tomgobbler

i ended up with a remington 700 30-06, with a 3x9 redfiled scope, with the raised rings were you can see through them and use the sights. nice shape, has a few scratches on the stock, but very clean gun, action and everything great shape. $600.00 i also have a mossberg pump 12 gauge, great shape as well, EXCEPT at some point someone broke the stock, as seen in the picture and glued it back together, and when you run your finger over it you can feel it, and see it, but is shoots great. shoots 3 1/2 shells. a new stock runs about $40 if you want to replace it. but it functions fine. and you can use it as is with no problems.... $300 neither gun has had very many shells through them, both older but just been sitting in the guys safe, great condition on both. thanks tommy

MatthewP and his brother in law, and i found ourselfs on thursday morning as the sun was starting to break the day, sitting under a couple of pine trees, listening to a couple of San Carlos turkeys sound off, unfurtantly the weather was terrible, windy, rainy, nasty.... and those two birds would not coporate for anything, they just didnt sound to interested, and didnt gobble much.... BUT through the day we were able to put 3 NICE gobblers on the ground, with matts brother in law having the longest beard at around 10 3/4".... and he got his about 8:00 that morning, at about one, after lots of miles traveled, and hearing a lot of wind in the trees that was about it, but finally as matthew and i got out of the truck about 1:00 to try again even with the wind blowing we made a few hen yelps, not really expecting to hear anything, like the last 50 times we had gotten out of the truck, as we made a few calles a gobbler answered just over the top of ridge in some cedars, and before we could even set up and get ready, 3 hens and 3 gobblers came over the top working towards us, we both grabbed our guns and with a quick, you take the left, and i'll take the right at about 55 yards, the 3 1/2" winchester #4's did there job, and we had 2 gobbelrs on the ground! as we get up to the first bird the one matthew had taken we looked at it and it had 2 BEARDS! i was totally jealous, out of all the birds i have taken i had always wanted to take a multiple bearded gobbler, but was thinking this is so awesome, and could'nt of happened a nicer guy, as matthew is one heck of a friend! it had a 10 1/4" thick main beard, and 7 1/2" second beard for a total of 17 3/4" of beard NICE.... well we get up to the second bird the one i had shot and take a look at it, and low and be hold it has 5 BEARDS!!! yep you read that right 5 BEARDS!!!! i couldnt believe it, i really didnt know what to say.... out of the couple dozen gobblers i have taken, and the 50 or so i have been a part of, i had only called in one other turkey with multiple beards, i had called one for my buddy a few year ago in NM that had 3 beards....and now to have 2 on the ground at the same time with multiple beards was trully amazing! after getting home and looking on the NWTF websight and doing a ruff score on my bird, he will be somewhere around the top 55 or so of all time merriams gobblers!!!! what a once in a life time bird! and to have shot him at exactly the same time as my buddy took his bird just added to the greatness of the moment. i cant thank matthew enough for letting me tag along on this turkey trip, i'm doing a coupe of lifesize mounts on these birds to capture the moment forever. but those few seconds will be relived for a long time to come, as i will probably never beat 26 5/8" of beard on one bird ever again. thanks matthew for everything!!!!! here are a few pictures of the beards i tried to take when i got home, matt will have to post the pictures of in the field off of his digital camera in the next day or so! i put a piece of paper behind the beards to try and get them to stand out better. i hope you like them good luck tommy

here is a picture of ben, then phil, matthew, and then me on the far right. opening day about 2:00, or should i say opening day for us

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i have a son that i really need to get the saturday field day part, that is all he lacks, anyone in the whitemountains areas help. thanks tommy

yea i'm having a hard time, as well brent, getting the same thing they dont respect the on line... well if they ever offered it in our area maybe we would get the real version, and if the game and fish is goig to offer an on line version then THEY should ALSO offer the field day. it pretty crappy to have to drive to phoenix to get it doen when there are some many kids here in the whitemountians needing it. i have looked and watched for classes in this area for awhile with nothing.... IF the GAME AND FISH mandate you have something then they should really offer opurtunities to get it, in a resonable time and distance.... but what ever, i need to get him through the field day some where some how, so now we have two, and i know of a few others, anyone williing to do this before turkey season ?

ernesto i agree with that! not nearly enough tags well trapping season is nov 1st through the end of feb... although i started calling a little in october.... but manely this was from nov 1st through about the 25th or so of feb. so about 4 months fo work....

tastes like chicken! you should try it! not a chance, have you ever skinned/smelled one of those nasty things....

