Our Great Forum, what attracted me to join

[Tom007]

The Turkey bug hit me back in the early 80's. Once I got hooked, I started reading material and watching outdoor shows on Turkey hunting. Call and Turkey gun collecting followed. I would research everything Turkey related. Whether it was a google search about a gun, or anything related to Turkey hunting, one thing always came up, "Old Gobbler". Almost every search related to Turkey Hunting leads to "Old Gobbler" reviews/posts/informational threads. I really did not know what the Old Gobbler Forum was, so I started reading these posts. I quickly realized that this group of people on this site know everything Turkey. It's amazing what information and experience you can tap from this group of hunters all sharing the passion for the Wild Turkey. So, I decided to join years back, it has been a fantastic experience. The things I have learned from the members here has made me a much better hunter. I am not going out on a "Limb" when I say that the people here are some of the best Turkey pursuers in the country, and abroad. I thank you all for allowing me into your fraternity, and look forward to many more years of interactive learning and sharing experiences. We all should be proud of the "Old Gobbler"reputation and strive to maintain it the highest level of integrity. We owe it to not only the members, but the founders and administrators of this site to keep it going for generations to enjoy. Just wanted to share a breath of fresh air.....be safe, healthy and enjoy your season....

[Turkeyman]

Well, I'm not really a "social media" person so have no time for FB, Instagram and any/all those other sites I consider for "kids", "wannabes" and braggarts. This site appeared to be a genuine site for true turkey hunters, so I joined. Granted, there are a number of the aforementioned that spring up but after a period of time they seem to get weeded out.

[762hunter]

I agree a great source of information among the members here.

I too started turkey hunting and was bitten by the bug and love any and all things turkey.

Being in W Tennessee I never knew of turkeys when I was younger. Deer hunting only. Did not even know they existed if they existed then. Took a few years of chasing/harassing/studying them before being able to shoot my first. It happened to be within a couple hundred yards of where I took my first deer.

Looking back over the last 20 years or so I can remember a time of seemingly no birds then birds all over.  I've read book after book, watched countless hours of Chad Claycomb's Fired up series and Pinhoti, spent tons of money on dedicated turkey guns/patterning, calls, and "equipment".

It does seem to be the latest fad in hunting and now seems everyone turkey hunts. When I started I knew no one that turkey hunted, it was either deer or duck.

I have started to travel and turkey hunt, been to Mississippi, Missouri, Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, and plan to give S Dakota a try this year.
To me it is a vacation doing what I love and have invested myself in for the last 15-20 years. Initial goal was a grand slam. I imagine I will complete it one day but it has been diluted as everyone/anyone can do that now.

Thanks everyone for all the info over the years!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Treerooster]

Shannon made a post on another forum (now defunct) about his new forum back in 2008 (I think). I signed up about 6 months after he started Old Gobbler. Just wanted to talk turkey with others. Liked it from the beginning but it has had it's growing pains.

Somehow got off a few years ago and signed back on in 2018, but I have been here a long time. Just not as active lately.

Shannon has done a good job. There are really not that message board type forums left (relatively speaking) after Facebook and the others hit the internet and got popular.

[GobbleNut]

Here Here!  I propose a toast to OG and all the good folks that hang out here.  May we all have many more years and good times together! I salute you all!
(I am at this very moment imagining several thousand glasses clanging together)

...Well, now that I think about it, there may be a few of you goobers that I am having second thoughts about,...and you know who you are... 

[guesswho]

I wouldn't have a clue.

[GobbleNut]

I wouldn't have a clue.

  Somehow, I think you do...   

