Gobbler Nation

I hunt alone. I consider my phone a safety lifeline. A flip phone would do the same, but with a smartphone, I can look at live weather radar, use it as a gps, look at maps and navigate, take photos. I could live without it, but why? I have had a buddy contact me while in the woods to let me know whe...

You guys need to pull yourself together. With guns, it's never about "needs". It's all about "wants".

Barry, was it your brother or someone else who made the morel calls out of antler? I remember seeing the photo a couple of years ago or so. Neat call. Gil

Well, speak of the devil. Good to hear from you, Barry. You be the 'mater king. Gil

While on the topic of tubes, whatever happened to "barry"? Hope he is doing okay. He made and sold tubes made from Doan's pill bottles and could really run one. Gil

It's been too many years since my dove retriever had only two legs. Great times and photos. Gil

It is amazing how much longer little dogs live than larger ones. 17 years is a big chunk of a man's life. I know two folks whose Jack Russells lived to be 19. It is unusual for a Jack to live that long because they usually have a high mortality rate for accidental death--like challenging a tractor p...

Hal, nice photos especially your "retrievers". Our season begins on the 6th at noon. I sure wish we hunted in the a.m, however. It'll be a Dove Hunter Steam Roast for sure. Gil

John, the best place to bury a dog is in your heart. We've all been where you are, and if we play our cards right, we'll do it again. I put down my old Aussie 3 years ago August and a day doesn't go by without thinking of him. The easiest decision was deciding I had to do it. The hardest part was li...

Those are good numbers in the 10. Hard to burn up shells, but if that's just one shot, no telling what the next would do. Too bad Federal HW doesn't have #8 shot. A third more shot in each load with the 15 g/cc density #8 would be a tough hombre. Probably wouldn't be legal in all states, but that's ...

Please, continue to reports. Hoping and praying....

I hope things get better soon. Hope the surgery is successful with no problems. Gil

Hal, here's an interesting study of age, sex and weight compiled by NC biologists in the area you probably fished. The oldest fish was 56 years old with lots of 40 year old fish. http://www.sefsc.noaa.gov/sedar/download/S18-RD46%20NC%20RD%20age,%20growth,%20mortality,%20reproductive%20biol.pdf?id=DO...

I've read that these big reds are typically female and can be anywhere from 25-40 years old. I remember old photos from here in the Ga/SC low country when folks would stack them up like cord wood on the docks when they were legal to catch. They aren't fit to eat that big so it's probably a good thin...

Pete, I think you are going to love the gun. Did you go to Ohio to buy it or did you get it from a LGS?? The removable rib makes for some creative opportunities for mounting a red dot or rifle sights should you desire. Here's my first bird, a snipe, with mine a handful of years ago: http://www.hunt1...

hoobilly wrote:I have done this before!

Find the closest gun store to your seller.
Have seller take gun there, leave it with the ffL holder

Send the cashiers check to the FFL holder, then he can ship when your funds have been cleared.

EZpeaZy

That's a good suggestion--if a gun dealer will do it. Gil

Unfortunately many Joes, even Honest Joes, selling guns online at gunbroker or on gun forums aren't merchants with the ability to accept CC's. To keep the seller on his toes so he doesn't pull the "I didn't get the MO" routine and sell to someone else or have a change of heart, I have sent...

As bad as your experience has been with the USPS money order time issues, your chances of getting your money back are far better with the USPS MO than had you used a personal check.

If the price is too good to be true, beware. I would recommend payment via USPS money order. He doesn't want to screw around with postal inspectors for theft. I wouldn't send the money to a p.o. box. I would want to know a physical location where the man lives. Get the man on the phone and have him ...

Here in Georgia the move to allow hunting over deer feeders in certain counties was a political move. I heard a DNR employee on O'Neil Outdoors speaking on the radio about the move. He chose his words carefully, but it was clear it wasn't a scientific or biological need. I know some local fishing gu...

My wife and I were stunned when we heard the news. The Black Dog of depression is a terrible thing to be with. I recall reading his account of where he got his humor. He had just buried his father and was walking with his mother back to the car from graveside when his mother bent over and read a tom...

I have a 45 year-old image stuck in my head of a fishing buddy running across the water like Fred Flintsone on the West Fork of the Chattooga River. I swear he ran on top of the water for about 10 yards. He wasn't screaming Yabba-Dabba-Do, but he was screaming. He was taking a short cut along the st...

Two hot-heads and a life-changing incident in more ways than one. Gil

I heard on the radio a few weeks ago about a fellow in Louisiana who had one of those electric motor helicopter drones fitted with an IR video camera for night hunting. The hogs would be in the high grass but the IR imaging picked up their body heat and displayed them. While looking at the video scr...

Yes, she is a handful. Abby is slowly beginning to accept her and tolerates a lot of nipping from Willa. She's not quite housebroken on peeing, but has adapted to the crate very well. The M37 is my favorite shotgun. I have more than a handful ranging from 28 gauge, several 20's and 16's. LAPD used t...