowin at the birds. I've seen 2 bearded hens this year while hog huntin, and I think we oughta take one of those to really get Joey's dander up!
Matt Schuster is in for a real treat, especially if Joey cooks one of those Boston Butt roasts for 14 hours like last year.The dogs wouldn't even eat it!Why would a guy from Mississippi cook something from Boston, hell they couldn't even close the deal in the Superbowl!
See you fella's next Friday.
Guys,post as much of this as you can...I'm really looking forward to it....and take it easy on Matt :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Well I guess Matt is snubbing us on the Woodson property to hunt with the "big" names. Just as well, there are no turkeys in Central Fla :-)
Good luck opening day guys. We start 2 weeks later in the Central Zone. The birds have been strutting for about a month here so things should be really good there right now.
Now I just need to find one of those calls that sound like a corn feeder....
You guys are just too funny!!!! :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh:
Have fun and do keep us posted!!!
marty ask's " what does a guy from Mississippi know about cooking a Boston Roast"........about as much as a Pa. Yankee living in Jupiter Fl disguised as a weekend hog cowboy FRYING catfish!..............I'm still not over your great great grandfather shooting at my great great aunt while she ran up Pickett's Charge..........and another thing Marty, please wear your manbrazeer if you continue to wear your shirt off. In case you haven't noticed, those rascals have dropped now, it's not fun looking at them anymore.
Don, Whatya mean "big" names? the only thing "big" about us is our waist sizes. Joey's bein the biggest for his height.Good luck to you in the Central zone. They've been struttin around here for at least a month and there's a "cold" front movin in next week. We'll see how that affects 'em!
Joey, I didn't know you were lookin!And you had fun doin it!!
I'm off with Biggie and a guy from Michigan named Jerry Brumm to chase hogs this weekend, I'll be scoutin for Joey along the way. Somebody has to find a bird for him.
Well I'm the Biggie of our camp and I cook a mean Boston Butt. Man, about a dozen hours on the smoker at about 175-200, pull, throw on some homemade apple cider vinegar BBQ sauce,cole slaw,turnip greens, a good corn pone mmm mmm. Now does anyone have that # to the sumo wrestling school in Hawaii? I'd be perfect if it wasn't for that dang diaper they wear.
Joey,
Your "HomeMade Turkey Slam" Article is out in TBM this issue...that is just too cool! Good luck to you guys.
Any word from these guys?
Terry, We chased hogs this weekend while scoutin for the birds. Biggie gobbled a dozen doughnuts under a live oak tree, gettin ready for next weekend's opener. Jerry Brumm shot a previously healthy boar hog in the foot and had several opportunities on stalks, but we think he used too much scented sun screen on his face instead of camo paint.He kept gettin busted at long distances, but he didn't get sunburned! We heard and saw many of the elusive Osceola's and hopefully they'll be right where we left 'em for Saturday am. Joey arrives Friday in Orlando and will be driving down to Fisheating Creek that afternoon. We figure it to take him 6 Krispy Kremes from Orlando Airport.
I'll be stopping by GatorDon's to get that Boston Butt and corn pone.!! I lost couple pounds this weekend while down in Empire,La. Tied into a bad crab..He won.
Man Joey, you complained soooooo much about the pot roast, I'm gonna have blue crabs on Friday nite.Biggie said it's ok with him.
Marty Mc..I'm excited about the three mentally challenged gobblers you found for us this coming weekend. Hopefully if all goes well we will get another miss ...i mean shot this year. With 2 cameras running at same time, should be neat. But i'm warning you if you feed me a blue crab, we better cut trap door in the blind..I'm still tore up.
Thanks Steve O...it was a lot of fun writing and remembering all the fun i had pursuing my dream. Couldn't have done it without my friends letting me tagg along or following me to the unknown....i'm working on a followup story called "Walking behind Geronimo" about my Goulds Goobler that finished my Royal..awesome country down there.
Marty left off the part about HIS previously healthy boar hog........
Found a new Dunkin Donuts on the turnpike about two hours from camp so I'll be late ....I'm working on a heated cooler to keep the donuts hot.
Biggie, did you put my signs out again? How much of Schuster's gear are you going to have to carry? all of it probably
Man you guys kill me. Joey, From OIA head east to Narcoosee Rd. Exit south go about 3 miles and the Dunkin Donuts is on the left. You'll also see about 4 big Osceolas behind the 7-11. I honk and make em gobble when I drive by.
Good luck to you guys this weekend. I'll be off to Ocala for the Traditional Bowhunter's of Florida shoot. Need to sharpen up my shooting skills so I can describe my misses in inches this year instead of feet. Also our buddy Jay Campbell is doing a program on how his wife Karen shoots a more manly bow than he does.
GatorDon Bass Pro?
TBF..man ole man that brings back memories and all great ones. Weatherman, Hatchet Jack, gary Gray, Damon and others....i saw Biggie clean out a Dairy Queen full of little leagers one night in Ocala.....hey one year we shot a target and a small black bear broke from the brush...
