Go Hunt Pa

GoHuntPa.org is a really good website to quickly find out some great information about hunting in Pennsylvania. The game commission also set up a nice application for smart phone users.

Information like, what is in season, Topographical Maps, Sunrise and Sunset times and more can all be easily found at this site.

Use this interactive map to find out what hunting area you are in. I posted about Go Hunt Pa in April but you can use it now to Plan ahead for purchasing your Doe license.  You can easily see if your new hunting area is 2B, 2A or 2D.

2015 Pa Spring Gobbler Season Ends

Today is the last day of the 2015 spring gobbler season here in Pennsylvania. Hopefully you were  able to harvest a mature spring gobbler this season. I was so glad to be able to tag a great Tom on the first day.

I did purchase an extra turkey tag this year, but  I never went out hunting after the opening day.  I can't wait to get my turkey back from the taxidermist. I know it will be a beautiful mount and always remind me of that morning.

Fawn's and Other Baby Wildlife

Now is the time of year when whitetail deer are having their fawns. If you happen to come across one of these beautiful little babies, please leave them alone.  Their mother will be close by, they are not abandoned, they are fine all on their own.

Memorial Day Weekend

I would like to wish everyone a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. As you are celebrating with your friends and family, Please remember the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.

Big Missouri Turkey

Congratulations Scott Hettinger (C4/5 quadriplegic) on taking this outstanding Missouri gobbler this year. Scott was able to harvest this bird with his Stoeger 12 gauge at 38 yards.  The bird had a 10 3/4'' beard and 1'' spurs.

Moment of Freedom Project

The moment of freedom project  is providing wheelchair users greater access to the outdoors in Tennessee. They are putting in wheelchair accessible ground blinds and making fishing docks more accessible for everyone, making access to the outdoors in Tennessee easier.

 Please check out their video here    And their website here

Bushnell Banner 4 x 16 x 40mm Scope

My brother mounted a new Bushnell scope with weaver medium profile rings on my Savage A17 yesterday. We decided to use a Bushnell 4 x 16 with lighted reticle. It will light up red or green and will be great for early morning groundhogs.

Unfortunately I do not have a bore sighter in .17 caliber. But I should be able to get the rifle zeroed in without too much difficulty. My plan is to sight the rifle in .50'' low at 25 yards, then move to 50 yards and 100 yards.

My friend Chuck recently bought the same rifle. He is very impressed with the accuracy, Chuck is easily shooting one inch groups. The Savage A17 is definitely a tack driver and I cannot wait to try it out.

Spring Turkey Success, May 2, 2015

Yesterday was the first day of spring turkey season here in Pennsylvania. Like the last several years I went hunting with the Western Pennsylvania Wounded Warriors in Eighty Four PA. Skip and I were in the DarkWoods ground blind by 6 am.

At 7 AM we had four gobblers working to my right but I was unable to turn my wheelchair for a shot. The birds were at 20 yards but all I could do was watch them and listen to them gobble.

At 8 AM this mature gobbler came from my left and circled  my ground blind. He stayed to the right for 30 minutes at 20 yards gobbling at least 50 times. Skip finally convinced him with soft calls into my decoy set in the front of the ground blind.

The Funky chicken decoy and feeding hen were not moving at all. With no wind or decoy movement, this Tom decided to walk off. I took a chance and moved my wheelchair into position for a shot. At the last second I took the shot at his head at 30 yards while he was walking away. He dropped in his tracks and I had my first spring gobbler since my injury in 1999.

We quickly called Jeff, the President of the Wounded Warriors and he came up to celebrate with us. Harvesting this turkey was absolutely a group effort and I am so thankful for everyone who made this happen.

If you are a person with a disability and would like to try hunting or get back into the woods. Please do your research, find out what is available in your area and pursue your dreams. With the right assistance everyone can enjoy the great outdoors together.

Meat Eater Podcast

I like to watch the sportsman's channel show Meat Eater. Have you ever seen it? Steve Rinella is the host and a very talented hunter, outdoors person and author. I started listening to his podcast earlier this year. You can check it out here