turkey hunting

[Randy Smith]

I am gearing up for 2014 turkey season. Larry Curtis (---AKA---SGT. Larry Crooks in Mick Hawkins book) and myself (---AKA---Raymond Skinner the medic in Micks book) are meeting in 4 days to hammer out the details for a turkey hunt with Mick in Missouri. Anyone who has not read Mick's book, THE WAY IT WAS, should contact him about obtaining one if you were with the 1/50th and especially if you were with Delta company.

Anyone addicted to turkey hunting can chat here and probably get an answer back full of braggadocios half truths and outright lies. Are you there Parker Pierce? Did I ever tell you about the 65 lb. turkey I saw in Kentucky? Stood as tall as my shoulder he did, and that ain't no lie. If I'd have gotten him I would have had a new worlds record but alas he was on another property and by the time I got permission to hunt that property he was nowhere to be seen again. Now seriously I have taken the grand slam in turkey hunting and have hunted and killed turkeys in Indiana, Kentucky, Florida, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Texas and I'm tellin' ya that turkey in Kentucky was more than twice the size of any I have ever seen. Ya believe me don't ya. Well I don't blame ya, I could hardly believe my own eyes but it is the plain truth and I'm stickin' to it.

Next time I'll tell you about getting two turkeys with one shot and I've done it more than once but it was an accident on each occasion. Supposin' ya don't believe that either. Oh well I can only tell it like it was or at least the way I remember it. See all you turkey hunters later and don't forget to pattern your shotguns.

Randy "DOC" Smith, turkey hunter and truth stretcher.

[harley hawkins]

Hay Randy you forgot Missouri I have seen you kill turkeys in Mo. I think the best turkey story I have heard in a while was last year my son was turkey hunting in the woods next to our duck marsh and this old gobbler would fly out by this goose every morning. Josh set up on him in a layout blind as there wasn't much cover and a goose decoy using the mo. turkey call he killed that bird.


Mick Hawkins

[harley hawkins]

Randy

Talking about the names in my book . When I was looking for a printer . They all seemed concerned I had used real names so I went back and changed all the names seemed better then getting a release from everyone. I got releases to use the pictures. Changing the names was really hard because I would forget and start using the real names again. I tried to keep the new name as close as I could to the real name. I had a list to go by but when writing I would just be back there in Nam and before you knew it back to using real names and then I would have to go back and change them.



Take care my friend.


Harley Mick Hawkins

[Randy Smith]

Hey thanks Mick,

I guess I spaced out by not also listing Missouri as another state in which I have taken turkeys. And I hope to increase my Missouri count of harvested turkeys very shortly. I'm going to bring an ostrich decoy and go after one bigger than Josh's goose chaser.

I had figured out the actual names of the guys in your book Mick but there was a couple times when you used an actual first name or two but who cares it was darn good reading.

See you next month on the 28th brother and until then put some pie pans scattered around filled with 151 proof rum. After the turkeys get a snoot full of that they won't use nearly as good judgement chasing the hens and should be easier to call in. At least it used to work that way for me.

[Jim Sheppard]

Mick!

Just my opinion...and you know what they say about hindsight...but those book publishers steered you wrong.

What you wrote was non-fiction and a historical documentation. GENERALLY, real names are used in such instances. Exceptions are when the author has a derogatory comment about an individual character. In those negative situations, a pseudonym (fake name)may (should) be used. An author probably should to be in touch with the individuals involved in positive remembrances...just to get "permission" to use their names. I have heard this is necessary, but I have read hundreds of books where it's obvious this was not done. The books were published anyway. By using fake names, this "permission" is circumvented.

I applaud your effort regardless. You have done what I have tried to urge many to do. WRITE IT DOWN.

I'm not crazy about most of the "self-publish" book outfits these days. They do little besides printing..and rape the author's wallet....charging for "editing" that is little more than a spell check.

As for turkeys? I hope you guys all bag a bunch of the suckers!

