Turkey hunting forum for turkey hunting tips

I did my annual fall garage cleaning/reorganizing today. Buried in one of the Tupperware containers I found a picture of my first Turkey that I got in PA in the early 80's. I thought I lost this photo when I moved in 2005. I am on the right, my college friend Bill with his Coors hat on left. It brings back fond memories as if it was yesterday. Hopefully you all have your first photo, it brings it all back.....be well.

 Damn,I wish,I could upload photos to this Site. I is very easy indeed to upload  Photos to huntingny.com as well as njwoodsandwaters. I gave trying  on this site though

Quote from: quavers59 on October 08, 2022, 06:26:00 PM
Damn,I wish,I could upload photos to this Site. I is very easy indeed to upload  Photos to huntingny.com as well as njwoodsandwaters. I gave trying  on this site though

Most of my problems posting photos are because my files are to big. I downloaded a free file compression app to reduce the file size than download to this sight.

Cool pic !!!

Far as I know, the only pics that exist of my first are a couple of TOTALLY crappy Polaroids..........

Tom, that's a picture of memories. That old school camo was and is still pretty good stuff... We were lucky to have camo back in those early years ...

very nice Tom, no I don't have pic's of my first few, but the memory of the first is still very fresh in my mind!

Thanks team, yes I thought I lost this pic till today. Now I can hang it in my game room. A treasured memory for sure. Love to see some of yours..

My first and only to date. May 18 2019

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OK.   Found them.   And I done told ya............    :TooFunny:

These are cell phone pictures of Polaroid pictures (some of you may have to Google that  :toothy12:)

Approximately 1981

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52414066256_d40b699d11_c.jpg)

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52414066041_e02941b8b5_z.jpg)

Quote from: Tom007 on October 08, 2022, 09:26:46 PM
Thanks team, yes I thought I lost this pic till today. Now I can hang it in my game room. A treasured memory for sure. Love to see some of yours..

Such a great thing to dig up and find. I'm pretty sure no one took any pictures of me during my earlier hunting years, not that I can remember. I do remember my wife, when we were young taking a few pictures, not sure if they were ever developed, we might not of had the money back then, lol!

Quote from: Zobo on October 08, 2022, 11:39:31 PM

Quote from: Tom007 on October 08, 2022, 09:26:46 PM
Thanks team, yes I thought I lost this pic till today. Now I can hang it in my game room. A treasured memory for sure. Love to see some of yours..

Such a great thing to dig up and find. I'm pretty sure no one took any pictures of me during my earlier hunting years, not that I can remember. I do remember my wife, when we were young taking a few pictures, not sure if they were ever developed, we might not of had the money back then, lol!

Quote from: Yoder409 on October 08, 2022, 10:38:38 PM
OK.   Found them.   And I done told ya............    :TooFunny:

These are cell phone pictures of Polaroid pictures (some of you may have to Google that  :toothy12:)

Approximately 1981

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52414066256_d40b699d11_c.jpg)

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52414066041_e02941b8b5_z.jpg)

Quote from: Sir-diealot on October 08, 2022, 10:14:37 PM
My first and only to date. May 18 2019

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Great pics, love to see that old camo.....Thx for the memories....

All of my early hunting photos burned up in a fire at my dad's house when I was in the Marines over 20 yrs ago but here are my 2 favorite pictures of my daughters both getting their first. I will trade these over mine any day.(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20221009/fad4080faf28799692e4a6793910d40c.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20221009/326c47b4539301713e2aac652084cf4d.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20221009/cba27e52d8a0d01e516148b7c2c0868f.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20221009/f703a51175eaa292ccccf98464f265a1.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20221009/d257bebb79f7d7d8a0eb6801acab8fba.jpg)

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Quote from: Tom007 on October 08, 2022, 09:26:46 PM
Thanks team, yes I thought I lost this pic till today. Now I can hang it in my game room. A treasured memory for sure. Love to see some of yours..

Scan it and save it also.   

Well way back when I killed my first gobbler,  pictures were a little too heavy to pack around...here's the pic and complete story.

https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/hieroglyphs-obelisk-sultanahmet-istanbul-25902350.jpg

Seriously though, my parents took them on slides and I have no idea where they went too. My first print was in 1980 after I got married
my wife and I splurged on a fancy camera for our wedding and honey moon pictures:

here's my 1980 first picture I actually had as a print. By this time I had hunted almost 10 years and still didn't own camoflage....yeah I killed
jakes, if it came to the call it died.

Awesome Tom, that was a great find, rocking in the 80s?

