Welcome team mates!

[FullChoke]

Welcome! This is our own dedicated folder for The Roaring 20's and this is where we will handle most communications, postings, scoring data, successes and embarrassing moments suffered at the hands (?) of a bird with a walnut sized brain.

As we have every year, in the spirit of camaraderie and union, take a moment to introduce yourself and tell us as much as you feel will not directly violate any federal confidentiality clauses. I am a great fan of witness protection. Let us know your name, what you do, where do you live, how long you've been hunting turkeys, etc. etc.

As I have said before, the best teams have been the ones where everyone participates and feels free to discuss subjects that help us be successful in the spring turkey woods such as calling, callers, tactics, tricks, well you get the idea. By openly and freely sharing information here, we all have the potential to grow as better hunters.

Hunt safely, have fun, kill gobblers.

FullChoke

[FullChoke]

I will go ahead and start off the formal introductions.

My name is Norman Sisson and I live in Madison, MS just north of the capital city of Jackson. My wonderful wife and I have been married for right at 37 years and have raised 2 beautiful, strong and talented daughters who are out on their own. I have been chasing turkeys on and off since the spring of 1974 when I was at college at Mississippi State University. Back then, because there were not that many turkeys, no one really wanted to tell anyone anything about how to hunt turkeys and certainly wouldn't tell where I could find them, so I had a rather long and frustrating learning curve. During the day I am a computer designer with an environmental engineering firm, and an artist at night working in graphite, acrylics, watercolors, sculpture and now digital graphics. I am a 2 time world champion of the wingbone yelper division of the Grand National NWTF Turkey Call Competition, but I have had to quit making them due to eyesight.

I started hunting with a 20 gauge after I won an NWTF Edition Remington 870 Express at our local banquet. I have it pretty much dialed in at this point. I will be shooting Federal FC HW 7's this year. I have had some very good patterns with them in the past. I can usually be found hunkered next to a tree hunting gobblers on public and private lands here in central Mississippi.

I never grow weary of the spring ritual of this glorious cat and mouse game that we play.

FC

[mason3toes]

My name is Adam Mason and I live in Stevenson, AL. I am Married to a good women and we have 3 kids ages 8 months, 2 and a 4 years old. This will be my 3rd year chasing turkeys and I enjoy hunting our local management area along with a few smaller private properties. This year I am including a 900 acre property that is loaded with turkeys. I shoot an 870 and sling TSS 9's out of it. I have been fortunate to get my Alabama limit the previous 2 seasons and hope to keep that trend going. Good hunting guys!

[3seasons]

My name is Scott McDonald and I'm from Brookhaven MS. Been married to an awesome woman for a little over  2 years. She loves to hunt with me and loves for me to go because she knows what it means to me. The only negative I have about her is that she may actually get more nervous than me when a turkey come in close.(not a negative at all just a fun joke that I mess with her about) I have an 11yr old daughter that is eat up with the hunting/outdoor bug. I took her to Oklahoma and with one of my friends and our teammates help(Sandman) she was able to take her first turkey and she was beyond happy.

I work at a nuclear power plant(lol please don't hold that against me) and I work way to much and when I'm not there I train retrievers at my kennel. I do take some time to hit the woods though to keep my sanity.

Killed my first bird when I was 6 and haven't slacked up on them since. I love to hunt everything but turkeys are at the top of the list.

Currently I'm chipping away at my US Super Slam with a good friend of mine.  It's a blast to get to see this beautiful country and all the places it has to offer. Meet some good folks along the way also. As crazy at it is I've never hunted any adjoining states to MS so this year I'm going to hunt all the different adjoining states on my weekends. Sooo if any of our teammates can help a teammate out PM me and we'll talk, anyone wanting to come try a MS bird or any other state I've hunted just let me know. 
I hunt mostly public land with some private here and there but I really like the challenge public land provides. Never afraid to knock on doors either.

Looking forward to the season and hope everyone has a successful and fun season.

