Got served an ad online the other day for a gobbler decoy on remote control wheels. Fully driveable "for field birds" as it said. After I got done shaking my head it got me to thinking about how true old school turkey killers used to kill em with nothing more than flannel shirt for camo and gun/shell combo we would be embarrassed to shoot compared to these days. Still got it done.
Who are some of the old school killers that come to mind from your area? I knew a man growing up decades back that was the best hunter I've ever known and an avid smoker. Took me with him as a kid and told me "we can smoke this morning until the fog wears off and they'll never know the difference." Makes me laugh even now. Chain smoked until about 8am. He was a true woodsman and shot a pump 10 gauge.
None here. I grew up not knowing any serious turkey hunters until I was about 12. That fellow was a dyed-in-the-wool Raye eye disciple. Got to hunt with him one time and we didn't hear a gobbler. After that it was on my own and learning as I went. He did teach me a lot about calling though and bought me my second diagram call. A quaker boy boss hen.
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I was fortunate enough to be raised by a couple. I would consider both my Mom and Dad old school. Took them years to make the change from paper shells to those new fancy plastic shells. And our neighbor was a hardcore turkey killer. His name was George Loftin. I remember several occasions where people would stop and talk to us. The question was always asked, y'all done any good? Standard reply was nope, ain't heard or seen nothing all year. Several times there would be a dead gobbler in the trunk. I'm glad I was raised in that time period. If you were lucky you might have a Camo hat or an old military jacket. I remember the calls were homemade cane calls that we would piece together for the weekend hunt when we got to camp and a ps olt scratch box. Fun times and priceless memories.
I guess.............in this area.......it's me.
Growing up, there were no turkeys here. The first one that showed up near our place was in, I believe, 1979. I knew of 2 other guys who hunted turkeys. One was a buddy's dad. He's been gone for 15 years. The other is my wife's uncle. And me.
Kinda sobering to think I'm one of the "old guys" of the sport hereabouts.
My Uncle was old school. Took me under his wing. Oh man those were the good old days.
My Dad was a great deer hunter bit didn't have much interest in turkey hunting. I found my turkey hunting mentor in my neighbor Pete. He had hunted turkeys since the first season was opened in my county in 1974. After he retired when the season rolled around he would hunt everyday. He taught me so many things that I rely on to this day like do a lot more listening than calling, stay in the woods until quitting time and if you know gobblers are in the area, just keep after them because eventually one will want to play the game.
He used the same gun for over 40 years, a H&R single shot 10 gauge with a homemade paint job and a hair trigger. That thing weighed a ton and every year he said he was going to start using his 20 gauge pump to lighten things up but he never did. He had the same vest the entire time I knew him and he carried two calls in it, a slate and a box. With the exception of three seasons, he always tagged his two gobblers every year.
Unfortunately Pete passed away in December while deer hunting. It was unexpected and hit me very hard. It is going to be very different this Spring not having him around. Usually every two or three days during the season I would stop by in the afternoon and we would sit on his porch in the rocking chairs comparing what we heard or seen and what the plan was for the next day. His wife gave me his box call he used and it will carried in my vest this spring and used like he taught me...not too much and just loud enough to get their attention.
Thanks for everything you taught me Pete, rest easy old friend
The one that stands out the most to me is my uncle. He's always been hardcore on deer and turkey. He's taught me a lot of things about turkey hunting and we both push each other if one of us is having a bad season. He uses the same gun he bought new in the 80's and still uses the same vest I guess since the same decade. Has holes in it and faded camo. He's always losing stuff out of it too.lol Calls, strikers, gloves.haha Don't know how many times I've picked his stuff up walking behind him on hunts together. We both learned on tough public land birds. He's a flat out killer though. He doesn't get into all the fancy gear, calls, and other technology at all. Very old school and hates any kind of change. Uses an old pot call til he loses it out of his holey vest then grabs another old one off his bench in the garage and uses it til it suffers the same fate. Also only carrys a few calls too. He's one of those guys that's always trying to give things to people or help them. Never accepting anything in turn. I've never known him to buy any new camo but maybe once or twice. He finally retired but has worked so much in his life he's just starting to slow down and we don't hunt as much together as we used to. He's been telling me the last few years he can't keep up with me now and doesn't want to slow me down. I've been dreading these days. I try to tell him we'll hunt slow or blind hunt anything just to enjoy each others company and relive all the past hunts together and tell our stories over and over again. He won't have it though for some reason. It really does suck. Funny thing is though he tells people I'm the turkey killer not just a turkey hunter. And jokingly tells them not to tell me where a gobbler is because I'll kill him for sure and do it fair, by outsmarting him. Makes me feel good that he sees me as such a good turkey hunter but makes me feel even better because I know what I do because I learned most of it from him. And that's exactly what I remind him!