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First turkey
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4591/24073304457_67a49371af.jpg)
First Longbeard, Still have a breast feather from this gobbler under the buttplate of the Win, 37 single shot 20 gauge I used,  Also still have the beard.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51918195733_c7e54b8e56.jpg)
Camo?

Quote from: guesswho on October 09, 2022, 08:37:43 AM

Quote from: Tom007 on October 08, 2022, 09:26:46 PM
Thanks team, yes I thought I lost this pic till today. Now I can hang it in my game room. A treasured memory for sure. Love to see some of yours..

Scan it and save it also.

Will do, thank you...your picture is priceless.....

Quote from: guesswho on October 09, 2022, 06:59:44 PM
First turkey
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4591/24073304457_67a49371af.jpg)
First Longbeard, Still have a breast feather from this gobbler under the buttplate of the Win, 37 single shot 20 gauge I used,  Also still have the beard.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51918195733_c7e54b8e56.jpg)
Camo?

GREAT STUFF !!!!

It's a good feeling to know that..........even though my first bird was about 5 years before Realtree or Mossy Oak...........some folks' were before color photography.    ;D

Makes me feel young-ISH.    :toothy12:

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20221010/c77d2efdb7af4a8fb752e3cd5d8bb0b9.jpg)
I didn't get into Turkey hunting till late, we really didn't have a good Turkey population when I first got into hunting. This is my first from 2008.


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Nice photo..

Quote from: Tom007 on October 10, 2022, 06:31:54 AM
Nice photo..

Yep.

VERY nice !!    :icon_thumright:

Quote from: Yoder409 on October 09, 2022, 08:15:53 PM
It's a good feeling to know that..........even though my first bird was about 5 years before Realtree or Mossy Oak...........some folks' were before color photography.    ;D

Makes me feel young-ISH.    :toothy12:

;D  Yep.   I'm still about that same age in my mind, especially when I'm turkey hunting. 

Amen to that my friends...

Quote from: Sir-diealot on October 08, 2022, 10:14:37 PM
My first and only to date. May 18 2019

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Cool photo on that "wood fence". Real nice Steve..

Quote from: Tom007 on October 11, 2022, 06:23:10 AM

Quote from: Sir-diealot on October 08, 2022, 10:14:37 PM
My first and only to date. May 18 2019

Sent from my moto g pure using Tapatalk

Cool photo on that "wood fence". Real nice Steve..

Thanks, it is actually the sons ladder to his deer stand, but it worked well. Wish my friend that took the picture of me and the turkey would not have cut off the turkeys head.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20221011/7e8363ddeb49bc22939bb36f586bc938.jpg)
I'll have to dig through some pictures at mom and dads to try and find my first from 2004. Did manage to find this picture of my wife's (girlfriend at the time) from 2017. She hasn't gone a year without killing at least one since and actually hunted by herself a couple times last year when I was working


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April, 1975
Second gobbler, but no picture of the first one from 1969. 
Lots of good times since, but boy how time flies by!

(http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc4/GobbleNut/100_0995.jpg)

Quote from: GobbleNut on October 11, 2022, 05:06:02 PM
April, 1975
Second gobbler, but no picture of the first one from 1969. 
Lots of good times since, but boy how time flies by!

(http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc4/GobbleNut/100_0995.jpg)

Wow, fantastic photo. A treasured memory.......

What kind of hairdo is that? :TooFunny: :TooFunny:
Looks like a ghost cut.

Mine was in a burn.(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20221011/f03f883f214758137456a8ab58acf535.jpg)


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Actually know which album it's in, but didn't find it this weekend. My picture is of the second turkey "Tom" I killed for the season, first turkey was a Jake.

It like others is a Polaroid picture, in color! Nice gobbler, nice beard, did his brothers proud and me too!

It was the days of Trebark.

Quote from: guesswho on October 11, 2022, 05:37:55 PM
What kind of hairdo is that? :TooFunny: :TooFunny:
Looks like a ghost cut.

:TooFunny: ;D  Yeah, kinda does, doesn't it.  nowadays, that ghost cut is much more pronounced.   ;D
...And, by the way Hasselhoff, you got no room to be talkin'!  Remember, I've seen some of your pictures from back in those days!   :angel9:

 :TooFunny:

Quote from: guesswho on October 11, 2022, 05:37:55 PM
What kind of hairdo is that? :TooFunny: :TooFunny:

Looks like David Cassidy from the Partridge Family !!!

