I love the last few post ALL.
How much.. 1 & 2 along with how little.
YoooZ GuyZ :funnyturkey: (that's like 2 Youts) inspired me a with this one. Here we are...
You can take 2 calls with you.
Your favorite gun you grew up using and name.
Favorite lead shell you shot back in the day.
Of course you'll be wearing that favorite faded bottom land green with cotton gloves and head net.
2 calls I grew up using, H.S. Strut little duece slate, and whatever mouth call Walmart had. Most likely H.S. Strut. The gun I used growing up would be my dad's mossberg 500 that he gave me, I still use it occasionally. Shells would be Winchester XX 5's
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Great thread btw:
Since it's the gun I grew up with:
I'd be hunting with a Winchester 1300 Ranger 20 Gauge, with a bead. And since we just funning and it'll be like old times..I'll get some Federal Flitecontrol 5's (This is the only exception to this post of something post 1990's lol). I'll be carrying a Lynch Fool Proof Box and the H S Strut Double Slate over glass (I still use the striker for that call to this day btw). I never owned bottom land so I'll be in Trebark or Realtree Advantage (I still have my first shirt I bought from Bass Pro in the 90's and still wear it as an under shirt when I need to change my luck).
For the record I no longer own either of those calls (except the striker for the slate), I lost both in the woods somewhere...but since we keeping it back in the day...that is what I'd have.
back in the day I would have had a knight and hale model 114 push pull and a lynch fool proof that my dad gave me (still have both). Today I would pick my Scotts custom calls slate trough and a KLUK damn yankee mouth call
a woodland camo mossberg 500 he also gave me (still have, still one of my favorites)
and some 3" Remington 4x6's or Winchester xx in whatever size we had laying around
Rem. 870 express 12g, Fed. high brass #6, only had 1 call Lynch world champ box.
20 ga.mag Auto 5 Smith game calls box and Federal Premium #6's.Come to think of it,that's what I'm always carrying.
Ithaca model 37
Face paint .. black
Jersey gloves...fingers cut off
1 mouth call...Quaker boy
Old school camo chamois shirt
Blue jeans
And my Northeners
JC Higgins Model 20 12 gauge
Lynch World Champion Box call..I had a Ben Lee call too
Federal Premium 2 3/4" #4's
Back then, I only had some woodland camo.
Calls: Ghost cut diaphragm and homemade wingbone.
Gun: Mossberg 835
Shells: 3.5 federal grand slams in #5 shot.
A Browning Belgium made "Sweet 16,"
a Doug Camp poplar box call, and any 16 gauge shells I could get my hands on.
My old two. The Hawally push pin and a Quaker boy old boss hen. They still make that one too.
My old 835 W/Win 3-1/2" #4's HV Black. Nuttin' like laying one down with a big Ol load of 4's.
:turkey:
Primos box call and a mouth call.
Mossberg 835 ulti-mag 12 gauge goose gun, double bead sight that I got as a trade for taxidermy work.
Winchester Supremes #4 and then Longbeard XR #5. Black jeans, green and brown plaid long sleeve shirt, Tie dyed green, brown and red T shirt, Black mossy oak ball cap and a woodland camo bandana over my face to cover up to my nose was what my first couple of years looked like.
That combo was just as deadly as the combo I used this spring, but far less expensive.
I forgot to mention, that my first 2 kills were with 2 3/4" #8 shells. First one at 5 ft away, the other about 15 ft away.
Well..... the stuff I "grew up with", I grew out of after just a couple years. But, my first couple years/birds I was using:
Winchester 1200 12 ga
2 3/4" Federal magnum #2's (pre-Federal Premium)
A tube call I made from a 35 mm film can, a surgical glove and some black tape.
A light cotton woodland camo 2-piece suit I got off the clearance rack at Bowhunter's Warehouse in Mt Joy, PA (there was no Tre Bark, Realtree or Mossy Oak yet)
The gun having to be old would by my old 28" 870, or maybe the 835 would qualify. Winchester XX 5's worked for me back when.
The calls would be a Pat Strawser slate and New Engergy Woodhaven mouth call.
I'm down to one of my original Greenleaf Duxbak T shirts now, circa 2001. I still have the over the head original Greenleaf cotton mask tho.
My 870 with #4 high brass
Hs strut mouth call and lynch box call
Whatever hand me down camo I had. Mainly military camo
Remington 870 magnum 12 ga. Primos mouth call, Lynch 101 box call. Winchester 3 inch #4 shells.
This is easy, I remember exactly what I used to harvest my first turkey in the early 80's:
Remington 1100 Magnum 30 inch full choke fixed (sprayed with removable camo paint)
Remington Duck/Pheasant Loads 3 inch #4
Quaker Boy Old Boss Hen mouth call
Tiger Stripe Military PTO Jacket and pants
Herman Survivors Work Boots
Bottomland Camo hat
Bow hunting face paint
I can remember this day, one I'll never forget.
Single barrel shotgun, Homemade calls and first camo was army surplus
My first production call was a slate pot call - Lohman Thunderdome with a carbon striker, which I still have. The first run of these pot calls with the Yohoo drink can bottom didn't have any marking like the newer models with the turkey inscribed on the bottom.
Later on I got a perfection pot call with acrylic and maple striker and I still have the pot call and strikers.
