Formal Introductions

[FullChoke]

Friends,

We have one seat left to fill on our team roster so let's go ahead and start some introductions.

My name is Norman Sisson and I live in Madison, MS just north of the capital city of Jackson. My wonderful wife and I have been married for almost 34 years and have raised 2 beautiful, strong and wonderful girls who are out on their own. I have been chasing turkeys on and off since the spring of 1974 when I was at college at Mississippi State University. Back then, because there were not that many turkeys, no one wanted to tell anyone anything about places to hunt, so we had a rather long and frustrating learning curve. And you could absolutely forget about tagging along with an older turkey hunter to learn the ropes. During the day I am a designer with an environmental engineering firm, and an artist at night working in graphite, acrylics, watercolors and sculpture. I am a 2 time first place winner of the wingbone yelper division of Grand National NWTF Turkey Call Competition, but I have had to quit making them.

I started hunting with a 20 gauge after I won an NWTF Edition Remington 870 Express at our local banquet. I continue to tweak it and recently switched over to TSS #9 shells that I hand loaded. They are a hideously awesome load that I named Nex Angelus, Latin for Angel of Death. I can be found hunkered next to a tree hunting gobblers on public and private lands here in Mississippi as well as on properties of some good friend in Alabama this year.

Tell us as much about yourself that doesn't violate your Witness Protection Plan contract. 

FC

[jakesdad]

My name is Tim and I live in Palmyra,MO in the NE part of the state about 100 miles north of St Louis.I have been married for 8 years and have 2 boys ages 7 and 4.I work for the city of palmyra as safety officer and building inspector(small town-3500 pop.)I have been chasing longbeards since 1987,but seriously since about 2000.Our family has a small 60 acre farm but am lucky to have 2 farms bordering us totaling close to 500 acres I can chase birds on.

Been hunting with the 20 for 3-4 years now and use a plain jane 870 express with a jellyhead choke.Shoot either Rem. Premier 3" lead #6 or old style Rem. Hevi-shot 3" #6.I keep things pretty basic and like to get em in close!This year will be the first year I hunt turkeys somewhere else other than Missouri as a group  of us are headed to north central kansas in early May.Hoping to expand my turkey hunting destinations to more places in the future.

Glad to be back on board again this year and looking forward to the fun!!

[Eric Gregg]

My name is Eric and I live in Cleveland, MS. I am the senior pastor of Community Church of God in Charleston, MS. I am married to Melanie and we have been together for 8 years.
I started hunting turkeys in 2008 and have been obsessed with it since then. I have been a member of the Roaring 20's for the past two seasons and look forward to the contest every season.
I currently hunt with a Remington 870 20ga., 28" barrel, RSF choke rated for Hevi-Shot, Fed Heavyweight #7's. I also like to make my own calls and have a couple of slates that I have made that I use.
I am probably the only person on the team that is looking to kill their first gobbler, but that is going to happen this season!
Looking forward to winning this thing this year!!

[old frank]

Hi, My name is frank and I live in North Georgia just South of the Atlanta Airport.
I am originally from PA but got out of the Marine Corps in Georgia and went right to work for Delta Air Lines. I worked at delta for 32 years in Aircraft maintenance and was fortunate to be offered an early retirement and retired at 55.

I have been married for 38 years and have a Daughter and two Stepsons and four grand Kids and all live within 30 minutes of us.

I am a die hard deer hunter and mostly hunt with a Longbow or recurve bow and sometimes a handgun. I have killed deer,bear,coyotes and pigs with a longbow also. I was a serious bass fisherman for 20 years, fishing with a local club but I do not compete now and sold my big boat and fish from a kayak now. Much more relaxing.
I am also very active in action pistol type matches and shoot at least two every month.
I have only seriously been a turkey hunter for about ten years. I started with a hard kicking Remington 870, went to a Beretta 390 and finally, probably because of Old Gobbler,I got interested in the 20ga.
I guess like my traditional archery, I like to challenge myself and also maybe out of step with the big crowd. The 20ga lets me do that but is really not a handicap as youall already know.
I am now hunting on a friends 100+ acres of beautiful farmland and woods. We have six food plots we keep going year round, a four acre lake full of bass, bluegill and catfish. Creeks,hardwoods, pines and some swamp make the land ideal for deer and turkeys.
I am ready to get out there and at least hear one of those big boys rattle the woods with a gobble.

[Hooter]

Howdy, people call me T, and I live in central TN.
Been hunting with Gophert for a year now. He has taught me all the finer points to fooling those crazy Gobblers.  He has taught me well how to Owl hoot, and have won several hooting contests since.
Wish he could teach me to yelp as sweet as he can, but just can't seem to get it.
Been shooting a 20 for awhile now, a little 6 Lb Benelli Auto.  It has taken a few turkeys, but still need some refinements before it is a true turkey killin machine.
Looking forward to the upcoming season with you guy's.

[xarcher]

Howdy all.  My name is Jeff and I am a freshman Roaring 20'er.  Or is it Roaring 20'ian?  Ah potayto potahto.  Thanks to Mr. Norman Fullchoke for allowing me to join your group.  I am impressed by how involved everybody is.

