About you.

[savduck]

Most of us know each other, but it would be interesting to see everyones info.

Del Crow. Married with 3 kids. 35 by turkey season. Ive been building houses since I was 17 and cant imagine doing anything else. I love hunting, its my thing, especially turkeys and duck. I occasionally get to go after quail or pheasants. Every now and then Ill sit in a deer stand, but birds is where its at for me. Ive been turkey hunting with my Dad since about 1986. I killed my first gobbler on my 15th birthday, and Ive been laying them down ever since. I love turkey hunting because they humble you like no other. No matter how many you kill or if you think you have them figured out, they beat you. If your not learning something new every season from them.....hang it up. My goal this season is to call a few in with my trumpets. Ive got a few scores to settle.

Ive chased gobblers in GA, SC, KY, and WV. I hope to start traveling more one day, but if I dont, there is no better place than the swamps I roam right here in the low country.

[Houndstooth Game Calls]

Lyle Gilbert age 36 been a full time timber buyer here in the Tuscaloosa AL. area for 6yrs "Roll Tide" had to throw that in there!! Guided for turkeys since 1996 in east MS on the Calyx Star Ranch. I have worked in sales, to off shore work, managed shy hammock creek game preserve as full time manager for to long and ended up as a forester which is what I studied for anyway lol.. Owner of Houndstooth game calls which is fun as it gets. Been shooting turkey since 9yrs old with my dad, been hunting turkeys ever since. Love any type hunting doesn't matter just glad to have the opportunity! Second fav thing is offshore fishing from going to the edge to catch blue marlin to catching specs in the bay!!!

[TRKYHTR]

Joe Slaton I am 49 but will turn 50 before season starts. I have been married to my HS sweetheart since 1983. I have 3 kids all of which have killed turkeys. I started hunting when I was born. Got my first BB gun when I was 5. Those sparrows haven't recovered yet. I hunt everything I can and do a little fishing as well. I am not a trophy hunter but have killed a few good animals. I've been turkey hunting since '83. Killed my 100th gobbler last spring in NE. I've killed 3 Grand Slams and a Royal Slam and would love to go kill the peacock turkey one of these days. I've killed turkeys in 15 states and hope to add IA to the list this year. Man I wish I could add GA to the list as well but there is no way I can make that trip and the IA/MO trip. I began working in the construction business as a HVAC? sheetmetal man but then got smart and went back to school when I as 33. Now I am a Physical Therapist and have the best job in the world. I have been making my own mouth calls for 7 years and started my own turkey call business last year after my best friend Marvin Robbins passed away in 2009 while deer hunting. Marvin owned Timberline turkey calls and was my mentor in life. We would get together every year and hunt somewhere. We made trips all over this country chasing these turkeys. My first out of state hunt came in 1992 in NM with him. I miss him alot but really miss him during turkey season. He lived in AZ and we would talk weekly on the phone about turkeys when we got close to the season. Now I am trying to start my own legacy and that is a big reason I started Mother Lode Turkey Calls. The reason for the name is because I live in an area of CA that was huge during the Gold Rush. The area I hunt, mostly, is called the Mother Lode because of the Gold Rush. I've competed in turkey calling since 1986. I took 3rd place in 1987 and won the CA state championship in 1990. Since then I have won 7 turkey calling contest and called in the GNCC 3 times. Placing somewhere in the middle. I did place 3rd in the Gobbling contest at the Grand Nationals in 1993. I Hope to do that again this year. LOL. I have killed turkey with almost every type of turkey call made but never have used a trumpet. I have called in turkeys with a wingbone but never a trumpet. I hope to change that this year. I also dabble in Taxidermy, turkey taxidermy that is. I've been making taxidermy decoys for 6 years. I better quit I'm boring myself.

TRKYHTR
Joe

[drenalinld]

David Young, 37 years old, 38 by April. I started hunting in HS on my own. I have three brothers and we all started hunting together with my dad when we were all grown. I grew up shooting and hunting squirrels and rabbits, but did not shoot a deer or turkey until I was an adult. I did it all on my own and it took me five years to kill my first long beard. I missed two before connecting and passed on a ton of Jakes. I have killed a little over 50 since and it is still my biggest. I have killed gobblers in AR, MO, NE, KS, OK, MS, and TN. I love to bow hunt and duck hunt, but if I had to choose one it would be turkey hunting. In the last five years I have taken seven Spring long beards with a bow. I enjoy working a gobbler more than is probably healthy. When they start gobbling in the Spring I get giddy. I can go morning after morning for weeks on end just to listen to them bring the thunder. I enjoy calling them up for someone else just as much if not more than shooting them myself. I can't wait to call up gobblers with tube and trumpet. I am ready with the tube and will be ready with the trumpet by season.

If you saw my Christmas card you know I married a beautiful woman and have two beautiful daughters. We have been married 9 years and my daughters will soon turn 1 and 4. My family is and will always be my top priority, so my hunting has slowed down since having children, but I have an awesome, understanding wife and get to hunt more than I probably deserve. I can't wait until my daughters are old enough to hunt with me. I have a great job working for an oil and gas company. I have 16 guys who report to me that supervise frac jobs on gas wells here in central AR. We are not causing earthquakes btw.

I am excited to be part of this team and look forward to getting to know you guys better.