:toothy12:

Quote from: Yoder409 on October 12, 2022, 11:25:51 AM

Quote from: guesswho on October 11, 2022, 05:37:55 PM
What kind of hairdo is that? :TooFunny: :TooFunny:

Looks like David Cassidy from the Partridge Family !!!

:toothy12:

Fellas, we all know we all had those long locks when we were younger........at least the girls liked it.  :drool:

Not my first, I didn't even kill this bird, guy in white hat did, but the oldest pic I could find with two good buddies, probably close to 30 years ago!
(https://i.imgur.com/hKuCe0q.jpg)

First double with a good buddy!
(https://i.imgur.com/XryjPu8.jpg)

Quote from: Tom007 on October 12, 2022, 01:05:09 PM

Quote from: Yoder409 on October 12, 2022, 11:25:51 AM

Quote from: guesswho on October 11, 2022, 05:37:55 PM
What kind of hairdo is that? :TooFunny: :TooFunny:

Looks like David Cassidy from the Partridge Family !!!

:toothy12:

Fellas, we all know we all had those long locks when we were younger........at least the girls liked it.  :drool:

Funny how back then we had a lot more hair and a lot less weight, boy how things change. My last trip to a barber I was charged a "finders fee", now the gobblers have more hair in their beards than I do on my head. I am also packing the additional equivilent of a couple good sized gobblers around, more now. Man if I had the knowledge I have now with that go get em body and energy, turkey's would probably be extinct in my area by now. I was as dumb as I was skinny in those days, when it came to outsmarting gobblers. I think  that is why they're harder to kill now, us old timers took the dumbass one's out of the gene pool.

Quote from: 3bailey3 on October 12, 2022, 02:43:57 PM
First double with a good buddy!
(https://i.imgur.com/XryjPu8.jpg)

Treasure my friend....

Thank goodness I managed to keep my good looks and self respect over the last 20 years. I had to dig, but this is my first turkey. Also attached a picture of my last which was killed with the same gun i used to kill my first.Thankfully I still have the same haircut and can still wear those same clothes. Man I can't believe I have managed to keep looking this good for so long. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20221012/ca4febb777e01e8e499c897f32dac311.jpg)

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(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20221012/4ed14d89a383f8fc23b9f5f4bb805d1e.jpg)

Quote from: eggshell on October 12, 2022, 04:27:58 PM

Quote from: Tom007 on October 12, 2022, 01:05:09 PM

Quote from: Yoder409 on October 12, 2022, 11:25:51 AM

Quote from: guesswho on October 11, 2022, 05:37:55 PM
What kind of hairdo is that? :TooFunny: :TooFunny:

Looks like David Cassidy from the Partridge Family !!!

:toothy12:

Fellas, we all know we all had those long locks when we were younger........at least the girls liked it.  :drool:

Funny how back then we had a lot more hair and a lot less weight, boy how things change. My last trip to a barber I was charged a "finders fee", now the gobblers have more hair in their beards than I do on my head. I am also packing the additional equivilent of a couple good sized gobblers around, more now. Man if I had the knowledge I have now with that go get em body and energy, turkey's would probably be extinct in my area by now. I was as dumb as I was skinny in those days, when it came to outsmarting gobblers. I think  that is why they're harder to kill now, us old timers took the dumbass one's out of the gene pool.

Amen my brother, I agree they are more educated with predation, hunting pressure, and land lose. It's much more rewarding when you harvest an old Tom now than it was years ago. Thank god we still have them to pursue......be safe

Quote from: Happy on October 12, 2022, 04:40:03 PM
Thank goodness I managed to keep my good looks and self respect over the last 20 years. I had to dig but this is my first turkey. Thankfully I still have the same haircut and can still wear those same clothes. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20221012/ca4febb777e01e8e499c897f32dac311.jpg)

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Nice pic, clean cut young lad........great bird....

Thanks, like most I could show some hunting and fishing photos that aren't so stellar. I am still young at heart if that counts for anything. Now if i could get rid of some of the minor aches and pains i seem to have picked up i would be a happy fellow

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Quote from: Happy on October 12, 2022, 05:51:16 PM
Thanks, like most I could show some hunting and fishing photos that aren't so stellar. I am still young at heart if that counts for anything. Now if i could get rid of some of the minor aches and pains i seem to have picked up i would be a happy fellow

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I wish you well my friend, we will be trading memories this spring once again.....

Quote from: guesswho on October 11, 2022, 05:37:55 PM
What kind of hairdo is that? :TooFunny: :TooFunny:
Looks like a ghost cut.