Sometimes you've just got to think like a turkey, nothings impossible when it comes to calling a bird in, and never be afraid to move or try different calls or techniques.
A 72yr old friend of the family carried me 15yrs ago and called up my first gobbler for the wall. Never got excited never batted an eye. Had patience and persistence he'd developed over 50yrs of turkey hunting and could stay all day and never hear a sound but had a knack for knowing when and where to look for them to come through feeding. Man I miss him
We had a cabin in perry county pennsylvania when I was a kid. I started hunting turkey in the mid 70s there. There were some locals there named Rohm and Smith who were way ahead to the game at killing turkeys at that time.
They would always kill birds and also traveled to other states to hunt them. Dick smith use do hunt with celebrities and would travel to hunt with them. I remember ris son Chris showing me a box of beards his dad had killed. I was in awe of that man.. what a turkey hunter he was.
Quote from: Brian Fahs on March 06, 2021, 07:14:52 AM
We had a cabin in perry county pennsylvania when I was a kid. I started hunting turkey in the mid 70s there. There were some locals there named Rohm and Smith who were way ahead to the game at killing turkeys at that time.
They would always kill birds and also traveled to other states to hunt them. Dick smith use do hunt with celebrities and would travel to hunt with them. I remember ris son Chris showing me a box of beards his dad had killed. I was in awe of that man.. what a turkey hunter he was.
The Rohms are STILL killing them Perry county birds. Yep.
My Dad and one of his buddies would fall under that description. They have been eat up with turkey hunting for decades.
My Dad just turned 75 and having more health issues every year and Robert, his buddy, is around 70 and slowing way down. They both still love to try it, but neither can get around too good, nor hear very well, but they both love the chase.
As a matter of fact, my Dad called and asked me about driving him down to a quail plantation that we get to hunt, so I said I would go and to call Robert and see if he wants to go. He called him and now I'll be driving the old geezers down in a couple of weeks for a week long hunt.
I'm looking forward to the trip with them
My elders would kill them by any means possible. They would have loved reaping.
Field Stream magazine is what go me started turkey hunting. Curt Gowdy the American Sportsman was another one that had major impact on my hunting and turkey hunting years. I wanted to be just like Curt Gowdy. Them this sweet young lady stepped into my path and i change directions and got married so hunting stopped for just few days, now 44 years of marriage and still chasing the outdoors. I"M SURE most of you don't have a clue who Curt Gowdy was anyway, but as someone said us old geezers will remember the days of waiting for the monthly issue of the magazine and watching the American Sportsman on TV...
went spring gobbler hunting for the first time in 1974. carried a red letter 37 Winchester in 16ga. no camo, no decoys but I did have a hand me down Lynch 'Jet Slate'. I was hooked and spent as much time as possible hanging around the older guys absorbing everything they had to say. a big crowd from my area wound go to a well known trout lake and camp the first week of gobbler season. turkey hunt in the morning and trout fish in the afternoon. man-O-man, those were the days. some of those old fellows would roll in their graves if they saw how it was done today.
Quote from: sswv on March 06, 2021, 11:06:18 AM
went spring gobbler hunting for the first time in 1974. carried a red letter 37 Winchester in 16ga. no camo, no decoys but I did have a hand me down Lynch 'Jet Slate'. I was hooked and spent as much time as possible hanging around the older guys absorbing everything they had to say. a big crowd from my area wound go to a well known trout lake and camp the first week of gobbler season. turkey hunt in the morning and trout fish in the afternoon. man-O-man, those were the days. some of those old fellows would roll in their graves if they saw how it was done today.
So agree, we would hunt until lunch in Mo. and fish and rest during the afternoon, those stories around the campfire at night were priceless in my opinion. I remember the beer cans having the removable pull tabs on the cans.. LOL...man I'm old...
hey Greg Massey. not telling my age but one of the fellows that camped with us drank 'Old German' beer in the little fat brown bottles and, I remember them pull off tabs very well.
Quote from: Yoder409 on March 06, 2021, 07:28:28 AM
The Rohms are STILL killing them Perry county birds. Yep.
I have a 25 year old Rohm short box that is still tagging turkeys. And an old turkey killer and box call maker himself I know carries an even older Rohm short box just like mine.
