Those of you that have gun hunted in the past.......and transitioned into bowhunting as well........do you ever miss carrying the bang stick? I don't reallyon the deer hunting side, but whenturkey hunting.............I still really like to carry the gun sometimes. I can look back at last spring nowand really appreciate the awesome bird I took with the bow.............but now that I've accomplished getting it done this way I still just enjoy carrying the gun sometimes as well.

Don't get me wrong, when I'm in the mood to sit and wait them out, I love to carry the bow and a blind..................but sometimes I just want to run and gun and get myself into active birds rather than wait for them, and I really just like to carry the gun for this. Something about it just remindsme of those days in highschool sittingout on a spring morning, with active birds around me knowing I'm gonna be late for school..........but for the next half an hour it just didn't matter.When running and gunning I happen to get into a LOT moreactive birds as compared to waiting them out, and actually working the active birds is what I enjoy most about the pursuit of them. Whether I kill them, or someone else kills them, or if no one kills them and I just get a good show.......I don't really care. I just want to work active birds sometimes, and I still enjoy killing them with the gun.

Yesterday as I placed my order for a new turkey gun,I felt that others would think I was selling out, but honestly.........after the bird I killed w/ the bow last year I feel that I've already gotten it done and and achieved that goal of a true war hammer with a bow.I'll do it again at some point, but for this year I just don't feel the need to. This year I want to focus on helping others get onto birds and if I get some time for me I'll bring the new toy.

So onto the new toy.................after the two birds wecalled in last year for him (his first two), I've gotten Jawshooter hooked enough on birds that he wanted his own turkey specific gun this year.I sold him my current Mossberg setup and am replacing with a new one. I should have the new oneby this weekend to pattern (I'm hoping) and I honestly can't wait. It's been a loooooooong time since I've ordered or bought a new gun but I'm really looking forward togettingthis one.

This thing = bad news for turkeys.

Mossberg 535 ATS Turkey Tactical Series - 20" ported barrel - 3.5" chamber - Realtree APG




I also picked up the mount kit, rings, and a Mueller Multi Shot 2-7x33 with the illuminated circle dot reticle. This gun will primarily be a turkey gun, but will also be my go to predator calling gun when in the timber. I'll also likely pick up a slug barrel for the shotgun only counties in NY, and to have as a backup during rifle season. The scope should work well in all of these situations. Mueller has a fantastic reputation among the predator hunting community and I've been anxious to try one for quite a few years.