Pennsylvania Game News - May 2021 - 14

and seeing this country through the eyes
of turkey hunters everywhere. "

K

nowing you like hunting several
species of game, how did you get
so interested in spring gobbler hunting?
" In the 1970s, spring turkey hunting
was in its infancy here in Pennsylvania.
My father got into turkey hunting and his
love for the sport got me hooked. From
going on scouting trips, to watching him
practice calling, and just being around
when anyone would come to the house
to 'talk turkey' fueled my turkey hunting
desire. I was 6 years old when Dad took
me into the woods to hear my first gobble.
From that day forward, I strived to learn
and sharpen my skills to be a successful
turkey hunter. The desire to sit on a ridge
in the spring woods and talk to an old
gobbler was burned into my soul. "

H

ow many gobblers have you harvested in your turkey hunting career?

" I've never been a numbers person. I
got my first one in 1985, but the opportunities I've had in the past 30 plus years
of traveling the country for most of each
spring season filming, guiding, and introducing folks to turkey hunting has allowed
me to experience a bunch of longbeards in
gun range. To me it has always been about
the whole experience - I love everything
about the hunt, even the ones that get
the best of me - and there are way more
of them, than ones that got slung over a
shoulder. For me the ultimate is spending
time with my dad, friend Tom and, lately,
my daughter Madison. "

H

ave you ever achieved the turkey
grand slam, harvesting the Osceola,
Rio Grande, Merriam's and Eastern
14

subspecies of wild turkey?
" I have. Back in 1993, we shot our first
turkey-hunting video when I was working at HS Strut (Hunter's Specialties).
At the time we were working with Tom
Miranda and his show on ESPN. That
spring my travels included a stop to hunt
each subspecies. I was lucky enough to
add the grand slam to my list of incredible
things that a turkey call afforded me the
opportunity to do in life. "

B

eing the expert caller you are, I'm
sure you carry all types of calls, but
what call is your go-to?
" I do carry a variety of calls and, like
most hunters, I have my favorite. For me
a diaphragm call is my main choice. I
have learned and still practice every day
to try to sound as much like a hen as I can.
One thing that my obsession with turkeys
and their calls has taught me is to try new
things and practice to perfect skills.
" My next go-to call is a slate. The
soft early morning roost talk and that
confidence-building soft talk is hard to
beat on a good slate call. In my opinion,
and I am guilty of it, too, hunters' success
rates would increase if they'd work harder
in perfecting that soft talk over the aggressive cutting and yelping. All has its place,
but turkeys are always communicating,
and most of the time, it's the 'talk' hunters cannot hear unless they're real close. "

W

hat is your preferred shotgun, and
what shot size do you use?

" I've come full-circle when it comes
to shotguns for turkey hunting. I started
with a Winchester Model 12 20-gauge,
gravitated to a 12-gauge, and went back to
a 20-gauge. With today's excellent turkey
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2021

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