By John Simeone

My revenge against the media hype of commercialization is to give the secret of the Manhattan Project of turkey calls to the people for free.

There are amazing turkey calls made by ingenious individuals who have been generations in the business of outsmarting turkeys, I salute them. Sometimes I have to ask myself about the simplicity of what genius actually is. Is genius highly complicated rocket science or is it as simple as the person that thought of a pet rock collection and made a million dollars. Personally I think it deals with observation and the relationship of knowing what to do about what you see. “Necessity is the mother of invention,” never rang so true.

There are only two things that will attract a turkey, one is food and the other is another turkey. The not so ethical turkey hunters of my state, not all, but so many as to cause an epidemic, have mastered the art of baiting, no pun intended. When I first explored the idea of my new call this weighed heavily on my mind as turkey baiting is not cricket in the ethics of turkey hunting. But what if you could make a call that sounded like turkey food. Didn't I just mention cricket, and not the British form of baseball?

OK, so how did I come up with this brilliant idea? I came out of the woods a few years ago after a gobbler beat me fair and square as they usually do, subsequently meeting up with a very disgruntled turkey hunter. Evidently getting beat by a turkey to some people excites the revenge factor in some humans about like Captain Ahab vs Moby Dick. He swore out loud to me and the whispering pine trees of Louisiana, that he had a gobbler dead to rights, when a swarm of what he described more vividly as “fricken crickets,” started sounding off and the turkeys all went to them. Have you ever noticed how some people take things more seriously than others?

Well the minute I heard this it struck me like a bolt of lightning. Make a turkey call that sounds like a fricken cricket. The name of the call certainly was easy enough, but how would I make it legal, market and sell it. Also it came to mind why no one had ever thought of it before. Maybe they had and it didn't work. “No, it will work,” I thought as I know turkeys hunt by sight and sound, not smell. So in essence I had a call that sounded like turkey food, no one had ever thought to do that. If they had, obviously it would be on the market.

I knew before hand I couldn't make a recording of crickets as this would be an electric call and would be illegal. It had to be a percussion or wind instrument just like any other turkey call. That was not difficult as I found a ready made cricket sounding device that was in fact a musical instrument for a symphony orchestra to emulate the natural sound of a cricket.

It was there for the re-marketing if I wanted it. Of course no one believed me except one man, a state game warden, who also made custom turkey calls. He seemed worried that it would work so well as it would wipe out the turkey population. Knowing well the wild turkey, I seriously doubt it.

So I decided to hint around on websites to see if anyone else had the secret. I told them I had a call that sounded like turkey food instead of another turkey. The only response I got was from the mass of master turkey baiters that thought the only thing that would attract a turkey was a pile of corn. I got summarily accused of making a call that sounded like a deer feeder turning off and on. But no one knew of, hinted to, or had any idea of what it really was.

I actually had one fellow that intended to invest and partner up with me, but during the negotiations he made some serious racial slurs as well as comments against another religion on an open forum that was enough to put anyone out of business, so I parted company with him. I looked into commercial marketing with game call companies and once again got sloughed off. One company genius tried to tell me everyone knew about it, so I asked why it had never hit the market. Never got an answer on that, what I figure it was the standard slough off for all the crackpots with a new turkey call, including me. One owner of an outdoor company didn't even know what a turkey call was and had never been hunting, go figure.

By the end of the day I was fed up with humanity again. I'm a hunter and an outdoor writer, not an entrepreneur. So I decided to get even with all the commercial hype in the outdoor world and let everyone know about the Fricken Cricket turkey call and how to use and get one.

First, to get one, all you have to do is find a large music company and ask for a cricket sound effect instrument by L. P. It looks and works like a baby rattle, it is that simple.

You use the call when you have a hung up gobbler or he is with hens. You use your cricket in concert with your regular turkey call. If the whole flock is hungry they should all come. But that's not the whole set up. If fake rubber turkeys can be used as decoys, fake rubber crickets and grasshoppers can be used too, if you haven't figured this one out yet, try the words fishing lures. There are plenty on the market designed as crickets and grasshoppers. Put a little stick on glue and remove the hooks and you add them to your all ready set out turkey decoys.