:TooFunny:



Looks like he was a captain way back then, and Tennille put Nair on his forehead when he was sleeping

Quote from: crow on October 13, 2022, 08:22:09 AM

Quote from: guesswho on October 11, 2022, 05:37:55 PM
What kind of hairdo is that? :TooFunny: :TooFunny:
Looks like a ghost cut.

:TooFunny:

Looks like he was a captain way back then, and Tennille put Nair on his forehead when he was sleeping

Looks to me like this captain needs to make a few select individuals walk the plank.  This is beginning to look like a mutiny!...   ;D :angel9:

That ship has sailed

Quote from: crow on October 13, 2022, 09:01:06 PM
That ship has sailed

I thought it sank. 

Quote from: guesswho on October 14, 2022, 09:32:28 AM

Quote from: crow on October 13, 2022, 09:01:06 PM
That ship has sailed

I thought it sank.

It did, that was that episode he pulled last year when he was trying to pick up those spring break chicks on Lake Tahoe. It was a real scene man.

I don't even remember what year it was but I was young and skinny so a long time ago. I know it was years before digital cameras. I never will forget it. I was evening hunting. I was trying to get in between the roosting area and fields. I had no idea how to call. Apparently the bird didn't know I didn't know how to call.  He answered and stopped about 100 yards in front of me. There was about 20 minutes of light left. I realized he wasn't going to come any closer so I started towards him. He saw me and ran. I didn't see him exit the thicket so I figured he was hiding. I began to ease down the road and he poked his head up. Shot him with a youth model 20 gauge. I had to drive close to an hour to get home with him. I still get a little excited thinking about it.
(https://i.imgur.com/bbUbjVk.jpg?2)

Nice photos....

Pretty sure I was 25 in this picture, called a bird in for my buddy first year out, 2nd year was my dad and 3rd year was mine!

MK M GOBL

Been busy thanks to Hurricane Ian but finally got around to digging this one up.  That's me on the left.  Late in the Ohio season at Tar Hollow State Park.  Have lost contact with my "guide" but I'm sure he's still chasing them.  We are both in our 70s now.  Wow.
Resizing for this forum certainly made the picture a little weird.  It is what it is.

Keep them coming....

Here's a fixed photo Joey:

Quote from: eggshell on October 20, 2022, 12:57:55 PM
Here's a fixed photo Joey:

The old Koplin Gun Skinz, I think that's what they were called.   I remember those, still have one on an old Mag 10 and an 1148 16 gauge. 

good job eggshell

that first pic looked like the prototype for the funky chicken decoy

Thanks for the picture fix.

You look the same Joey......

A little emotional on this one................

Roosted these birds the night before.  Took Dad with me.  First time he'd ever gone spring turkey hunting.  First time he'd ever seen it done.  I called two birds with several hens in tow.  We were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder against an ancient cherry.  We talked this one the whole way through to a simultaneous trigger pull.  Birds fell feet apart.   Dad's first, last and only spring bird.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52443088468_024ee4980c_c.jpg)

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52443088188_1e08e4415d_c.jpg)

Quote from: Yoder409 on October 20, 2022, 09:57:28 PM
A little emotional on this one................

Roosted these birds the night before.  Took Dad with me.  First time he'd ever gone spring turkey hunting.  First time he'd ever seen it done.  I called two birds with several hens in tow.  We were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder against an ancient cherry.  We talked this one the whole way through to a simultaneous trigger pull.  Birds fell feet apart.   Dad's first, last and only spring bird.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52443088468_024ee4980c_c.jpg)

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52443088188_1e08e4415d_c.jpg)

Memories and blessings for sure

A few from back in the day. My first and 2nd birds. 1983 I'm pretty sure. Used my Winchester model 12. Check out the LL bean pac boots

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20221021/d105c1155bb5fe214e9934a242e1856e.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20221021/bf471be0eb1b852a56a41ba3e43d7995.jpg)

Many moons ago. Yep its a polaroid. I hunted for three years before killing this bird. Been addicted ever since.

Wow, Beauty and a fine memory for sure....

I don't have a photo of my first. I remember it was the first day of the fall season 1975 here in Pa.  Nice fall gobbler.  Very exciting for a 15 year old teenager.

I can't remember the exact year, but it was around 2008 or earlier. Took this bird with my hand me down 20 gauge 870 Wingmaster with a fixed modified barrel and #6 pheasant load.

Real nice memories..