I will be honest, I have not been able to run since my car accident in 88 and last year was my first try at fall hunting. I had thought about getting an RC car to break them up and park the stupid thing. Don't need a turkey decoy out, actually found myself using them only 2 or 3 times last year.
I was initially taught by the late Glen "Sonny" Whetstone of Woodville, Mississippi and shortly thereafter by the late Ken Morgan of Jackson, Louisiana. The methods of each
was different. With Sonny, it was butt to butt and with Kenny it was analysis post-hunt of my solitary endeavors and with constant critique of my calling. Both greatly added to my achieving my ability to become as good a turkey hunter as I could, but certainly not as good as they. I miss them both.
Figured a couple pictures may help. I'm so grateful that I learned during this era.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4682/24073252327_08cc201e44.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/olesixbeards/Firstlongbeardrestore.jpg)
None for me. I'm a self taught turkey hunter who didn't start hunting til I was in my 30's.
Sent from deep in the woods where the critters roam.
"Between the rivers" had turkeys since the days of Daniel Boone. The old timers there were not keen on passing on a great deal of hard won expertise. One of my favorite stories was a biologist in the 1950's did a population study and reported there were only 30 to 40 wild turkeys left. An old timer killed more than that the same year feeding his family.
field birds are a blessing. there is no longer such a thing where im from.....the only time I get to hunt field birds is out of state. yeah ive known a few "old school" hunters. My dad being one of them.....but times were different, and turkeys were everywhere then. I don't know anyone personally who was turkey hunting during the restoration period when there were "few" but I know many who hunted all of the 80s. Im sure they had tricks....but they also had birds. Tricks weren't necessary...people back then hunted Saturday mornings only and limited out every year with no problem.
I prefer to hunt without decoys. Old school is cool! :you_rock:
When I started turkey hunting it was all old school. That's how I learned to turkey hunt. No blinds or decoys. The only call I had was a early 70's Lynch World Champion box call that my parents gave me for Christmas. I wonder how many out there started with the same box call. Anybody?
Lynch box call has killed more turkeys than Thanksgiving.
Pretty much self taught by trial and error, lot of errors along the way. Started in my early twenties and had a couple of old school hunters give me some advice and tips, but never hunted with anyone to learn. Still learning after 40+ years and it never gets old.
When I started turkey hunting it was all old school. That's how I learned to turkey hunt. No blinds or decoys. The only call I had was a early 70's Lynch World Champion box call that my parents gave me for Christmas. I wonder how many out there started with the same box call. Anybody?
Bought a Lynch World Champion Box Call back in 1983 and killed my first gobbler with it that spring.
Around here in Mn I guess I would be considered one of the old timers. Not saying I'm a killer just saying I'm getting old
In 1977 I was ten years old and I met an older gentleman (Mr. King) from Pennsylvania. He was visiting family in S.C. and my dad had offered to take him deer hunting. During a lunch break back at the truck Mr. King was talking about turkey hunting and I told him I had never heard or seen a wild turkey. He reached into his truck and pulled out a bag with two old Lynch box calls wrapped individually in felt cloth. he took them out and ran them for me. I was amazed by the sounds he made and in awe of all the notches he had around the bases and paddles of the calls. That was my first calling lesson. I had also shared with him that I had yet to get my first deer. He told me to be patient, sit still and hunt with my eyes and it would happen. he had to leave after lunch that day but handed me a bag of coffee candy to put in my coat and told me it would help me sit still. I killed my first deer that evening. That was the only time I ever saw Mr. King, But he sure left an impression on me. He would have been in his late 70's at that time. Two years later I was hunting turkeys with a passion that has never left me. In those early years with the exception of Mr. King and our one time meeting, No experienced turkey hunters I encountered would share advice or techniques on turkey hunting. In those days If I heard a turkey (hen or gobbler) it was a successful hunt. I was cutting my teeth on public land and quickly learned the hard way to keep my mouth shut about what I heard or saw when I was back at camp grounds or check stations. I was reading everything I could find back then on turkey hunting. That was the start of an extensive library collection today. The common school of thought I was taught at that time was yelp three times, put the call down and wait. It didn't matter if you heard a bird or not. I did learn patience.
A lot has changed since those early years, but I feel like I was fortunate for a couple of reasons when it all began for me. First would be the fact that I started at the beginning of the turkey population boom of the mid 80's through the early 90's. Second was plenty of eager two year old toms to keep me encouraged during my learning curve.