If you live in the country and know someone that has chickens, go through a live grasshopper in the pen and watch them go for it. Then throw in a rubber cricket and you will find they will go for that too. You can get them in any large bait shop.

Once it appears that other turkeys have found crickets and the target turkey and friends see this along with the decoy crickets, it should cause a feeding frenzy like a school of sharks.

Is it legal? These are the things you can't do turkey hunting. You can't use grain to bait them, a live decoy or an electric calling device (in most states). You can use artificial decoys in most states. Check your regulation for specifics. My state doesn't say anything about making cricket sounds in the woods and considering it can be done with the human voice it would require a game warden behind every tree to enforce it.

Is it ethical? It depends on who you are talking to. Some hunters think, using scopes on a shotgun is wrong, using a 3 ½ inch shell is wrong, setting up an ambush is wrong, sitting on a chufa patch is wrong...and so on. What is really wrong is sitting on a pile of corn or using an electric caller. Why? Because it's illegal, otherwise it becomes opinion.

Will it work? Yes it will, just like any other turkey call. It is just different, no more than making a new fishing lure. If a turkey wants to come to it they will, anyone knows that. There is no such thing as a perfect turkey call, that's what makes it interesting.

Why don't I try to market it? I prefer watching all the outdoor companies out there silting each others throats trying to outdo each other, now that's as much fun as shooting a turkey to me. If it does become popular I only want to be known as the person that thought up the idea and like I always do, I ….Pass it on.

Have you ever wondered how to call in a big bull moose?  We had a chance to talk with Bob Wozniak from Quaker Boy Game calls and he demonstrated the new Bulldozer Moose Call from Quaker Boy.  What's unique about this call is that it truly is an all in one call.  The Bulldozer has has the ability to make noises that in the past have required several different calls.



By the way, does that guy in the background look familiar?

by Naomi K. Shapiro

Here are some turkey hunting tips and tactics by the old pros. This "insider info" comes with experience, and only from hunters who have been through the trials and tribulations of turkey hunting for many years.

Traditionally, turkey hunters get up very early in the morning - -like "before dawn," and head out to their pre-scouted spot or area to set up their decoys and calls, hoping to get a turkey to come in directly from their nighttime roost. This is all fine and dandy and works a lot of the time, but not all hunts are successful, and you need to step it up a bit, and start trying some different things to make the turkeys come in to your set up.

One thing that experienced turkey hunters do is "run and gun." They'll grab their shotgun, one hen decoy, their calls, and start working their way through the woods, QUIETLY (remember turkeys are very wary, and have keen hearing). Every two hundred yards or so of trekking, and they'll stop, and do a series of calls . If there's no response, they'll move again. But, if they do get a response, they'll set out their one hen decoy, approximately 20 yards from where they have set up, making sure the decoy is set between the hunter and the direction of the gobbling. The hunter will continue a series of calls, until the bird is seen, OR, the hunter knows for sure that he's coming in. And if the bird doesn't come in, or the hunter hears nothing, he/she moves on until a "hot" bird, or even one who's "lethargic" comes in. Don't forget there are lots of "lethargic" birds who are just ambling through the woods, and will come in, if there's an attractant. These birds just aren't real "hot" at any given moment, but that doesn't mean you can't get one.

Let's assume that you've not gotten a return call, but you know there's a bird out there. Maybe he's hung up (real wary and won't come in). A little trick that works is based on the fact that that bird knows EXACTLY where your call came from, and it's used to hearing that call, and may still be interested - -especially a "lethargic" bird. What you should do is cup your hand over the call, turn your head and walk directly AWAY from the gobbling bird. This tells your quarry, that whoever made that call is still calling and moving away. This trick makes the gobbler think that the calling hen is moving away from him, and that quickly piques his interest. You see, usually turkeys while being hunted learn to recognize that hunters are trying to close the distance, and move in. If you do the very opposite, that tells the gobbler that it's not a hunter, because the call is moving away, not closer, so it must be a hen, and he says to himself, "I'd better get after her, or I'm going to lose her." Hunters who use this tactic, normally employ it towards the end of the season, as the toms are most wary at this point, having been hunted hard for a long period.

