TOPIC: Billy

Chieftain congrats on the hunting and the fishing. I dont keep track of the exact number of morrels that I pick, but probably only found about 200 this year. Mostly blacks and the big yellow ones (although they didn't get all that big this year). The half-free and the little yellow ones were almost non-existant in my area. Is that 10 gauge a NEF Pardner?

Shroomy, thanks. Apparantly Ohio doesn't weigh the birds any more. They always used to, but I tagged 2 birds this year and checked them in at different check stations and neither one got weighed. I think our birds are about the same size as yours on average. The largest I've ever shot was a little over 24 and had 1 3/8\" spurs and 11 1/4\" beard.

yes its a 10 gauge Pardner..bought the barrel for it with the screw in chokes and had a model 12 win. vent rib put on it...

Congrats on the shrooms Chief. I agree with the weather putting a hurting on the season in many areas. Sounds like you did pretty good though, alot better than many I have read about. Looks like you picked some nice blacks and Esculentas.
5Prong I'm guessing you are talking of Deliciosa, when you mention the small yellows?? That's strange that Ohio isn't weighing the turkeys anymore. I thought they did the weighing, spur length to keep track of the age and health of birds being harvested. I have never killed a bird on your state but have called in birds for people there and everyone that had been harvested was weighed when checked in. What the states do really confuse me sometimes though. I have seen some really goofy game laws, and some of the things the DNR do I don't agree with what-so-ever. But I'm just a dumb ole' redneck, so I suppose it doesn't matter much what I think, LOL.

dnr done away with with our check stations[deer and turkey]...poaching runs rampant now..its the old \"buy one tag ,fill it 6 times\"

I hear ya Chief. Here the DNR changed the tags to the individual writing out the name, address, and date of harvest on a piece of paper. How stupid !! I mean the average person kills the animal they are after and checks it in. But MANY people get the animal back home, or to camp and will clean it. Then go back out after another, and another, and another. It makes me sick. What REALLY gets me is that if a person is of poor health, or doesn't have time to go out and hunt themselves they can't buy a tag and let a friend or family fill the tag for them. That has never made sense to me. Back when I was a hardcore turkey and deer hunter I would have numerous people ask me to do this, and I would have to explain the law to them. They thought the same as I do about that law, STUPID. But they will let the bad apples poach numerous animals every year. I have seen guys shoot birds and skin them on the spot on many occasions, as well as killing deer and skinning them out of a tree, or an old barn. I know they can't catch them all, but why do they set-up the tagging system to make it that much easier for them to get away with such things? It's beyond me.

here the dnr Say's with the new check system that they get data on the deer herd quicker.I ask them if they take into account that their data they have was wrong .when multiple deer or turkey are checked in on the same tag it makes the rest of their data all wrong...the people at the dnr didn't seem to think that would happen..then raised the price of the tags to promote this even further..buy one high dollar tag and get your moneys worth out of it..4 or 5 times...

Chief sounds like we pretty much think the same. Anymore it's all about the dollar. Nothing like it used to be when I was a kid, and I'm not old at all. I have contacted state biologists on many occasions with different answers and they had no answers. Isn't that their jobs? Another thing that gets me is MANY of the state areas now don't even do bird counts for migratory fowl. Not that even when they did them they did them correct, or did them at all. But would post numbers that were WAY OFF. I'm no professional hunter, or claim to be a great outdoorsman, or anything of the sort. But I will say I do more than most people and while doing the different outdoor related things I have seen numerous DNR screw-ups, and info that was WAY OFF BASE. I was stopped on some stateland last year while mushroom hunting during squirrel season. I had 2 conservation officers ask me what I was doing, I told them mushrooming and had 4 bags in my hands at the time full of mushrooms. They thought that mushrooming was a springtime venture and started asking me various questions. I believe they were fishing around to see if I was lying. Anyhow, after being questioned one asked to see into my backpack, as I removed my backpack, I smiled and asked if they were looking for Ginseng, and they both looked at me and responded with a yes. After opening my backpack and bags to prove I wasn't digging roots, they mentioned the Ginseng being dug out by poachers, and that the woods was void of the plants. I kind of laughed and told them I had spotted numerous planst that very day while picking, and some of them being very large mature plants. They were shocked and replied with \"well that's great to hear\". Point being is that they more than likely had not even left the roads unless they thought they could write a ticket or two, but KNEW that the place had been dug out, which was far from the truth. I will add that both of the officers were actually pretty cool, and we spent a good amount of time talking about the outdoors and even shared in a laugh or two. Funny thing is I ran into them 3 times that day total. So they were doing their jobs checking licenses, that's for sure. LOL

most officers I meet seemed to be ok..doing a tuff job ,enforcing some stupid laws that a politician made at the state capital that some of the officers and most people don't agree with..but its their job..that still may not make it right...here in ILL.land of the corrupt...they based how may tags to issue by the number of deer/ vehicle collision they had the prior years...tell me insurance lobbyists didn't have their hand in that decision..I always thought a game warden should have more biology knowledge and less law enforcement attitude.

Like I say, it's all about the dollar. I haven't ever looked into it as I really have no interest in what they do with the money that the DNR gets. I do know from the looks of things that they don't do what they say they do with it. Look at the state land around here and some of it is some sad sights. But anyhow, I also agree on the biology factor more than law enforcement. Around here you call one a game warden and more than likely they will mention they don't like that name, but prefer conservation officer. Which the first name would be a better lable for the jobs they do (for the most part). I used to hunt/fish with a few of them. But after being screwed over by all of them (some multiple times). I quit hanging around them, and rarely go out of my way to say anything to them. I'm not jaded, or upset, or even saying I dislike them. Just would rather keep clear of all of them and show them proof of licenses when need be and leave it at that.

Chief-Thats a nice set-up on the pardner, love the added touch of the model 12 ventilated rib. I've got a 12 and 20 with fixed modified chokes in both. Nice little guns for the money. Can't really call yours little, and probably cost more than both of mine with the added touches.

Shroomy, I think your right on the ID of the little yellow morrels, but I've only ever known them as that. Couldn't tell you the scientific names of any fungi or plant. I'm just a dumb ole hillbilly LOL!

I'm not about to get caught up in a debate about the DNR. I see some good things that they do here in Ohio, but am not naive and realize that money is definately one of the main driving forces. I believe that they are doing away with check stations here next year. From what I understand a person will be able to call in on phone or by internet to tag their deer/turkey in. I like the convenience, but also understand how this will make it easier for poachers. I really don't know if poaching will increase, because I believe that if a person is intent on poaching that they will do it no matter how hard or easy it is to get away with. Just the thoughts of a dumb ole hillbilly.