[Full strut]

My name is Brandon Wood. Im from central Arkansas and have been fortunate enough to grow up with skilled turkey hunters who taught me the ways early in life. I'm active duty military so I try my best to take leave every turkey season and get back to my roots and get on some birds. I am switching it up this year and going to an 870 youth 20, but previous years I have shot an m2 20. Not married but have a serious girlfriend and a few good duck dogs. Look forward to hanging out with y'all this season and chewin the fat.

[xarcher]

It's great to be back with you all again this year.  But before I go any further, I want to thank Norm for being our Captain again this year.  We are lucky to have him and his enthusiasm. 

So my name is Jeff and I live in western PA with my wife of almost 34 years.  3 kids grown and out of the nest.  As far as turkey hunting, think about it practically all the time.  Really love the game.  I find myself remembering the hours and hours of fooling with them, but can't remember what they weighed. All dead birds look the same I guess. 

My job has taken me to many places over the years and have cultivated many turkey hunting opportunities.  This year I might end up in any one of the following...AL, SC, NC, OH and WV and then wrap up the season in May in my home state of PA.  Took the 20 gage plunge quite a while ago and shoot a Remy 1187 and #9 TSS.  Quite honestly, I started shooting it for the novelty, but I quickly realized it patterns better than any 3-1/2 inch 12 gage round and choke I have ever tried.  I grew up just like everybody else thinking that you had to carry a canon in the woods to be effective.  Guess I am just a slow learner. 

This team knocked on the door last year but fell a few pounds/inches short.  Whaddya say we put our name on the trophy this year.  But more importantly to all my small bore brethren, good luck this year, have some fun, learn a lesson or two, and above all, be safe.

[paintbrush]

  I'm Bill Bongs and I hail from Brainerd MN. I'm a painting contractor by trade and have been slapping paint on for the past 37 years now. Married with 2 grown kids and 6 grand kids.  I hunt and fish year round. Bass fish in the summer and pan fish and walleye fish in the winter. Chase Turkeys in the spring and Deer, ducks,geese,pheasants and grouse in the fall.
I've been chasing after these grand birds for the past 30 years or so now and will never get tired of doing so! I'm self taught in this passion as when I first started turkey hunting, there was no such thing as a wild turkey within a 150 miles of me. I like hunting and thought this turkey hunting in the spring thing might be fun. Was I right on about that! I've hunted several states and have 1 slam under my belt. This year I will be hunting in MN., SD., NE. for sure and most likely WI.  Might do a couple of SD hunts on  some of the tribal grounds out there. Being self-employed does have some benefits 
  For a 20 I shoot a T/C Encore with a  Indian Creek choke and Hevi 7"s. Like the light weight of this gun. Looking forward to being part of this team and getting to knowing everybody. Come on spring!

[cramerhunts]

Howdy guys and thanks for having me.

I'm Phil Cramer and currently live in Goodyear, Arizona. I'm born and raised in AZ but lived in Wyoming and Nevada and fortunately found my way home about 10 years ago. I've been married for almost 18 years and have two great daughters of 15 and 13. One is only one bird away from her Royal Slam which we hope to get this spring. I work for a drilling company and have for the last 19 years. I have been hunting since I was ten and that includes turkeys! Blessed to grow up in a family that lived to hunt and be in the outdoors and I'm carrying on the tradition.

After setting up and shooting a 870 youth for my daughter last year I quickly traded in the 11-87 for a youth 870 for myself.

My first hunt will be in Florida in March so I hope to get an early bird on the board!

[harleytom]

Greg Crane here. I hunt mostly Alabama and have recently moved back home to north MS where I will also hunt a bit. I have 2 out of state hunts, one in FL where I will be hunting with a high school classmate who is hoping to get his first Osceola, the second is in northern NE in late May where I hope to 1. Complete my Grand Slam and get my oldest grandson ( on his first turkey, not necessarily in that order of course. This team had a good season last year and was very close to being in contention if all members had posted their birds as agreed upon. I look forward to sharing our highs and lows of the upcoming season as a group. Good luck and happy hunting!

[surehuntsalot]

My name is Steve Randall, I live in central Mississippi along with my wife of 30 years. We have 3 grown children and 1 grandson. I am a jobsite supervisor for a commercial construction company. Been chasing turkeys for close to 38 years or so. Been in a slump, hope to get out of it this year.