Another good ploy is to mix up your calls. Use a mouth call, a box call, a slate call – whatever variety you can muster. Give the tom an idea that there are MULTIPLE hens out there, and there's security in numbers. So he's going to feel safe, and content to move right in to the flock, he perceives is there.

Remember - -do your normal regimen first, but if that doesn't work, definitely try these suggested "old timer" methods. They really do work, and can make the difference between your family having turkey or Spam for dinner.

This is a guest post by Ben Gustafson of Central Minnesota. You can enjoy more of Ben's work on his blog, Ben G Outdoors. http://beng-outdoors.blogspot.com/

When I was still just a kid, around the age of 12, I went out squirrel hunting with my uncle. I was super excited about this hunting trip. First, I had never shot a .22 at any thing other than a target. Secondly, it was the first time I had ever hunted anything other than the bothersome birds around my grandparent’s farm.

I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was so excited. My uncle, cousin, brother and I all piled into my uncle’s car and drove to some woods somewhere. I really have no clue where it was because I was on cloud nine at the time and not paying any attention.

Not knowing the first thing about squirrel hunting Ryan, Aaron and I all followed my uncle’s lead. Now I know it as the spot and tree the squirrel. I remember it being kind of hard to walk through the woods while keeping quiet.

My uncle saw the first squirrel and we were off chasing it until it ran up a tree. Then with just one shot he killed the squirrel. I really wanted to get a chance to shoot one of these tree rats. After another short walk over to the next oak woods we came across another squirrel and it was my turn to shoot. I had the little bugger all dialed in took the shot and I missed. I was to say the least frustrated, because I thought of myself as a good shot. I guess shooting up rather than at a target is a bit more difficult.

I took a second shot and missed again as Mr. Squirrel jumped to the other side of the tree. I had to move to the opposite side of the tree too, so I could get another shot at the furry fella. I took a deep breath after I had him in my sights. I slowly squeezed the trigger back as the gun popped off a shot. Someone yelled out “you got him” as he fell to the ground. I don’t think the grin left my face for the rest
of the day.

Now jump ahead about seven years, I was 19. It was my second deer hunting season back in Minnesota and my first season hunting with my current hunting party. After about three years of deer hunting under my belt I hadn’t had a chance to take a shot at any deer. I was almost to the point where I was going to say deer hunting isn’t for me and move on.

It was early opening morning. I had been sitting in my tree for about 2 hours when I heard a strange sound off to my right. I really wasn’t sure what it was at first. Then it dawned on me it was a buck snorting. My heart started pounding like crazy. Then I heard a bunch of noise in the brush coming from the same direction, but it seemed as though it was far away. I heard it again and again. The sounds of brush being flung around and sticks snapping were very close.

I stood up only to have my leg start shaking like I was running a race. I had to calm down so I closed my eyes briefly hoping to stop my leg from shaking. No luck. I physically grabbed my leg to stop it from shaking and that worked until I saw him, a very nice 8 point buck. Oh and he was following a doe. They were both just walking and not really paying attention to anything.

As they walked close or at least as close as they were going to get, I brought my gun up and took a shot. But my leg started shaking again and I missed. The deer froze in their tracks and I hurriedly fired again. This time I hit the buck, but he didn’t go down. Instead he headed right toward me at full speed. I fired again and again until I unloaded my 870 pump.


As the last slug flew out of my gun the deer dove head first into some brush. At this point he started to baller so loud I almost thought there was a cow out in the woods. I hurried out of my tree so I could make a kill shot. I had to walk around a bit to get in a good position to take a good shot.

My whole party couldn’t believe that it was me who was shooting at the deer they all thought it was someone with a semi auto.

I don’t think those days will be replaced until my boys start hunting.