I don't know if I'm considered old school by others, but I know I lean toward old school strategies and methods when chasing gobblers. I call soft and conservative when working birds. I don't use decoys (personal choice). I can sit for hours waiting one out and these days I love to hunt the old, quiet, sneak up on you type gobblers.
a list of changes I've seen since I began Turkey hunting, Old schoolers fell free to add your own:
1) No such thing as a turkey vest.
2) No such thing as a turkey gun or turkey shells.
3) Pop up blinds unheard of.
4) No such thing as internet, google earth or onX. Had to use topo maps, forest service maps and boots on the ground.
5) No such thing as a turkey stool/chair. Had to make your own cushion/pillow.
6) No Turkey hunting videos, but vhs was on the horizon.
7) Turkey calls were not readily available at sporting good stores. Most had to be ordered.
We've come a long way. Some for the better and some not so much. It's all a matter of opinion and what you're accustom to.
I'm new to this site, but enjoy reading what others post and all the subject matter I've found on here. Look forward to getting to know some of you through this site.
Good post Gobbler-one,...and welcome to OG. Look forward to hearing more from you. :icon_thumright:
Is guess you could call me old school , been after em since 78/ 79 .
A lynch box and a cane reed is all I had . Double barrel 20 ga with 2 3/4 #4s
No Camo , no mask etc .
I still hunt the way I learned , no deeks , and if you don't Yelp them in close range , you don't shot . Or atleast use woodsman skills to get close .
My dad and my uncle were my first major influences. All we had was brown carhartt camo that we bird hunted in. We used the guns we used for everything else. My dad and I would go before every season and cut bundles of cane that we would construct blinds with. The only calls we had were small pieces of slate that my dad and uncle had found in an old abandoned school house blackboard. The strikers were constructed of a piece of cane for the bell with a toothbrush glued into it for the striker portion. Vests, cushions and decoys were unheard of. If you were lucky you got to sit on a boat cushion from time to time. Man those were truly the good old days. My dad and uncle are gone now and I would give anything to be able to share the woods with them just one more time. I feel truly blessed to have been able to grow up when I did with the true old school turkey hunters of yesteryear.
I learned turkey hunting from an old Indian named Bob Gibson. He was from the crow reservation. He shot an old lc Smith 16 gauge. I really didn't know what I was doing,until I met him.He taught me how to move in the woods, and how to call. He also taught me how to find turkeys, and where to look. He was a great hunter.
That' what they all say, "I was taught by an Indian." :cowboy:
I'm sure there were a few around, but some of those old guys were pretty secretive when it came to turkeys. Others would just shoot them out of the trees.
I started turkey hunting in the mid-70s and, although I knew a couple guys that turkey hunted, they were no more learned than I was. Back then there was very little info, or knowledge in general, and it was pretty much learn on your own as you go. The turkey population explosion, due primarily to trap and transfer, really hadn't started quite yet but at least if you did find a couple birds there weren't as many hunters either.
My kids would probably think of a different age class and time for "old school" than I do. The oldest is 21 and youngest is 18. I'm "old school" in their eyes, at a minimum old. I would consider the "old school" folks a couple generations before me and I'm 50 (51 tomorrow). A generation older than me probably learned old school ways because their mentors were old school. I'm speaking in general terms because there are no exact dates.
With all that,........When I started in 1990 I didn't know anyone that hunted turkeys besides a couple of Dad's co-workers and I didn't actually know them. I've no idea how they hunted and the only info Dad got out of them was season and application dates. I just didn't live in an area with much of a turkey hunting heritage, so we fumbled around on our own.
My first 10 years, I messed up a lot in the woods. Nobody taught me anything, but I kept at it, and I learned just by being out there. I knew 2 hicks from Ohio, and I watched them, and learned from them, without them even knowing about it.I learned 2 valuable things from them. Then I met Bob Gibson through my mom.That set me on the right path.
Quote from: Hobbes on March 17, 2021, 12:37:15 PM
My kids would probably think of a different age class and time for "old school" than I do. The oldest is 21 and youngest is 18. I'm "old school" in their eyes, at a minimum old. I would consider the "old school" folks a couple generations before me and I'm 50 (51 tomorrow). A generation older than me probably learned old school ways because their mentors were old school. I'm speaking in general terms because there are no exact dates.
With all that,........When I started in 1990 I didn't know anyone that hunted turkeys besides a couple of Dad's co-workers and I didn't actually know them. I've no idea how they hunted and the only info Dad got out of them was season and application dates. I just didn't live in an area with much of a turkey hunting heritage, so we fumbled around on our own.