Not my 1st, but 3rd killed near Ridgeway, SC in Fairfield Co. This Gobbler thrashed around in the wet bottomland, hence the muddy feathers. A guy that owned a small hunting & fishing shop & also wrote fishing & hunting articles for the Winnsboro newspaper would take a picture of your trophy for $5. The pic dates back to 1993' which explains the Jim Crumley Trebark camo. I killed 32 Wild Turkeys in 23 years off this 3000 acre lease which I had all to myself for 4 years before some of the deer hunters decided to try & become Turkey hunters.

Unfortunately I have lost the photo of my first one and the beard, fan, and spurs somehow. It was back in 06. I was 11. I missed at least one every year from 02 until 06 because no one in my family Turkey hunted and my dad was telling me to shoot at them at 50+ yards. My first one was a Jake, I called him up and didn't shoot when dad told me to about 10 different times and shot him at 8 steps. I was determined he wasn't going to be a miss. My earliest photo I have is from about 2013. I was 18. It would have been about the 20th I had killed. The one that means the most to me is the second picture, it was the first my dad had ever had called up to him. He told me it was the best hunt he had ever had in his life and said it topped his once in a lifetime Ky elk hunt. We doubled.And my daughter was 9 months old. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230126/a1da60a146be23532b2e20e86878203f.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230126/fd8ad3f0b013581177af97e791827813.jpg)


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My first turkey was a jake on a WMA in Florida. The next year, in the early 1990's, I got my first gobbler on the same WMA.
He came down the trail shock gobbling at a fire engine siren. Being a firefighter, I knew this was my bird. As the engine went out of hearing range, I started calling. 10 minutes later he strutted out of a fire break into the oak hammock I was set up in. A couple minutes later I had my first gobbler!! (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230126/b58939a227fffe2e2dc850386631580b.jpg)

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(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230127/5360acdd6fed7bf68e9dfebc8e92927d.jpg)
My first and patient zero for my obsession, he ran the 100yrds separating us so quickly that I didn't think to shoot him, he made it to the base of a large cliff I was on top of and ran out of sight around the side. I was sure he ran off until I heard his wings and realized he was flying up to the backside so he could come to me. I've always been overly patient on the trigger and allowed him one last gobble in my face at about 5 big steps before rolling him back down the hill he just flew up. As you can see from the bloody hand, like so many of our first timers, I was clueless what to do with a flapping bird and got a good and mighty flogging while holding him at arms length!


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This is a great thread, I love all the pictures!

X2, keep them coming....

Sumter National Forest, Newberry Co. SC 1985. Remember it like it was yesterday.

My first turkey.  Fall 1992 State land in Schoharie, NY.  Winchester 1300 20 gauge NWTF I got new.  Ammo used was whatever dad gave me.  First post also.  Did it work?

My first turkey was killed on the last day, last half hour, of my first year hunting them. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230131/e328b72f11da889372062786a19f51df.jpg)

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My sons first turkey.  2019 jake. Same gun as i used in 1992 if you look 2 posts up.


(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230131/709289254f3b6c8ba181ba695e6c563a.jpg)


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Nice to see the Winchester getting it done

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230131/6e27bdcce00ff645ee6287d0bc3e6744.jpg)
Pouring rain could not ruin the day. Blessed that I had a pops that had spent time scouting for me. And we still made it in time for church. Forever grateful


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I don't recall taking a picture of my first bird.  I do believe this was the second bird, my first longbeard.  I had to crop the pic a bit as he was my closest kill ever.  The top of his head was missing so I cut the gore out.  Sorry for the picture of a picture, this was pre-digital cameras.  (https://i.imgur.com/2hCczSjh.jpg)

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230215/d3e526c731b20076773983a8de0437fb.jpg)

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Quote from: Cowboy on February 15, 2023, 09:18:59 AM
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230215/d3e526c731b20076773983a8de0437fb.jpg)

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Nice! Looking at his ammo belt i am thinking a 45-70 sharps maybe? That's the original tss!

Quote from: Cowboy on February 15, 2023, 09:18:59 AM
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230215/d3e526c731b20076773983a8de0437fb.jpg)

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Looks like Dale Earnhardt

That is one awesome mustache


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Cameras weren't invented when I got my lst

Quote from: Howieg on February 17, 2023, 11:20:11 AM
Cameras weren't invented when I got my lst

Well now you can go back to where you did the original cave drawing and take a photo of that for us. :TooFunny:

Quote from: Tail Feathers on February 17, 2023, 02:01:16 PM

Quote from: Howieg on February 17, 2023, 11:20:11 AM
Cameras weren't invented when I got my lst

Well now you can go back to where you did the original cave drawing and take a photo of that for us. :TooFunny:

lol You think that drawing will be in color or black and white?

April 1987