2019 Welcome Thread

[turkey harvester]

Well folks, we're officially a full team. Thought since we had a few new people we would start the welcome thread back so everyone knows everyone.

My name is Jeff. I have been a career center welding instructor for 17 years. I teach 11th and 12th grade students. Just turned 49, happily married and currently raising our 12 year old granddaughter. We've had her since she was 2 months. Turkeys are my passion. I love everything about it and especially love those hard to kill turkeys,?.  This is my 3rd year as a captain of this great group of passionate turkey hunters. It's work, but it's worth it when you get wrapped up in the stories. I live in the Ozarks of Missouri. I'm 3 miles from eastern side of the Irish Wilderness. I hunt some private, but they're those evil field turkeys, and public, all around my house. Big hills and hollers and hardwoods.
It's sleeting like crap here right now and I'm so ready to hear my first gobble of the year besides my tame gobblers lol.

[backwater]

My name is Ray.  I was born In Maryland but have lived in Florida for 45 years.  I'm married to a wonderful understanding woman for 33 years now.   We have two grown children and two grandchildren.  Been hunting one thing or another since I was 8.   I started turkey hunting about 18 years ago and it's become a passion for me.  The majority of our hunting is done on public land with the exception of a few out of state turkey hunts.  I work for a Navy defense contractor here in Tampa for almost 30 years now.  Go Navy!  Next to turkey hunting, I would have to say bird hunting is my favorite....Ducks,doves and snipe.   Been on this team two or three years now.  Our season kicks off here in Florida on March 16th and John (Bornagain64) and I have and will  be scouting hard right up till opening day.   Good luck to everyone this spring and be safe.
Ray

[birdman67]

I'm Tandy. I live in North Mississippi. I am 39 and been married 11 years. I have a 7 year little girl that is my joy. I am an 8th grade math teacher and am able to hunt almost every weekend of the season. The outdoors is my passion. Watching God's creation thrills me. Deer hunting was my first love but for the last 19 years turkey hunting has taken over the top spot. I've been blessed to travel to several states and harvest birds. I'm half way to a lifetime slam and would love to complete it one day. Need a merriams and an osceola to finish it up. I've set some cameras on food plots and have begun looking for scratching. Our season begins March 15.

[bornagain64]

My name is John, I work at the post office, been there for 32 years: hopefully can retire in 4 or 5 more.
I am a Christian, married for 28 years in April, I have 3 children. The oldest is married and the other 2 still live at home and are " hopefully" finishing up college soon. No grand kids yet, hopefully that will happen soon.
Been a deer hunter since I was 16, but thanks to Ray I have fallen in love with turkey hunting. I did not even deer hunt once last year, and it is ok as long as I have turkey hunting to look forward to.

We hunt public land and hunt it hard. We have a trip scheduled to Kansas this year and am looking forward to a different type of hunting. Would be awsome to get a slam someday.

           John

[JoeA]

Hey y'all,
  My name is Joe, I grew up as an Air Force brat in the south, and in 1993 life led me to Hawaii. I planned on staying for a few years, but the years kept adding up. I oversee a training program for fisheries observers / field biologists for NOAA Fisheries, and have worked for Uncle Sam for 27yrs.
  I went on my first spring turkey hunt in 2001 and was "ruined" immediately. I hunt the public land on Mauna Kea. I've hunted turkeys in LA, AL and MO, and I'm still looking to bust my first Eastern. I'm looking forward to another fun filled spring and reading about my teammates adventures. I participated in another site's turkey contest for many years. I'm also hoping to put a friend on his 2nd bird. I put him on his first 2 yrs ago. I'm also shoot skeet & 5 stand when I can.

[turkey harvester]

Joe I would to hunt Hawaii!! Problem is, I wouldn't want to come home,lol. If I found a welding instructor job there, it would be hard to keep me here,lol. I heard there's whitetail and mule deer there. What species of turkey are there? I heard rio and eastern. ?

[dzsmith]

Little late ....my name is Daniel Smith, 29 years old. This is my 4th season as a strut stopper. Im from southwest Mississippi. Im an operator at a power plant and work rotating shift work days, nights, weekends, and holidays...12 hours at time. It has its up and downs. Ive been turkey hunting for 19 years. There was a period of time I didn't hunt when I was in the navy for 4 years, but I did hunt some when I could. I will have been married for 2 years this coming September....no kids yet, my wife doesn't hunt, nor has any interest in it. That's fine, my mother didn't either. I completed my first slam in 2016 finishing off in Nebraska....a terrible hunt actually but I did manage to get one ,real bad weather and very pressured turkeys for those who think its always easy in the Midwest. I would like to complete the U.S. slam but definetly at my own pace...Im not gonna kill myself doing it. Im going to mexico in May for the goulds!!! Hopefully that goes well. Turkey numbers are definetly down in my neck of the woods...but I manage pretty well all things considering. Good luck turkey hunters.