Happy birthday, Hobbes! :hb2: :biggringift:
I started this turkey huntin' stuff long before most here did,...back in the 1960's. I knew a couple of the real "old school" guys,...and also got to watch and/or hear a number of others. I will be kind to all of them and say this: Most of them hunted the way they did because it was all "new" at the time and they, themselves, were in the "development" stages of this thing we call spring gobbler hunting. ...But from what I saw, they were very limited in their outlooks as to what constituted good turkey huntin' methodology.
My total respect goes out to those fellows (and my apologies to anybody that thinks I am making these comments to "diss" them,...I am not), but my "new" old-school ways of spring gobbler hunting after nearly sixty years of doing it have changed significantly over the years from those I heard them preach back when I was a young'un just getting started.
To put it "convolutedly", they "knew what they knew" but they "didn't know what they didn't know",...and now "we know what they didn't know" (or at least a great deal more),...and that has changed the turkey huntin' game. Admittedly, that is not all necessarily a good thing,...but "it is what it is".
...At least that is the view from this not-quite-so-old, "old school" turkey hunter.
I began turkey hunting in the late 1960's I was mentored by two older family members that were excellent hunters. The techniques that they developed were very effective. Refining their methods based upon my time in the field has made them even more effective. I quess that my 1960 based hunting techniques qualifies me as a " Old School " hunter.
Quote from: GobbleNut on March 18, 2021, 09:47:19 AM
Quote from: Hobbes on March 17, 2021, 12:37:15 PM
My kids would probably think of a different age class and time for "old school" than I do. The oldest is 21 and youngest is 18. I'm "old school" in their eyes, at a minimum old. I would consider the "old school" folks a couple generations before me and I'm 50 (51 tomorrow). A generation older than me probably learned old school ways because their mentors were old school. I'm speaking in general terms because there are no exact dates.
With all that,........When I started in 1990 I didn't know anyone that hunted turkeys besides a couple of Dad's co-workers and I didn't actually know them. I've no idea how they hunted and the only info Dad got out of them was season and application dates. I just didn't live in an area with much of a turkey hunting heritage, so we fumbled around on our own.
Happy birthday, Hobbes! :hb2: :biggringift:
I started this turkey huntin' stuff long before most here did,...back in the 1960's. I knew a couple of the real "old school" guys,...and also got to watch and/or hear a number of others. I will be kind to all of them and say this: Most of them hunted the way they did because it was all "new" at the time and they, themselves, were in the "development" stages of this thing we call spring gobbler hunting. ...But from what I saw, they were very limited in their outlooks as to what constituted good turkey huntin' methodology.
My total respect goes out to those fellows (and my apologies to anybody that thinks I am making these comments to "diss" them,...I am not), but my "new" old-school ways of spring gobbler hunting after nearly sixty years of doing it have changed significantly over the years from those I heard them preach back when I was a young'un just getting started.
To put it "convolutedly", they "knew what they knew" but they "didn't know what they didn't know",...and now "we know what they didn't know" (or at least a great deal more),...and that has changed the turkey huntin' game. Admittedly, that is not all necessarily a good thing,...but "it is what it is".
...At least that is the view from this not-quite-so-old, "old school" turkey hunter.
I knew some people who turkey hunted, but they didn't seem to know a heck of a lot, and I knew I would be way better than them eventually. I just needed to find my stride, and then I became good. Don't assume people know anything.
I've had the privilege to know and hunt with some of the "old school" guys. Sadly some of them aren't with us any more. These guys wear blue jeans and bdu's and shoot red hull #4s and will fill every tag every year. There's a lot to learn from old guys like that.
Quote from: Kylongspur88 on March 21, 2021, 08:55:22 PM
These guys wear blue jeans and bdu's and shoot red hull #4s and will fill every tag every year. There's a lot to learn from old guys like that.
Some of them never filled the last tag until the last day.
Quote from: guesswho on March 21, 2021, 09:14:09 PM
Quote from: Kylongspur88 on March 21, 2021, 08:55:22 PM
These guys wear blue jeans and bdu's and shoot red hull #4s and will fill every tag every year. There's a lot to learn from old guys like that.
Some of them never filled the last tag until the last day.
True. If you've got a tag to fill get up and hunt. Lots of folks are done after the first few weeks of the season.
I was self taught, I may be that guy now? I introduced all my friends to these crazy birds. A friend of mine that I started hunting turkeys with is a killer, funny thing is nothing about him screams turkey killer, not great at reading sign, does not study behavior and is a mediocre caller.
What he does is hunt hard and is out every minute possible, he basically just winds up killing turkeys.