[harley hawkins]

Jim

I sure respect your commits and I knew how you felt about self published books. I have a friend who wrote a book breaking squelch he was in Nam in 66 good book and I have an uncle who wrote a book both went with a book publish house and this is very costly. As you said Jim I just wanted to write some things down before I forgot them as this is for the kids. I had no idea I would sell as many as I did nor was that my intent.
The printer suggested I not use real names and after some thought I went with that and now I kind of wish I had went the other way. I might update it someday I would like to write about the fact I found Chuck Ogle what a great guy .
We always have a big time when the boys come over, I do not turkey hunt but we always catch a few fish and have a fish fry. Jim I have started reading all the KIAs we had and have been doing this for some time now. My hat is off to you as if it takes me all this time to read them it would have to be unreal the hours you have in putting it together. What an honor for the familys . I Thank You.

Take care


Harley Mick Hawkins

[Jim Sheppard]

Let me know the next time you-all plan on doing some fishing. I might be up for a road trip!

[harley hawkins]

Lets do that Jim. I think this year . Randy Smith, Larry Curtis, Toby Milroy, Bob Gold and Danny Scott are coming over. We fish for Crappie and bass then eat them .


Mick Hawkins

[Randy Smith]

Hey Jim,

Mick is soft-shoeing you on the fishing trips. "we catch a few" he says. We laid 'em in by the 5 gallon buckets full and you know I'm mighty truthful about such things. We had a fish fry at the end of our week there and Mick had 60 of his friends over for it and we had plenty of fish and turkey too. OK that's another half-truth, there were only 30 of his friends there but we fed the multitudes and had fish to spare and that ain't no lie. Seriously, it surprised me too. I mean who'd thought that Mick had 30 friends.

I will say that Mick was a gracious host. Yeah he out fished the rest of us and caught the biggest and the most fish but at least he left the plastic wrap on his new fishing reel to kind of handicap himself. He didn't realize until the end of the trip that the plastic was still around the spool of the reel. No wonder he had troubles with that new reel all week. And that ain't no lie or half truth just ask Mick. Hey I'm glad he didn't clear that reel or there wouldn't be any fish to go back for this year.

We are going out to Micks April 28 this year and that puts us in for the second week of turkey season when we can take 2 turkeys. You can only get 1 the first week. Don't tell Mick but I'm going to get the most fish this year. I have found a new system guaranteed to work and as Jimmy Walker says it is DYN-NO-MITE. See you guys later. Randy.

[harley hawkins]

Randy

You held the record all day for biggest fish then the next to last fish I took over the lead. You are not going to let me forget the plastic I left on the reel. I just could not understand why that new reel was giving me such problems. You did fail to tell about Butch Branter hitting the snake that had caught a fish with the sling Shot . Butch is going to go fishing with us this year and I told him to bring his sling shot.
I helped Greg Pitchford our MDC fish biologist check some lakes for fish population last fall might have a good lead or two.


Harley Mick Hawkins

[Randy Smith]

Mick I couldn't believe you guys down there were good enough with slingshots to hunt snakes with them but I saw it with my own eyes. That almost sounds like some of my braggadocios lies and half truths but it is 100% true. That Butch saw a snake catch a big crappie and crawl out on the rocks. He immediately grabbed for his hip pocket and came out with a forked stick with half an inner tube on it. He must have been carrying rocks in his pocket also as we were in a boat out in the reservoir and there weren't any rocks laying around on top of the water. I heard "DROP THAT FISH" and in a blur the slingshot was drawn and released and that rock struck that snake solidly. Drop the fish he did and beat a hasty retreat back in the water which made me somewhat nervous as I knew that there was a pissed off snake in the water I was sitting in. I ignored all the fish bites I got after that because I didn't want to have to put my hand in the water to lift a fish out.

Now don't get your hopes up and don't mention this to Butch but I'm doing some checking and I think this just might be enough to get him inducted into the REDNECK HALL OF FAME. Of course we will have to have 3 witnesses and that will have to be you, Larry and Josh because they won't accept me as a witness anymore on account of my braggadocios lies and quarter truths as they put it but Mick you know they are all at least half truths. Anyway do you know any good Notarys down there?

Well you got some good leads on lakes with good fish populations huh. OK then, but I hope you noted the depths so I'll know how long to cut the fuses. See ya soon brother. Randy.