My first box call was from Terry Hall, Friendship Tenn. Later on I got a Lynch box .. Still have these calls along with several more from Terry Hall.
Browning gold 3.5" 12 gauge. H S strut triple glass and a Quaker boy pushpin. XX #5 Walmart woodland camo. Z
Preston Pittman black diamond, lohman thunder dome slate, my old 3" 870, Winchester XX #6, HS Strut full bag style head in WWll green (had turkey, deer, squirrel and rabbits printed in the camo)
Like to see some had that Thunderdome. It's still a friend of mines go to.
And.. I had a pair of the Herman survivors as well.
Primos True Double mouth call
Lohman box call
Model 12 "Long Tom" 32" barrel
Winchester XX Magnum 4's
Woodland camo
Late 1970's
Remington 870 pump
Some form of #4 lead
Perfection 3 reed diaphragm with no cuts
I still have my favorite hunting pants from those days (1978), I believe they are Real Tree/Tree Bark(something like that, they are faded, but still fit...lol)
Quote from: TrackeySauresRex on July 10, 2025, 02:11:27 PMLike to see some had that Thunderdome. It's still a friend of mines go to.
And.. I had a pair of the Herman survivors as well.
I have 3 of these pots and I still have one in the original package with the plan bottom. Ricky Joe Bishop helped redesign this pot call, he worked for them.. Little History
A Marlin Model 55 Bolt action Goose gun in 12 gauge with a 36" barrel.
That's all I could afford back in the day.
Old Slate call I made myself, or a tube call from a 35MM film canister. Oh, or a Ben Lee mouth call which was made using a lead diaphragm frame.
Old Army field jacket or a hodgepodge of some sort of camo I found.
I hunted with a Remington 870 Fieldmaster that was matte black and wooden stock loaded with Remington 2x6 3" shells. Woodland army camo with a Butski 3 reed mouth call and Lynch fool proof one sider. Those were the days
Beretta 390 that was my duck gun
HS Strut Push Pin
Primos Power Crystal
HS Strut Raspy Ol Hen
Faulks wood crow
Mossy Oak Breakup or Original Advantage
HS Strut Attentive Hen Decoy, hard plastic and heavy sucker lol
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Quote from: TrackeySauresRex on July 09, 2025, 03:31:13 PMYou can take 2 calls with you.
Your favorite gun you grew up using and name.
Favorite lead shell you shot back in the day.
Of course you'll be wearing that favorite faded bottom land green with cotton gloves and head net.
The Olden Days:
Winchester Model 12 20 gauge, factory full 2 3/4 chamber...#4 high-brass lead (Winchester or Remington, I suppose)
Roger Latham "True Tone" box call (I think made by Lohman) "Super Hen" aluminum trough call by Ben Lee
Woodland camo from wherever I could find it cheap regardless if it actually fit or not...weren't no such thing as Bottom Land or any other "high-falootin" camo back then. :D
Nowadays:
Mossy 835 12 with 28" barrel with a "Jelly Head" (weighs about a hunnert pounds...but I just keep luggin' it around cuz I can "hit stuff" with it)
3" TSS in whatever the cheapest I can find somewhere/anywhere
Calls: "The Winner" out of the two hundred or so mouth calls I have in the "best sounding call to Judge GobbleNut" pageant each spring, and either the second-place contestant in that contest...or a slate pot with the winner in "The Striker" contest. :D
When I started, late 90s, my go to shotgun was a Beretta AL390 12gauge with Winchester double X number five with Carlson's.665 choke. I still use it this day for big ducks. I wore Walls and Liberty overalls in real tree camo. HS strut face mask and gloves, and a Military boonie in tiger stripe. Lacrosse Grange rubber boots(still use).
My first vest was an HS strut, packing a Lynch foolproof box and a Primos power crystal pot call. I eventually started trying diaphragm calls and HS strut cuttin 2.5 was my fav..
Even though the clothing and equipment has changed, the joy and excitement has only grown stronger.
In the early 90's a mix match of trebark and original realtree with some woodland camo sprinkled in. Savage model 940 single shot in 12 gauge with 2 3/4" federal premium 6's. Wore cheap green rubber boots. Lohman box call and lohman slate turkey tracer were my first calls, then I got a lynch fool proof box call and a Perfection double glass with an acrylic striker, both of which I still carry with me 30+ years later.
Browning BPS 12ga., Rem #5's, True Double and a Billy White Box. Still have the box.
I started turkey hunting in the early 90's.
The calls would have been a HS Strut Little Deuce slate and a push pin call. I bought both at Walmart. I no longer have either call.
The gun would be an 870 Wingmaster that my Dad bought me for duck hunting. My first turkey was killed with 2-3/4" #4 steel, a duck load. :lol: After that I stepped up to turkey loads, initially Winchester Double XX #4's. I used up the XX's, and have changed ammo and choke combos many times over the years. I still hunt with the old 870 now and then, but it's mainly reserved for duck hunting like it started out.
My camo was woodland that I wore for duck hunting. Although I quickly changed to modern camo when it came on scene.
Wingbone and a Lonnie Sneed slate.
Winchester Model 12, 28" Full choke. Federal 2 3/4" 4's
Woodland camo
Rem 1187 SP
3" Win. supreme #5
Realtree pants
Assorted cotton T-shirt, ball cap, face net
Primos power crystal or HS Slate.
Essentially anything Walmart sold!....
JT