I'm sure I'll see Ronnie and maybe Jack. I'll be thinking of you guys having fun in the woods while I eat my banana split
Sticks only
if u need help with controlling the turkeys B glad to help :archer:
Ben, There is actually a very strong population of bears in many parts of Florida. The population is actually well sustained in the places where they can get a break from traffic and development.
The pictures of bears and pigs under the same feeder is a first for me though. Those are fair sized bears too.
Joebuck, You get over the crabs yet?
Nineteen birds came through my backyard this morning. Tried to get the camera and hurry some shots..pics from my "cheap" digital...
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a281/sf1oak/P1270007.jpg)
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a281/sf1oak/P1270008.jpg)
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a281/sf1oak/P1270005.jpg)
Hey, what's that white stuff?? Joe I think something is wrong with your camera. I've only seen turkeys walking on green stuff.
What does an Osceola gobbler sound like when it's coming to your calls??
Want to hear it again?
Wow! Florida turkey are as big as our black bear. :jumper:
They wander through my backyard all the time. If I could have gotten the camera sooner, you would have seen them parading up my driveway! By the way, we got more snow today...Last week a flock of over 20 made their way across my front lawn and over to my moms house. They were really chatty today also..
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/whoffman1955/Turkey/IMG_0414.jpg)
There are starting to bloom here in my back yard already....
Gun Hunters 2,Bow hunters 0 for 5!!!!!The gobblers just wouldn't commit to the decoys OR the blinds scared 'em.Don't know which. Joey and I had several Gobblers (3) on Sunday am that went by at 40 yds and Sunday eve, 2 came in behind us and spooked at 30 yds. Joey had a tough shot thru the corner of the screen in the matrix and caught the screen where it was bunched up.Miss. We all experienced the birds kinda stayin out at the 30-40 yd line.
Joey and Matt Schuster forced Biggie and I to seperate this year, hence for the first opening weekend in many years, we didn't score.Besides that, we fought over the jelly doughnuts. Since we both couldn't take the package and that fella is too big to argue with, he won. When his turkey came in, he had a tough time keeping his fingers on the string since they were covered in jelly and he only cut one feather off the bird.If I was with him, I woulda made sure he took paper towels to clean his hands before the shot.He's comin back on the 15th and we'll team up to take care of business.
Well, 5 shot ops are better than none! Sounds like ya'll had a great time...though I'm sure it was all the rowdy laughter from inside the blinds that spooked em'...or maybe the smacking from partaking of the jelly donuts :biglaugh:
It was again a special time. We all had misses but none at decoy range (10yards and in). These Osceolas are defintiely the warest birds i have ever bowhunted in 15 years. But Marty kept it light and fun as always. I mean look at his pic below, how can a man not have a great time with a guy doing something like this all the time. I shot a gagger hog on a feeder stalk and we all ate way too much. ...2009 ...no decoy or blind!!! hold me too it marty!
Marty Mc!( the third Wensel), doing what he does best....screwing off and making you laugh.
(http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c114/swamprooter/MartyDecoy.jpg)
Old Gagger Boar...no teeth!!
Biggie, Schuster and Marty behind me
(http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c114/swamprooter/FloridaHogGang.jpg)
German Silver Flame 185 grain (2" wide) shot through 2" shield 1 rib on a 2219 and 60# bow with 25 yard shot.
(http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c114/swamprooter/GermanSilverFlameShield.jpg)
Guys, it was a whole lot of fun - although we had to use a broadhead file to get Marty and Joey apart. Since Joey published that article in TB this month, Marty just followed him around like a lost puppy. It was embarrassing. Once Marty suggested they both get in the blind but just sit in one chair but Joey wouldn't go for it. Just kidding Marty! You were a great host as usual.
And Don, are you inviting me - should I start packing now? LOL - you'll have to cook some good vittles to compete with this weekend. The Entennmans truck visited with cake, donuts, pies, right before we got there assuring that Biggie would always be first back to camp. Marty would have tried to beat him back but that would have meant leaving Joey alone and we all know that wasn't gonna happen!
Matt, you should know the golden rule by now " do as the Host does or says".....speaking of host( marty). I have never seen a guy buy 2 cups of fish fry and 1 pint of oil to fry 10# of catfish?!! must be that Yankee thing again. Plus I have never seen a grown man text as fast as a teenage girl on his cell phone as marty could back to Biggie every 15 minutes
What you guys gotta realize is that Marty and I kill turkeys every year but we are NOT turkey hunters. Matt is getting more mellow in his old age too, but Joey lives and breathes turkey hunting. I mean, there is nothing in the hunting world more sacred to him. Serious doesn't begin to describe Joey during turkey season. While we were working on the last of the low country boil, Joey was sharpening that dang German broadhead again.
Geez Joey...it's only a bird........
Tell'em Joey , If you had to explain it, you wouldn't understand it anyway.
All I know is Marty said "Fish is ready" and Biggie immediately said "I enjoyed it"...talking about a sneaky eater..Schuster hadn't been around so much fried food in years!.He gained 5#s just looking at us all weekend.
Biggie, you know real bowhunters don't count those gun-killed turkeys - that's the trouble with turkeys - gun hunting them is so easy but bowhunting them is so frustrating.