[Greg Massey]

I first have to give credit to my mentor who got me started turkey hunting. He was a large part of me becoming interested and successful. without him, i would have had no idea what to do. He took the time to show me everything he knew and introduced me to turkey hunting. He made me a few homemade calls. Back in those early years i was a deer hunter mostly. After he took me under his wing, and helped me get a start in hunting turkeys, one Sunday he took me to the local Mason's Lodge where they were having an all day turkey event and calling contest. It was an exciting day learning and see these guys show off their calling skills from mostly homemade turkey calls. After all of this i was hooked on becoming a turkey hunter and learning everything i could from books, magazines like Field & Stream and from other people and just by old trial and error. One of my best hunts of all times was in my second year of hunting and killing my first gobbler, i was still learning and for me to kill that gobbler, well i think it was just his time to die, because now looking back i really was a green horn, compared to what i have learned over the years from joining our local NWTF charpter and becoming friends with other turkey hunters and yes we did share little information between each other because we were a small group and we wanted all of us to be successful in chasing these birds. I will never forget those days of seeing my first turkey event / calling contest and going to my first ever NWTF Convention. I will never forget that the first time i heard my first gobbler, it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, boy was it exciting hearing that gobbler and knowing i was in his wheel house. Now to old gobbler i was still interested in learning as much as i could and i came upon this site and i was like a lot of people i first sit back and just read information from what i could pickup from others on the forum before finally deciding it was time i join and participate and interact with others on this great forum. I was still wanting to learn from my own mistakes, hunting these gobblers and learning from this great group of guys on the forum who shared a wealth of knowledge and experiences. I to this day try to WELCOME all new comers to the forum. I try to always support this great forum that Shannon started as OLD Gobbler. SO if your reading this post and are new to old Old Gobbler come in and join this great group of guys and girls who share the same compassion CHASING THE WILD TURKEY that the good lord above created for us to be able to hunt.

[Spitten and drummen]

Im just happy to have a civil place on the internet with mostly like minded people. I am a turkey hunting addict. I came from a family that did not turkey hunt. I remember going in our school library and seeing a magnificent bird gracing the cover of a outdoor life magazine. I instantly turned to the page and started reading. That was 42 years ago that I started chasing these wiley birds. Back then it was very limited material on hunting these birds. I killed my first bird , alone at the age of 12. I had a hollowed out single joint of rivercane that I used along with a H and R single barrel , modified 20ga. Shooting #4s.
  I met a man in the middle of the National forrest one spring morning. Where he came from , I have no idea. At the end of our seemingly long conversation , he handed me a pill bottle that had a condom stretched over the cut out lid. He gave it to me and wished me luck. I never saw him again.
Sorry for the rambling. I joined Old Gobbler because of the kinship shared here. I have made many friends from this site , some that I even hunt with occasionally. Like everything , remember life is short , Thanks to you guys for giving me a place to come ramble.

[Tom007]

Great posts there, we are all lucky to have this platform to share everything Turkey. Looking forward to many more years of fun.....be safe...

[btodd00]

I also found this forum because everything I googled turkey hunting wise brought up a thread on here. When I started hunting with a 410 several years back, this was the first site I found with any information. I read a lot of posts on here over several years before I recently signed up. I dont have Facebook or any other social media other than YouTube. I am an avid bowhunter and have been a member of AT for a long time, been a lot of changes over there and most threads turn into arguments. I dont see much of that here, all of the posts I have made with questions I have gotten solid answers and help. I have purchased several calls/strikers from call makers on here (I actually signed up originally so I could get Mike Yingling contact info) and have been happy with all of them

[eggshell]

Here, here all good things and blessed days of fellowship. I found Old Gobbler after TTH forum went down. TTH was a great place, much like this site. All I can say about those days is to quote the Movie True Grit -the new one " we had some lively times". I know Gobblenut and TreeRooster can relate.

