sniff.. nothing left to do but go fishing...

[HideHunter]

All over for this year.. Probably a good thing.. skeeters and gnats about had me requiring a transfusion.. Five of us - only one tag unfilled this year.. But, frankly, it was a bitch.. We earned 'em.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/969/27323486837_82aa776f39_c.jpg

[Chicken Dinner]

All over for this year.. Probably a good thing.. skeeters and gnats about had me requiring a transfusion.. Five of us - only one tag unfilled this year.. But, frankly, it was a bitch.. We earned 'em.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/969/27323486837_82aa776f39_c.jpg

Goid looking bird. Nicer looking gun. What can you tell us about it?


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[HideHunter]

That old gun has accounted for somewhere in the ball park of 100 turkeys for me and several more for friends and relations. There actually is more there than meets the eye - kind of a "Frankengun". It's a Remington Sportsman (forerunner to the Express). I bought it new, 35+ years ago - never fired a shot through it.. Sent it to Stan Baker (there's a blast from the past) had the barrel clipped to 23/12" - forcing cones lengthened, back-bored to .735 and tapped for chokes.. Installed two ivory beads. Shot nasty patterns and particularly likes Hevi-Shot. I stoned the action and did a trigger job on it.

I used it that way until I was abut 50 and couldn't see the beads.. I installed a set of Williams Fire Sights and used it that way for about 10 years. Then (as the eyes continued to slip) I installed the scope.. My, my what a difference. ;) Was always adding cheek pieces to get up to scope level - so a few years ago, I sprung for the Boyd's stock (which I promptly chopped to my arms and butchered to fit my hand).. I've spray-paint-camoed it a number of times.. It's obviously due again.. I installed a "super-full" choke in it for awhile and it would shoot devastating patterns out to 60 yards.. Then I missed one at about 18 steps (where I shoot 80% of my birds) so I put the Baker Full back in it and never looked back. Wow.. too much info? ;) thnx for asking...

[Chicken Dinner]

Man, you really are a tinkerer! I though I had the barrel pegged as a Remington. But, couldn’t figure out the rest.


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[quercus alba]

from the length of that stock it appears you're not but about a foot taller than Cappy

[Bwana]

My question is, how do you get that fan to stay so nice and full like that?

[HideHunter]

It's kind of "icing on the cake", Bwana.. I use a trick taught me years ago, by a taxidermist, to cool out my turkeys before I dress them. Pull out the intestines (these are the important part - but I usually take gizzard, heart and liver also). Stick a frozen 20 oz bottle of ice (or ziploc bag of ice) in the cavity. Hang him up in the shade.. Wait about 30 minutes and replace the bottle (it will be melted) with another.. Completely cools out the meat and will remain that way for hours.. Bonus is - if you spread the wings and tail nicely as it hangs, they stiffen and stay that way for pics...

[Bwana]

The problem with your process is that you need to have a tree to hang the bird in. :-)

[HideHunter]

oooops... glacier maybe? ;)