[cannonball]

Eddie Dills, just turned 39 last month. I have been married to my wonderful wife for the last 14 years. We have one son, he is the reason for the autism awareness ribbon in my signature line below. I am an outside salesman for a tire distribution company. I started squirrel and rabbit hunting around age 6, killed my first deer at age 10. I have hunted all my life, but I just started turkey hunting last year and have never killed a turkey. I learned so much last year, thanks to first hand experience and the wealth of knowledge on this wonderful website. I am hoping that this will be my season to get that first bird under my belt. I really enjoy turkey hunting, more so than deer hunting or anything else. It's my favorite hobby, I just wish I had started sooner.

[drenalinld]

That's awesome, Eddie. Glad you found turkey hunting and this site and now this team. I bet this will be your year. How old is your son?

[cannonball]

That's awesome, Eddie. Glad you found turkey hunting and this site and now this team. I bet this will be your year. How old is your son?

My son is eight. I pray that one day I will be able to take him hunting with me, but we aren't anywhere close to that point yet.

[drenalinld]

I hope and pray you will be hunting partners one day.

[savduck]

That's awesome, Eddie. Glad you found turkey hunting and this site and now this team. I bet this will be your year. How old is your son?

My son is eight. I pray that one day I will be able to take him hunting with me, but we aren't anywhere close to that point yet.

It will come just keep the faith. I'll keep you in my prayers that it happens for you.

[VanHelden Game Calls]

I think I am 34 now.  I am a pressman at a small printing company for 16yrs.  I married my HS sweetheart back some 10yrs and I have 2 kids, boy 8 and girl 4.  

I am a cub scout leader and Sunday school teacher as well.  Not very good at either but learning.

I have been hunting since before I was legal.  I am a die hard archery nut but turkey comes in a strong 2nd.  Started building turkey calls 3 years ago.  Just by chance I picked up a lathe, I had no need but had the cash and figured what would it hurt to have one.  Well I got it now what?  Started turning pens but I did not know anyone that needed a pen of that caliber.  So I decided to try turning things I could use.  The rest is history and the future is a clean slate.  I am just now feeling confident enough in my calls that I will be pursuing more sales.

Oh and I live in East central WI along Lake Michigan.

[Basser69]

Scott Thomasino here. I live about 45 minutes or so south of Birmingham Al. in Maylene. I own a door and window business so off days are not a major issue when the season opens. I am 44 and have 1 son that is 24. I got remarried 3 years ago and wound up with 4 step children. A son that is 21,  daughter that is 18, and two more sons that are 16 and 13. They have become my hunting buddies and I can hardly get to the woods without them.  I have been hunting something for as long as I can remember whether it be deer, rabbits, squirrels or the local tweety birds.  Killed my first turkey at 12 and then the next one at about 25. I did not get the fever until, about 8 or 10 years later and now I am a full blown addict. I also started turning turkey calls about 3 or 4 months ago. I am not all that good at it but they will kill birds and that is all I care about. anyway....enough about me.

Scott....A turkey addict

[maustypsu]

I'm Mike from Wake Forest NC.  I have a 4 year old and another girl on the way in March.  Our season starts a month later so it will be get what I can this year.  I lease 1200 acres with a 16 other guys about 3 of which hunt turkeys. 

This is my favorite thing.  I also like to hunt ducks but haven't been able to do as much hunting as I would like.  I spend a lot of time deer hunting due to our long season. 

[merocustomcalls]

Brian Mero, 35, Eau Claire, Wisconsin.  Interests include woodworking, mountain biking, fishing (especially flyfishing), ice fishing, deer hunting, turkey hunting, and of course making turkey calls.  Started turkey hunting when I was 18 then spent four years in the Navy.  After getting out I started working at a sporting goods store full time and resumed turkey hunting.  I worked with many avid turkey hunters at the store (one of whom is Scott Wilhelm, the current national friction calling champion). 

I eventually went back to school and now I'm a professional firefighter/paramedic.  As long as I'm not up all night on the ambulance my job allows me a lot of time to spend in the wood shop.  Since I've always enjoyed woodworking it was only natural to blend turkey hunting into turkey call making.  I started in 2006, making just pot calls at first before adding trumpets the next year.  I've been fortunate enough to win several awards, mostly for trumpets, including the 2011 Tom Turpin Award. 

I've taken 12 gobblers in WI and one Merriam in NE last year.  I'm off to KS this spring after my first Rio, but first I'll be heading to Nashville for the first time.  I'm very excited about finally going.  I have a hunt booked for Osceola in 2013 and will hopefully be completing my first grand slam.  I'm still single but have been seeing a wonderful girl for about 2 years and we plan on being together forever.  She enjoys turkey hunting just as much as I do and loves the fact that I make my own calls. 

[870BkWht]

Benjamin Helms, 27, will turn 28 in March.  I think this qualifies me as the youngest member of the Trumpet Thumpers.  I was born and raised in West Virginia in a small town called Hinton.   Ive since moved to the North Central part of the state, but still proud to be a WV boy.  I started hunt squirrels, rabbits, and just taggin along with my father at the age of 8.  Killed my first turkey (a hen) at 12.  I was hooked, but It was a while before I killed my first Gobbler.  Ive also been fortunate enough to tag a nice Gobbler with the bow.  I don't have the abilities to make calls, but I really enjoy the whole premise behind custom call making.  

I am happily married to my wife Andrea and we have 2 children, 1 and 6.  We both enjoy the outdoors and hunting, fishing, and camping.  I especially enjoy flyfishing for Trout and that is ironically why I ended up with a Brian Mero Trumpet, but that's another story I'll share later.

I am a Federal Officer working at a max security Federal Penitentiary, so turkey hunting and being outdoors keeps me sane. 

I look forward to Spring and Fall turkey seasons more than any other hunting season/outdoor time, so this Spring is no different except I have a new challenge to complete.