For 3 decades I worked for ODNR and ran a turkey check station. Many days my work never got done because my office was filled with turkey hunters. I always allowed the hunters to hang around the office and lot. We could only hunt until noon so around 12:30 they'd start showing up to look at kill slips and share hunt stories. I made a lot of new friends and learned a lot during those days. We had everyone from new novices to seasoned pros to celebrities show up. I have mentioned some of the national names in the past. I chuckle because I often ended up feeling sorry for some newby and volunteering to take them out on a hunt. I can't even remember how many first birds I have been blessed to be a part of. It is funny to think about all the different reactions I have seen. This forum is like those days of old, almost everyday is a good bunch of guys just gabbing about what they love and telling stories,

Shannon gets a tip of my hat for the sight. I am glad I found it. I think someone suggested it when TTH was going down. Just like at the check station someone occasionally shows up and is more aggravation then help, but they seem to disappear. I would always invite the trouble makers to leave the lot at the check station as well.

[HookedonHooks]

Like Greg said, those of us mentored into the sport owe it to our mentors. Had we not been shown the sport, we would not be here. The interest to become a better turkey hunter is what leads many here whether that was self-introduction or being mentored into our shared passion.

[Old Gobbler]

I can't say why I joined ...cause with the help of my wife we made the place ! Lol !

What inspired me to make the forum ? Well I was and am like the REST OF YOU  a turkey hunting fanatic..but with a critical thinker mind and the advantage of having a wife who could probably break into the Kremlins server if needed she did all the website fabrication..I had years of training and experience as a union steward getting people organized and getting them to get along ..it's all about communication

Prior to oldgobbler there was simply no forum that allowed all those turkey hunting fanatics and amazing small town call makers to get together and basically have a online convention/get-together....there is a  callmaker or turkey hunter in every small town in this country that is bored and unable to communicate with other folks and talk about Thier passion

Stating the forum and running it had it's ups and downs .  Did I have trouble makers .. certainly yes , did I show them the door ....click...boom, yes ! Good members don't like trolls I kicked one out 2 nights ago ...people come to the forum to have a enjoyable time and will keep coming back , they don't like watching angry guys blow off steam and vent on unsuspecting folks ...so they are let go ...and the site grows in a good direction

I've avoided taking the wrong fork in the road several times and if I did I backed and got back on the right path ...

The site has stayed strong over 14 years while all kinds of forums have have gone to the wayside ..this little hunting forum has stayed true to it's path , a amazing feat especially with Facebook and Instagram so prominent , and allowing such a rich environment for narcissists to flourish .. there seems to be a growing resentment against what they allow and what people are foolish enough to buy into ..if seen it bubbling up for critical comment here over the years

Anyways I'm just like you ..turkeys on the mind --Shannon

[Tom007]

I can't say why I joined ...cause with the help of my wife we made the place ! Lol !

What inspired me to make the forum ? Well I was and am like the REST OF YOU  a turkey hunting fanatic..but with a critical thinker mind and the advantage of having a wife who could probably break into the Kremlins server if needed she did all the website fabrication..I had years of training and experience as a union steward getting people organized and getting them to get along ..it's all about communication

Prior to oldgobbler there was simply no forum that allowed all those turkey hunting fanatics and amazing small town call makers to get together and basically have a online convention/get-together....there is a  callmaker or turkey hunter in every small town in this country that is bored and unable to communicate with other folks and talk about Thier passion

Stating the forum and running it had it's ups and downs .  Did I have trouble makers .. certainly yes , did I show them the door ....click...boom, yes ! Good members don't like trolls I kicked one out 2 nights ago ...people come to the forum to have a enjoyable time and will keep coming back , they don't like watching angry guys blow off steam and vent on unsuspecting folks ...so they are let go ...and the site grows in a good direction

I've avoided taking the wrong fork in the road several times and if I did I backed and got back on the right path ...

The site has stayed strong over 14 years while all kinds of forums have have gone to the wayside ..this little hunting forum has stayed true to it's path , a amazing feat especially with Facebook and Instagram so prominent , and allowing such a rich environment for narcissists to flourish .. there seems to be a growing resentment against what they allow and what people are foolish enough to buy into ..if seen it bubbling up for critical comment here over the years

Anyways I'm just like you ..turkeys on the mind --Shannon

Thank you for making this possible......