May 12, 2008Mya Gallo, smiling big after the hunt of a lifetime
This was my favorite shot. You can't really see the turkey that well, but that's not important. What you can see is that incredible smile on Mya's face. You can't fake that kind of joy. Chuck wrote up the story of the hunt and I didn't see any reason to boil it down. So here it is: "Of all the hunts and all the success, nothing tops this one. May 5, 2008Taylor kills a big gobbler on camera. Sort of.Here's the video from my turkey hunt with Freddy McGuire on May 1 in Bedford County. Based on this video I am not expecting Will Primos to call and ask me to join his video team any time soon. I also fully expect my brother to tell me the video (particularly my ultracheesy voice over), is "more than I can bear." But I hadn't killed a turkey in two years so that was my priority on this day. Given that and the general challenges of this hunt, I think this turned out as well as we could have hoped for under the circumstances. Two details about the video. At one point in the voice over I say "I decided to belly crawl..." That's not true. As we were trying to figure out how to get this bird, Freddy -- who is an expert at this stuff -- suggested that I belly crawl over to try to peak into the hollow. I was going to give him a signal if it was clear for him to get over there with the camera. But it was clear the turkey was only 50 yards away and there was no way we could risk it. Also, this video is quick, but at least 15 minutes elapsed between when I started crawling and when I finally shot. I think the average viewer of outdoors videos would be surprised to know how many hunts those pro video teams go on to get the great footage that makes the cuts for their shows and DVDs. The more I lug cameras along on hunts, the more appreciation I have for the teams that get great footage out there under fair chase conditions. May 2, 2008A big end to my spring gobbler drought
It had a thick 10-inch beard and weighed 23 pounds even on Freddy's digital scale. The spurs were between 3/4 and 7/8 of an inch, although the tip of one was broken off. So, I'm not sure if it was a 2-year-old or 3-year-old. Not that it really matters. It is a heck of a trophy and was a great, exciting hunt. Freddy actually already wrote a story about the hunt and posted it on his Vaturkey.com Web site. He told the story so well I don't feel any great need to try to duplicate the work. Freddy was shooting video. We didn't get the kill on tape but I'm working on a little video I hope to post here a little bit later today. The short version is this guy started gobbling on his own about 8:45 a.m. We heard another one gobbling a ways off after the hunt. If you can hunt late, now is a good time to find lonely gobblers after hens head off to nests. Keep the reports and pictures coming, and thanks for reading. mt April 30, 2008Fish kills: It could be worseI'm doing some research for a story on the Cave Spring Optimist Club's 40th annual fishing tournament at Smith Mountain Lake and have been digging through some old newspaper clippings. Yesterday I looked at a bunch of clips from 1969 and 1970 and one type of story stood out: fish kills. As frustrating as the recent kills we've seen have been, it was a lot worse back then. Unlike many of the kills we've been dealing with lately, the kills back then were most from point source pollution. Somebody put something bad in the water and it killed a bunch of fish. Just a basic search turned up stories on kills on just about every stream in the region, including the New, James and Smith Rivers. A kill on the Clinch River in June of 1970 wiped out most life in the river in a 10-mile stretch. The kill was caused when an equipment failure at a hydroelectric plant allowed acid into the water. I also found stories about anglers complaining that fisheries managers were unfair about the attention they gave to certain species and fisheries. It's safe to say that's one thing that hasn't changed. April 28, 2008At 79, Harold Ford kills his first gobbler
The hunt is an offering from Virginia's chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation's Wheelin' Sportsmen program. Here's Barry's story about the hunt: "The predawn hours of Saturday, April 26 were wet and foggy as we gathered for our 3rd annual Wheelin’ Sportsmen hunt. Five hunters and their guides spread out across Bedford County in search of Mr. Longbeard. Daylight greeted most of the groups with very little gobbling on the roost. Three groups were able to eventually work birds later in the morning. Those three groups had birds close and two hunters even pulled the trigger. Unfortunately, one had failed to put a round in the chamber of his gun. The other gun did have a shell chambered and the load of Winchester # 5s found its mark. The gun was mine, BUT… it was in the hands of Mr. Harold Ford. Continue reading "At 79, Harold Ford kills his first gobbler" » |
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