I bought 10 pounds of fish and before every batch was finished frying, all I heard was "more fish, more fish". I now know how a buffett owner feels when Biggie and the Wensels enter the front door! I tried to fill them up with coleslaw and potatoe salad , but that was all gone too! Schuster looked like a Biafran Baby beside the likes of us!
Matt, as far as gun killed turkeys are concerned, did you ever ask Biggie how many he's shot in the face with a load of # 4's from his 3 1/2 inch magnum?
Bowhunting Turkeys will make you loose your hair.Myself and Matt are proof. I did put the Benelli on one a few years ago after I missed him twice with a Fedora but he was laughing at me and I ain`t gonna have that....RC
Nice boar Joey....congrats...gonna call ya in a bit.
Terry, How come you never call me?
Marty, I know Biggie is talking about gun kills - he likes to eat turkey too much to bowhunt'em. And I will defend your fish cookin ability - MORE FISH!! MORE FISH!
Matt,
I don't know. My feeling are hurt. Actually, we may be able to squezze in a weekend for you. Maybe try when Jay and Karen are around. Gotta check the calendar.
You guys should ask ol' Don Thomas about the DonD fish fry he experienced a couple weeks ago. Japanese Panko snook and yellowtail snapper with a little wasabi cole slaw on the side. We did not garnish with jelly donuts however.
Don, We are into volume not quality. We had Tilapia and Catfish. Biggie always says, he like's his Sushi--fried.
10-4, catfish and tilapia are tough to beat but snook and yellowtail fried with panko bread crumbs just might do it. Besides OUR lease is into quality and quantity. I reserve the right to void that last statement if Biggie shows up.
Panko Fish! First chill fish and pat dry then dredge fish in meal/flour favorite dry batter ( my favorite is Zaterran) in ziplock, then dip fish in 1 egg 1 cup of water (egg wash) then roll fish in Panko Bread Crumps, drop in Peanut ( i like cottonseed oil)oil between 350-375...remove fish when floats and salt then grab a baseball bat and knock the hail out of all your friends trying to steal a piece before grace!!! GatorDon ,I know Panko!! I use it on my ducks after marinating overnight in garlic and buttermilk.... I believe I heard E Don brag on your cooking before!.. I'll put some some fried quail and gravy on you that will make you run naked through the swamp!!! Marty and etc. don't know Panko...Thats too high class for them.....
Joey's got it! I use Zaterans as well.
Fried quail and gravy!! I LOVE fried quail!! I remember that quail Cory M cooked at the Charlotte PBS in 96. Outstanding!
E Don T was refering to my wild hog BBQ which turned out good by accident. E Don is an outstanding cook so if ever in camp with him just volunteer to do dishes and let him cook.
To paraphrase Jose' Ortega y Gassett " One does not hunt in order to kill;on the contrary,one kills in order to have....the last piece of fish"
You guys are awesome!!!!
Congrats Joey :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Guru, you see how sucessful our bounty turned out, only thing we can talk about now is food. We crapped out on the birds. Your going to have to post the first Bow killed bird of the season.
joebuck,
any birds sounding off in your neck of the woods yet. i plan on coming over this weekend to listen.
Oh man........this looks like so much fun...one of these days I have to try turkey hunting!
Marty....Kill something and we'll chat. :D
BTW, I do need your phone number....
tarz@tradgang.com
Joey, you might have better luck with gobblers if you quit using that bearded shemale decoy Jean/Gene!
Featherduster....I'm headed your way!.. I'm a member and hunt at Burkes on the river near Clarksdale! Sardis bird are getting vocal and so are the resident college student turkey hunters.!
Man you guys know I dont have a problem giving an old tom a load of number 5's. When that breast meat is sizzlin in the grease, it doesn't matter to me how it got there :-)
Anything with feathers was made for shotguns...you can quote me on that.
QuoteOriginally posted by Biggie Hoffman:
Anything with feathers was made for shotguns...
Nah........I know better than that!!!
(http://tradgang.com/tg/images6/xg1.jpg)
Geez Terry you can kill them bluehens with rocks.......
I will try a bird with a bow ONLY AFTER A COUPLE GO DOWN WITH THE 10ga
I take my birds real serious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dang Terry you got yer pockets full of Corn your gettin attacked
Biggie, Now that's good stuff!!
It's all in the hat. Them grouse landed on Terry's head lookin to find some food. It's kinda like baiting if you ask me. ;)
Joebuck , as ole 'Jus-tin Wilson use to say down here THAT WAS ONE GOOD P - I - G ..HAWG!!! well done bud!!! you da man! :thumbsup:
Those wern't hens. :readit:
my wife knocked one of them blue chickens out of the tree with a rock,thats one girl that i wish i could throw like.
joebuck
i agree. it use to be nice huntin over there but now its so darn crowded. i am not too far from burkes, i have friends in ward lake, conservation league, blands, millers point and island 66. i dont get to hunt across the levee much but everytime is awesome. Mostly i hunt south of clarksdale in rome, lots of good deer, but no turkeys, thats why i go to the hills. email me sometime i am in around clarksdale a lot.