The Turkey Fun Begins

Visit Fred Lutger’s web site Freddie Bear Sports

By Fred Lutger

Fred Lutger admires the exceptional wild turkey taxidermy mounts at the NWTF Show.

Wild Turkey hunting is one of my passions and the NWTF show is a turkey hunter’s dream.


I had a short visit this year but still managed to completly walk around the show floor. Not only does the show offer many vender displays but has a full schedule of seminars, auctions, calling contests and call making contests, an art and photo contest as well as the camaraderie of the best people on this planet, wild turkey hunters.

I have many friends in the hunting industry and I look forward to seeing faces I don’t get to see as often as I’d like. This show is a great way of bringing those friends together. My wife/partner/confidante/love of my life, Kathleen Considine, made the trip with me and saw the show for the first time. She got to put faces to the many names she has heard me mention and talk about.

She was also impressed with the Gaylord Center. We not only saw the show but visited the indoor gardens at the center, took the boat ride and visited the restaurants and pubs at the center.


A quick dash downtown to the music center fueled plans for a future Nashville trip to visit the downtown bars and music venues. That trip will wait until this years spring turkey seasons.

I was once again noticed the Corporate sponsorship of the show by Anheiser Bush and Chevrolet. They support hunting and I appreciate it.


I marvel at the craftsmanship of the decorative turkey calls at this show. I didn’t spend as much time as I would have liked to checking them all out, but I did make it a point to see  my friend David Constantine’s  entry in the decorative box call category. I wasn’t disappointed. His call blew me away. It is titled “Red Handed.” Check out the picture below.


I always look for new items I can carry with me in the turkey woods. My favorites this year: Jerry McPherson’s Montana Decoy company has some new photo realistic, fold up turkey decoys. I have used the full strutter in the past with great success.

I can’t wait to try out their new creations. And I really like the imagination of their new Moo Cow decoy. Just think of the possibilities not only for turkey but deer and antelope and other big game. Am I going to have fun this year!


Am I standing in Cally Morris’s Hazel Creek Taxidermy booth?? No, this is DSD and their hand painted, real to life looking flock of the best looking turkey decoys I have ever laid my eyes on.


These decoys look like mounted birds. The more realistic a decoy looks, the better it works. I bowhunt my turkeys.  I have to get them close.  The biggest revolution in turkey hunting is Double Bull blinds and full mounted taxidermy turkey decoys. The DSD decoys fooled me. I am sure they will, and have, fooled the most weary Tom.

The Double Bull Archery pop up ground blind revolutionized wild turkey hunting for bowhunters. This is our blind, a Primos Dark Horse.
I didn’t get to watch any of the calling contests on this trip but I did run into Bobbie Woods. Bobbie won the NWTF friction calling contest for the second time. He is the only repeat winner in this category. I talked to him at the Woodhaven booth and I plan to do a complete interview with this 2-time champ in the near future.


I am in Florida as I write this article. I was unfortunate enough to have a thunderstorm day and am in my motel room watching a 24 hour downpour of 2 inches of rain. The rest of the week in predicted to be sunny and mild, my kind of turkey weather. I will be back in the turkey woods tomorrow to chase that illusive orange grove hiding, swamp jumping,  Palmetto skirting, Gator dodging Osceola long beard. I am with my good friend, an avid turkey hunter, and webmaster of the greatest web sight for bowhunters (Bowhunting.net), Robert Hoague.

Robert and I are off on another great adventure. This spring we are once again hunting several states and all four species of America’s wild turkeys. We are very pleased to be hunting with good friend David Mill’s. Robert and I have been very successful hunting Osceolas with David. We are hunting South of Rt 70 to take advantage of Florida’s early opener. We are hunting the farms near  Arcadia, FL. For information on Osceola turkey hunts call David Mills at 863-303-4726.

I talked to other people at the show.  Custom knife maker Bob Dill and I had a mutual friend, Fred Bear. We exchanged stories about Fred and Bear Archery Company. I took several notes and will pass them along in.


I saw a unique new broadhead made by Hartcraft Broadheads. This broadhead deserves a story of it’s own. I will Get-ER-Done soon with pictures of this new head.


I hope to run into you as Robert and I travel the states. We run into readers every day. Good luck on your hunts and remember, the best hunts are the ones you return home from safe and sound.

Good hunting. Fred Lutger

 

© Copyright1996 – 2017 by Bowhunting.net

Top of Page