I live in western PA, buy my job has taken me to the south for the past several years.  So my plan is to hunt AL for a few days in March, SC for the month of April, maybe NC and then finally PA in May.  Lets hope all those chances pay off. 

Have been hunting with an 835 12 ga. for maybe 20 years but just switched to the dark side and will see what I can do with an 1187 20 gage.   Wanted to try that TSS thing this year.  So get this, my wife is a duck hunter and last year she mentioned how nice it would be to carry a lighter gun (instead of her Winnie SX2 12 gage).  So I bought her the 1187 for her birthday last August.  (translate: I bought US the gun).  I have killed elk, muleys, whitetails, black bear, alligator and hogs, but gobblers are what I look forward to the most.  It is the game that I love the most. 

So good luck to all this year, have fun and be safe

Jeff aka xarcher

[gophert]

Hello all, my name is Tim, and I am a turkey hunter.

I live just outside of Nashville, TN and have been an insurance agent for over 16 years.  I am married to a very wonderful woman and have two girls, Leah (Camocutie age 13) and Annalise (Age 10).  5 years ago God called us to homeschool our kids. Trust me it's a calling because no person in their right mind would do it willingly.  The cool thing about it is that me and camocutie can hunt every day of the week.  My other passion is girls fastpitch softball.  I coach a 10U travel team where my youngest is a pitcher.  So during the months of April and may, you will find me in the woods with Leah during the week and on a ballfield on the weekend. 

Camocutie started hunting in the spring of 2010.  She has killed a bird every year since and I have every kill on video (avatar is her first kill).  She currently holds the record in our home for the biggest turkey and of course it was her first.  For that she is very proud.  She is one deadly shot and busted a bird last year at 40 yards through timber thanks to a handload developed especially for her by HOOTER.  We both shoot 870 20 ga's.  Her's is named Maureece and is solid black.  This year she joined an archery team and is really enjoying shooting competition. 

One last thing.  Like Hooter said, I am one mean owl caller.  In the past two weeks since getting a new call, I have called up 2 crows. 

[surehuntsalot]

My name is Steve,I live in central Ms. with my wife of 28 years Denise,we have 3 grown children,2 girls(26-25) 1 son (23).I work in commercial construction,(jobsite supervisor).
Have been turkey hunting for over 35 years,started hunting with a 20ga about 5 years ago.

[Gagry]

My name is Mike and I live in western North Carolina with my wife Rita. We have 3 boys 27-26-19 and one grandson who will be a year old in April. We also have a granddaughter on the way due the end of March. Now the middle son hunts with me and one of his Friends, but the other two never got into hunting. I have been turkey hunting sense the late 90's and hunt in Georgia and NC. This winter I bought one of pappys trumpets and I am trying to learn to call on it before spring. Last year I started hunting with a 20 ga and love it. I wish everyone success this season and most importantly a safe season.

[mightyjoeyoung]

Hey guys!  Name is Don.  I live in Erie, PA, I'm single and 40 years old and have been a nurse at a youth mental health treatment facility for the past 6 years.  Last year I was the only yankee on the roster, so it's good to see a couple more northerners on the team this year!  Been turkey hunting since 1984 and have run the whole gambit of shotguns from the venerable ole' "Long Tom" H&R sinlge 12 to ten gauges to a host of 12's.  I still own a bunch of dedicated "big bore" turkey guns, but the last 4 or 5 years I have found myself seriously intrigued with hunting with the 20 gauge and have built a few guns and taken a number of big birds with them.  I'm currently running a Remmy 870 youth converted to an honest to god turkey crusher and a 20 gauge TC Prohunter that I just LOVE to carry in the broken, hilly spring woods.  Anything I can do to help just let me know and anybody in my part of PA, let me know if you wana "hook up" and try for a couple contset winners.   

[jakesdad]

"with a kill able pattern out to about 70 yards"

70 yards?Thats a looooooooooooooong way with a 20!!

[mightyjoeyoung]

"with a kill able pattern out to about 70 yards"

70 yards?Thats a looooooooooooooong way with a 20!!

Took the words right outta my mouth Tim.  georgiaboy, are you SURE that's not a typo?  70 yards with ANY #7 shot even with TSS is far and away a questionable distance.  There's only an avg of 318 pellets in that load and even if you got 150 in the 10 at 40 yards your looking at roughly less than half that at 70, not to mention per pellet energy at that range just isn't there and you certainly won't have the pattern to make up for it.  I'm sorry, but if that isn't a typo, I have an issue with this, on top of the fact that any over 40 yard posts are not allowed on the site in the first place and if you were a veteran member, you'd know this. 

[jakesdad]

I didnt want to step on any toes bringing this up,and I hope it was a typo.But if it wasnt i'm not sure this would be doable let alone ethical.Im not calling anybody a liar by any means,but a killable pattern at 70,if it exists,would be very very tight from 10 to probably 50?I just dont see how this would be possible.To get a minimum 100 in a 10" circle at that range youd be talking almost 100% shot coverage in a 4-5" circle at 40!

[jakesdad]

I was hoping that was the case!Sounds like you do have a nice setup!

[mightyjoeyoung]

Ok!  Gotcha!!  Sorry man!  LMAO!!!!  I have those...fat finger moments ALLLLL THE TIME!!