Our newest podcast is online! This month Chris interviews Marrett Grund from the Minnesota DNR on a new concept that is gaining popularity with some hunters and upsetting others. Antler Point Restrictions (APR). In this podcast Marrett and Chris discuss reasons for implementing APR and it's effects on the deer herd.

by Chris Larsen


#5 Hot Air Ballooning Over The St. Croix Valley in February.
I was fortunate enough to take a hot air balloon ride with Scott Aamodt of Stillwater, MN. Scott has piloted hot air balloons for several years and his skills are a testament to his experience. We flew over much of Hudson, WI during our one hour flight. Most people don’t think of hot air ballooning during the dead of winter but it’s actually a great time to go. The foliage is off the trees and you can see right down into the woods. We spotted a very nice whitetail buck on our flight. Check out the video here.

#4 Fast Deer Hunt
I wasn’t fortunate enough to be carrying the gun on this hunt. But I captured it on film. Foremost Outdoor TV ProStaffer Jason Oswald closed the deal on a Southwest Wisconsin doe less than five minutes after we left the cabin. The deer was feeding on wild berries when we spotted her. It was a great management hunt that was so fast we didn’t really get a chance to enjoy the woods. Luckily, we had a few more tags so we spent the rest of the afternoon on stand looking for another deer. We saw plenty of squirrels and of course turkeys. We always have turkeys in our face when deer hunting and deer crawling on us when turkey hunting! Check out more of this story here.


#3 Minnesota North Shore Adventure
After skipping this trip in 2009, we resumed our annual family vacation to the Minnesota North Shore. The Grand Marais area is simply breathtaking in the fall. The mountains are ablaze in orange, red, and gold leaves. The colors are a sharp contrast to the crystal waters of Lake Superior and the streams that flow into it. Grouse and deer sightings are a common occurence. In the five years of visiting the area, I’ve seen just one moose. A large bull had fallen several feet to his death on the stony shores of the Cascade River. This area is a well known moose hunting spot, but I’ve yet to spot a live one! The most enjoyable part of the trip was watching my two-and-a-half year old son develop a love for the outdoors. Right now it’s limited to throwing stones into the water… but we threw a lot of stones into the water! To see my pictorial, click here.


#2 Bagging A Whitetail Buck
This was my second season of deer hunting on our family property. In 2009, I connected on a nubbin’ buck. This year I shot my first antlered buck on the property. The 2 ½ year old sported an eight point rack with an 18 inch spread. One of his points was snapped off and a portion of his main beam was pretty beat up too. I’m sure he had a pretty active autumn. What was rewarding about this deer was the shot. I measured it at 180 yards on the range finder. I’ve never taken a deer at that distance. The shot was well placed and he fell just 30 yards from where he was hit. Even more rewarding was that I had passed up several other bucks before taking this one, including a trophy class buck. He just wasn’t standing the way I wanted him too and I would have hated myself for wounding him. It was easily the biggest deer I’ve ever had in my scope. Five minutes after he was out of sight, I spotted my buck. You can read the whole story here.

#1 Fishing Has No Boundaries
Foremost Outdoor TV was invited to attend a Fishing Has No Boundaries event in Eagle River, WI this summer. Fishing Has No Boundaries(FHNB) is a program that gets disabled and developmentally disabled people an opportunity to fish for the weekend. Several Eagle River area guides and dozens of other volunteers donated their time and use of their boats to make this event happen. It was hosted at Wild Eagle Lodge, which is an incredible resort in the heart of the legendary Eagle River Chain of Lakes.


FOTV ProStaffer Jason Oswald and I spent a day on the water with two guides, four anglers, and their chaperone. The excitement level was like nothing I’ve ever experienced on the water. Guide Lon Millard, put these guys on a panfish honey hole. We put over 200 fish in the boat and 50 on the stringer. It was literally non-stop action. The anglers were highly competitive and had no problems with dishing out and taking a little flak. I’ve never had a better day on the water. Look for this video on foremostoutdoortv.com soon.

These two big bucks are locked together on a frozen pond when a group of bird hunters uses a shotgun to separate them.  Unbelievable video footage.