[3bailey3]

Hey guys Dwayne Bailey checking in, I hope it does not take as long for me to kill a bird as it took me to down load the banner!! I live right down the road from our leader, central Ms. I take most of the season off work to chase the wild turkey. I shoot a Benelli m2 with a sum toy choke and Federal heavyweight 7's. I love some custom calls, I have about 30 pots, I just got 4 new ones this year that I can not wait to try out! I hope every one has a great season.

[Sand Man]

Russ Sanders here, and I hail from the great state of Texas.  Although I was born and raised in Louin, MS and cut my teeth hunting Easterns.  Makes chasing these Rios childs play.     Been married to my awesome wife 11 years.  We have a 5 year old daughter and 3 year old son.

I enjoy hunting just about anything, but my main passion is ducks in the winter and turkeys in the spring.  My dad got me hooked on this obsession we call turkey hunting.  He carried me since I was knee high to a duck.  I have some great memories with him hunting those WMA tight lipped swamp thunder chickens.  If nothing else, it taught me patience at an early age.  I don't remember if I was 6 or 7 when I killed my first bird, but I do remember roosting him while out ridding my 4-wheeler one afternoon.  I called dad who was away at work to tell him about it.  He made a phone call to the guy that taught him how to hunt (Junior Waldrup), and he took me hunting the next morning.  I remember that bird hammering on the roost, flying out in the field, and strutting all the way to the end of the barrel of my 1100.  I remember the smell from the heavy dew on the ground and that bright yellow school bus driving down the dirt road to pick up all my friends for school and thinking how great it was learning something other than numbers that day.  I also remember the scalding how water in that big tin tub Mr. Junior used to wet the bird and teach me how to pluck him.  I still have that beard and spur to this day.  I wish Mr. Junior was around where I could return the favor now, but he's been gone for years now.  Here's to you Mr. Junior on taking this kid hunting and a memory he'll never forget since his dad was away working.

Anyway, I grew up and got a football scholarship to play for Texas Christian.  Earned my degree in Mechanical Engineering, got a great job designing fighter jets for Lockheed Martin, chased a pretty TX blonde around, got married, had kids, blinked, and it's been 19 years of living in Texas.

Like most everyone else I had to have that Mossberg 835 12ga 3.5" 24" barrel shoulder breaking turkey stomper when it hit the market.  I've since graduated to a youth 870 20ga shooting #9.5 hand rolled TSS loads.  I completed my slam last year in Nebraska with that 20ga.  I plan on going to a 28ga and trying to complete a slam with it.  I'd really like to start working on my US Super Slam like Scott (3seasons) is doing, but hopefully my little man will love this sport as much as I do and can knock out a lot of states with him by my side.

Hopefully come the 1st of April I can contribute a nice bird to help the team.  My plans are to hunt TX, OK, TN, AR, KS, and maybe a trip up North to NE/SD for Merriams.  Have to see how it all shakes out.  There's never enough time to fit in all the trips I want to take.

[jakesdad]

Sorry it took me so long to post on here but here goes. My name is Tim and i'm 46. I live in a small town in NE Missouri (Palmyra) and also work for the city. I have been married for almost 12 yrs to a wonderful christian woman that comes from a non-hunting(not anti) family so its been a work in progress.   We have 2 boys ages 10 and 7. Been chasing birds for 30 years and its just gets better every year,especially since ive got 2 buddies to take along. Will be back at it again in 17' but with both boys playing competitive travel baseball its going to be a challenge to sneak in as many days as id like,but we will manage.Glad to be back on board for another year on this great team!

[old frank]

Hi, I am Frank and from Georgia.

Longtime married with three kids and four Grand kids aged 7 to 21.
I am retired from Aviation maintenance and have way too many hobbies with most of them being outdoors.
I hunt on a friends farm so from year to year I never know how the turkey hunting will be, last year was bad, I am hoping for better this year.

Luckily we have a long season in Georgia and if I can keep myself from looking at the pond and all the fish in it, I will be in the woods and trying my best to score for the team.