Andrew, very nice write up and great pictures, it was a pleasure to meet you and your family, what a great hunt that was for you guys! congrats to all! tommy

your pm box seems full it wont take any new messages?... anyway are these all offset? center swival? az leagal, or going to take some work to get that way? any idea on how many total you have? and any idea on what you'de take for all of them? thanks tommy

Hoping you have a great day my friend! tommy

The Southwest Fur harvesters are having a youth trapping camp, ANy youth between 10-17, It will be a 3 day camp with instruction given to the youth, all the meals will be provided for the three days. it is being held Feb, 19-20-21, and this will qualify for the trapping class to get there trapping license. It is being held on the Chauncey Ranch which is located by cordes junction. Anyone interested can give Don Rohla a call, Pm me for his # if you need it. this will be a great camping/trapping trip to take your kids to, they are limiting the number of youth to 12. they are providing all the trapping equipment needed, and all meals.

yea thats perfect. thanks tommy

Good luck to all javy hunters! Anyone that is going to throw out there javy's I'll take all heads/skulls that you dont want. Capes good enough for shoulder mounts, ( NO split briskets) .... I also would like all the glands you want to save. The gland is located about 3-4 inches up the back from the base of the tail. if you look through the hair, you can see a "nipple", that is located right in the middle of the gland, so as your skinning you'll know were it is, if your careful the gland will come off in one solid piece, Or cut out a big cirlce ofhide and i can remove the gland myself. thanks in advance and good luck me and my 11 year old have the HAM hunt, his first big game, so should be fun. tommy

havent you guys ever spread gland on your toast? makes you a heck of a javelina hunter ...... puts hair on your chest ! just kidding, i am expermenting with a guy from texas on some lures we want to try.... so trying to come up with a few, as it takes quite a bit to make any amount..... so me and my sons pigs wont be enough for what i want to try....

My brother indid up with 2 LIVE cow buffalo, ( long story) anyway he needs to get rid of them, it is some of the best meat you'll ever eat.... you can come shoot one, or come and haul it home to shoot, you keep everything hide, head, meat ect.... there is a good meat processor right down the road from the house here, or you can take it home to the processor of your choice. These cows are some were around 800 lbs. around 3 years old. Or take it home and keep it for a pet. $1200.00 per cow. thanks tommy

Sadie, very nice! congrats on a great buck! tommy

clay when you get doen with them send them on to me

my uncle called last night and asked if i wanted to go calling this morning, so waking up to wind and rain, i about stayed in bed, but decided what else do i have to do, so off we went, Stand 1 nada stand 2 calling a big flat and about 7 minutes in caught the first dog coming from about 1/2 mile away, ( i love being able to watch them for awhile) it came in for ever and got to baout 150 yards when i dumped it, about 1 1/2 " behind front shoulder, 55 grain V MAx out of my 223, that thing flopped hard but then got up and ran 150-200 yards befor piling up, at first i thought i had a bad hit, but when i got to it and the 2 foot circle of blood under it i vouldnt belive it had ran so far. stand 3 nada stand 4 sage brush cedar bottom, and a dog cam out of the thick stuff to about 125 yards and stopped broad side so i let one fly, square through both shoulders, dropped like a ton of bricks. stand 5 and 6 nada, wind had really picked up so called it a morning. besides 2 wet coyotes is about all a guy can stand to skin in a day anyway dang stinking things tommy

here are some birds i did, you can check out my turkeys in the turkey section. tommy

congrats NIce buck, and always nice when a plan comes together after a long stock. i'de of let teh smoke out as well! no hesitation. nice job tommy

antler, i usually shoot the plain old hornady soft nose bullets, and have had great results with little damage. but when i went to buy some more is all western drug had was the v-max, so i thought i'de give them a try, these are the first 2 dogs i have shot with them, the first dog broad side, about 1 1/2" behind front shoulder @ 150 yards, pencil hole in, 3/4" size out, dog ran apporx 200 yards..... second dog 125 yards i hit it square on the shoulder blade and had about a 2 1/2" ENTRANCE hole, it hit that shoulder and exploded back out i guess.... and the funny thing was a piece of either bullet or bone exited out the other side about 5 inches back, about the size of a pencil.... so i dont know..... i wasnt real impressed, especailly with the entrance on the second bullet...... like i said i really like the plian old soft nose bullets... but we'll shoot a few more dogs with them and see how they do an a few more ( since i loaded 100 of them) good luck tommy

my buddy called me and wanted to go calling, and i asked what he wanted to try for and he said lets go try some grey's as the coyotes arent responding all that well, so off we went. the day ended up will calling 4, rolling 4, and bringing home 2.... we were calling some really thick, nasty brush, and i rolled one, that sucker bit the dust hard, with my 12 gauge, 3 1/2 in shelles, so i kept calling, and looked back around and it had crawled into some brush and i never found it, Then a little latter that day, my buddy dumped one with his 223, and we had the same thing happen, thought it was down for the count and then it was gone.... *(&)*& i hate it when that happenes.... anyway the one i shot, was one of the bigger geys i have seen/called/shot, it was right at 15 lbs..... look at the difference in the body and neck of these 2 greys.... the one is the normal average size.... then look at the big male compared to him.... sorry pictures were after dark when we got home, on my shop floor before i skinned them. tommy

i dont know what it is i have never seen one with white toes, and this is the second one in a month i have called in that has white toes.... probably 10 miles form the other one.... anyone else ever see one with white toes? also take a look at the stripe, runs almost the entire length of its back, pretty cool. tommy

congrats on a sweet ram. nothing like a little hard work that payes off in the end. cant wait to see the finished mount! tommy