Bob Walker of Walker’s Game Ear and currently Sportsman’s Outdoor Strategies “walked” me through a new line of hunting crossbows–pretty cool stuff.Most folks might not know that Mossy Oak’s Bobby Cole is not only a guru of BioLogic, but an accomplished book author as well. Check out The Dummy Line on Amazon if you get the chance.I caught up on old times with the First Lady of Hunters Specialties, Carman Forbes.Seeing Quaker Boy Game Calls‘ Chris Kirby was a bittersweet, emotional experience. Many of you have heard that Chris’ dad, Dick, passed on a couple of months ago. Dick and I spent many, many days together on the professional calling circuit. It was the first time I’d gotten to see Chris since his dad’s passing.Is country music star Craig Morgan the real deal or what? During what he thought would be a quiet Sunday afternoon after returning from a string of tour dates to his hometown of Dickson, Tennessee, Craig witnessed a house fire and sprung into action. Putting his skills as a former EMT and Assistant Deputy Sherriff to work, Morgan, who’s a dyed in wool hunter, raced to the scene and into the smoke-filled house to rescue two young children still inside. When the fire trucks arrived, the firefighters handed Morgan a hose to help dampen the flames. Thanks to the singer’s quick reaction, the home suffered relatively minor damage and everyone inside made it to safety.Tell anyone in the outdoor field that you spent some time with “Cuz”, they’ll automatically know who you’re talking about. Mossy Oak’s Ronnie Strickland is an industry legend.My buddy, Realtree Camouflage’s David Blanton, is too young to be a legend, but he’s a fine television host and hunter.Another longtime buddy from our days on the professional calling circuit is Eddie Salter.They don’t make ’em much better than Harold Knight and David Hale.Let me let you in on a little turkey hunting secret: Black Diamond turkey chokes by Indian Creek Shooting Systems. Simply put–they’re KILLER!Iraq War veteran Michael McCarrell presented me with a wounderful gift of a song he wrote called: _The Turkey Ma_nFounded way back in 1972, Perfection Turkey Calls is still a success today thanks to Jim Clay–one of the most well-respected pros in the business.I even got the chance to horse around a bit with outdoor writer Jim Spencer who recently came out with an awesome turkey book titled: Bad Birds. You ought to read it, it’s awesome.Kevin Small operates KT’s Trophy Hunts in Rutledge, Missouri–6,500 acres of awesome turkey and deer woods.The seminar room was packed!I’ve spent many great days in the spring turkey woods hunting gobblers with Linda Powell of Mossberg firearms. She’s one hell of a turkey hunter. Check out Mossberg’s new Tactical Turkey Guns. Pretty cool.Exactly what does Mark Drury look like when he’s wracking his brain trying to come up with a new idea for a product? I think I caught the moment.I hunted with Mike Schmid, owner and operator of Solitude Ranch in Wyoming, for the first time last spring and can’t say enough good things about the operation. I’m going back this spring and next spring…and the spring after that…..Preston Pittman, too, is one of the legendary pros of the turkey industry perhaps best known for his gobbler imitation on the Tonight Show. He tore it up that night.I got to spend some time backstage with the NWTF’s Brent Lawernce and country music star Trace Adkins.Audiences were thick and loud at the day’s seminars.Buddy Scott Hooks of Hook’s Custom Calls.Grand National Calling Champion Scott Hendershot.Pennsylvania’s Terry Rohm has been at Tink’s for years, but is one of the best turkey callers in the country.
A who’s who of turkey hunting descended on Nashville for the 2011 National Wild Turkey Federation Annual Convention and Chasing Spring’s Ray Eye was there to bring you all the action.
