Circus Midget?

[Keith@AimLow]

Yeah Smitty, I can't believe you passed me up in responsibilities. There was a time when I enveyed all of the time you had to spend in the woods. Now I feel sorry for ya. : )~

[PoisonSnake]

Yeah, it is tough these days. I still get my November time although I teach on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I take some evenings off to hunt, but anymore I don't even worry about hunting until late October. One thing that is gonna get me out there a lot more this fall is I'll only have to step out onto the back deck to whack one.

[lonepine]

whack one out back! ha those are your wife's pets. she is going to want to seem them close to the house. your doom.... you have children, educational...doom

[RB]

I can tell you from experience PS that living where you hunt and where momma lives is not what you think it will be. What ever you do don't give her a walkie talkie.

[PoisonSnake]

They are my pets too. But, if they have big racks, I don't give a rats donkey who's pets they are.

[RB]

PS, dogs and cats are pets not wild critters.

[Warmouth]

I hear that chit all of the time. Don't shoot the turks because they're friendly, don't shoot the deer because they're cute and trusting.

LA starts harping on me when I start after deer #2 from out back. Apparently I should restrict myself to just one.

[Keith@AimLow]

The way I look at it, if can get the animals to start trusting you and put down their defense, it's all part of the pursuit. Isn't that why we put cover scent on? To make the deer feel at ease even though we are close? I would say it's a tougher task to convince one you are his friend and then whack him. The end result is meat in the freezer.

[Great White Hunter]

I've told this story before, but our neighbor has raised 3 wild turkeys. They're all jakes, and they won't get out of the road, they roost on his truck at night and gobble all the time. Come April 8th, I'm going to pull up, cluck a little bit on TT's call and my son's going to shoot one of them boogers.

[Warmouth]

I don't think so Keith. If the animal trusts you, then you aren't beating his senses, you are desensitizing it's fear of man, and then killing it. Not in the same league as going in on his turf, figuring out a pattern and beating his defenses.



Snow, I have the same deal going here. I'd like to get Katie her first tom, but they are so tame, I don't think it'd be much of a first hunt, and starting off with a bird that's 24lb 11" beard, 1.5" spurs would be hard to beat. If she could hold up the .410 on her own, I'd probably let her do it anyway though.



That tom was a struttin, drummin' fool this morning.

[Outdoorsfool]

PS - You ALWAYS got an excuse...but they ain't always good 'uns. This time you MIGHT have lucked out though. But don't be starting down the "no show" road, 'cause you're the first one down it!!



DMR - I've survived more than I remember, so there shouldn't be an issue...besides, it won't be next to the Osage River this year, which should add a little extra safety!



Keith - Not sure exactly which way your post was leaning, so I don't know if I agree or not. But to me, meat in the freezer is not a gauge of my hunt. My folks put corn in their back yard and draw turkey and deer in. They aren't "tame" or "desensitized" by any means, because the minute they see you they are history. But, I still wouldn't shoot one in their backyard because, in my mind, what's the point? If I can't make a better effort then that, I'll give up hunting.

[Warmouth]

Right on ODF.

[Outdoorsfool]

It ain't the result, it's the journey.....grasshopper!

[RB]

ODF, when is the testy fest this year?

[Outdoorsfool]

Same time every year....first Saturday in June. It won't be below Bagnell this year. Ameren UE sold all that land, which resulted in the American Legion Post being kicked out. Festival has been moved back to it's original home, Olean, MO. It's about 10 miles up 54 from Lake Ozark. It's a sight to see several thousand people pack into a town of 200 and county cops trying to keep the drunks from getting run over while the bikers are doing burnouts.