Cell phones
Not counting medical advances, I believe that a most important invention of my lifetime has been the cell phone. Not only does it save lives and stop crime, it can be used for less serious situations as well.
I was in a ground blind on the morning of April 30 when my cell phone vibrated. My hunting companion, Sam Eash of Johnstown, Pa., had sent a text message saying he was having no luck and inquiring about mine. Because I could move in the blind, I sent him a message. “Gobbler in field now,” I wrote.
Five minutes later I shot and sent another message saying “Got him.” That was cool.
Shooting hours
It wouldn’t hurt the turkey populations a bit if hunters were allowed to hunt from dawn to dusk during the spring season, but it sure would make a lot of hunters comatose.
Gobbler camp agenda
Get out of bed at an ungodly hour.
Eat breakfast and talk about women.
Go sit in the woods for six or seven hours.
Return to camp, get something to eat and talk about women.
Take a nap.
Wake up and it is happy hour.
Repeat.
Where do I sign up?
Dead gobbler I
A dead gobbler doesn’t care with what it was shot. I have never used a rifle for spring gobblers, which is legal in West Virginia, but I’m not saying I never will.
Dead gobbler II
My Montana turkey decoys are imprinted with the message “Use of this item could result in death.” I certainly hope so. That’s why I bought them.
Montana decoys
Wow!! I have had Montana decoys for a couple years. One is a full-strut gobbler and the other what the company calls a semi-feeding hen. They are two dimensional. I hadn’t used them much. In March, while on a bear den visit with the Maryland Wildlife Service, Wildlife Technician Ben Smith encouraged me to use them, especially the full-strutter. I did and drew in two W.Va. longbeards that I tagged.
The first bird was a subordinate 2-year-old, 18-pounder with 8-inch beard that came in sheepishly so as not to get his feathered butt kicked.
The second was an almost 22-pounder with 10-inch beard and 1-inch spurs that strutted right in along with another strutter of similar size.
No intimidation here.
Thanks, Ben.
Spring flowers
There are a lot of pretty flowers in the woods during spring gobbler season, but none prettier than the four-petal shotgun wad that lies on the ground between where you pull the trigger and where the gobbler was standing.
Contact Outdoor Editor Mike Sawyers at msawyers@times-news.com.
Michael A Sawyers - Outdoors
Thoughts
- Michael A Sawyers - Outdoors
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Tink was picture- perfect
At the end of our hallway is a room that has served a number of purposes. Originally it was Seth and Ryan's bedroom.
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Stuffing 10 pounds of outdoor news in a 5-pound bag
Pardon me if I use this Sunday to sit back and take a breath.
Wow. -
Mountain State’s backyard backstraps
Homeowners’ associations in West Virginia, especially those in the Eastern Panhandle, are signing on with the Division of Natural Resources for special neighborhood archery hunts for the deer that are eating their ornamental and garden plants.
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Ten miles around the block
Jim and Robin Wiegand, who own and operate the Bassin’ Box in LaVale, have a vision of the upcoming deer season.
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Face spited! Nose gone!
There are pert near 6 million people who live in Maryland.
Each year, about 80,000 who are older than 15, but younger than 65 purchase what is called the Resident Regular Hunting License. -
Reintro of elk just fine by me
OK. I’ve decided. I’m for it.
I’m for the reintroduction of Rocky Mountain elk into Almost Maryland.
I mean it’s not like we’re talking about bringing zebras into Garrett and Allegany counties. -
New regs getting closer in Maryland
The Maryland Wildlife & Heritage Service held two public meeting recently to discuss thoughts about hunting regulations for the next two seasons.
At the one in Annapolis on March 6, a little more than a dozen people attended.
But in Hagerstown on March 13, 160 hunters showed up to let their thoughts be known. Great turnout. -
Let’s get ready to gobble!
The thing I hate about Leap Year is that it makes for one more day that you have to wait until spring gobbler season opens.
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Md. DNR says no to handguns
If blue crabs grew to be 120 pounds in two years or maxed out in the 400- to 600-pound range, I guarantee you that the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the General Assembly would collaborate to find a way to protect Marylanders who stick their toes in the Chesapeake Bay.
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Big increase in Md. hunting license price being considered
The Maryland Wildlife & Heritage Service will seek by way of the General Assembly an astounding increase in the cost of hunting licenses. As of Friday morning the bill had not yet been filed.
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