Here's my column in the Jamestown (NY) Gazette. It will probably be in a couple of other papers, too.

Turkey Season Wrap-Up: Why was this season such a challenge?

That's the way I see the tough season this year. I was actually 100% on the birds I actually got to work. Of the 4 times I heard gobbling I could work only one. He signed off pretty quickly. I called in one other, as the article mentioned in the last line, but he didn't tell me he was coming.

Steve.

GREAT read, and I agree with you 100%. I managed a Longbeard AND a jake, May 3rd and May 5th. Longbeard came in silent while I was talking with another bird further off. If I hadn't seen him before he saw me, I would be telling a different story. The jake, 2 days later came in as 1 of 3. Came in silent. Both birds came in after making a couple sequences of yelps and clucks. I was hunting Oswego county, New York.

Thanks, LBKing.

I spoke with a taxidermist at about mid season, and he told me he knew of only four people who killed birds at that point.

Steve.

Great read for sure.
Have heard everything from feast to famine in PA this past year. I personally saw 9 PA birds hit the dirt this year. But next county over, had a guy tell me he only heard a few gobbles this year. Also heard that the central PA birds were the toughest to kill ever. Lots of guys are lamenting the late season combined with early spring caused a lot of the problems. But on the other hand I called one right down my gun barrel on May 31.

Right bird on the right day makes you look like a hero.

Other than that, the excuses are many. BTDT..........

Nice job Steve

Were you writing for that paper in '99/'00? I lived in the area then. In many ways I miss it.

Now that Turkey season is over, time to get after the smallmouth in the Conewango! Or the big River.

Enjoy your summer and good hunting in the fall seasons.

Geno

I'm a little late to this party.

Two nice adult Toms. May 5, May 19.
One was very large. 23lbs. hanging from my fish scale. 8.5 beard.
Eastern NY - Columbia County. 20ga. Encore, #7 Fed Heavy. 26yds, 19 yds.
On the other days I was humbled by being outsmarted by the world's dumbest bird!

Jim

No, that paper didn't exist in 2000. I didn't start writing until 2005, in the Warren Times Observer. Wrote for them for about 8 years, and won "Best Newspaper Column" in PA three of those years, and then they dropped me.

Not much of a fisherman, but the Conewango is a great place. I live within a quarter mile of it.

Steve.

Thanks for the info, I just remembered this topic.

I wish you a great rest of the summer over there and good luck on all your hunts this fall.

Geno