Who is Famous In IDAHO ?!?!?!

Moosie

Grand poopa
Joined
Dec 9, 2000
Messages
17,666
Location
Boise, Idaho
Here is the Headlines In NAtional Turkey Federations "SUMMER 2001" Flyer.... I took Ithica's Real name out and Put in Ithica. Any other errors Were Scanning Errors that didn't come Accross.......

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flydown_ithica.jpg


Wild turkeys were first introduced in Idaho in the early 1960's, but it took another twenty years for the National Wild Turkey Federation to arrive. Ithica37 had just gotten into turkey hunting in his native Vermont before moving to Boise in the fall of 1981 .He was interested to note the existence of Idaho's fledgling spring turkey season and further investigation led to Idaho Fish & Game biologist Andy Ogden who, in turn, suggested Boise teacher Vern Anderson, one of the very few persons hunting turkeys back then. Ithica37 met with Vern and gained a little insight into the all-important "where" which, in those days of maybe 400 birds statewide, was vital knowledge indeed!
The following April found Ithica37 hunting around Council. After five days without seeing another hunter, Ithica37 came across a camouflaged fellow running a box call trying to elicit a response from a tom across a draw. Ithica37 recalls they were both so happy to know they weren't the only turkey hunters in the woods that you would have thought them long, lost friends at a reunion! A few days later, Ithica37 harvested his first Idaho turkey, one of the dozen or so taken statewide that year.
A few months later, while poking around the Fish & Game offices trying to find out about whitetail hunting, Ithica37 met Director Jerry Conley. The two hit it off and, when the Director asked Ithica37's opinion on what could be done improve opportunities for hunters, the response was immediate: resume the wild turkey stocking program which had been put on hold since the early 1970's. An avid turkey hunter himself, Conley agreed and said he'd look into it. Two weeks then passed and Ithica37 was summoned to the Director's office for a follow-up meeting. Mr. Conley said they could get plenty of turkeys from South Dakota, Nebraska and Arizona but that the Department would need the support of sportsman to make it all work. He then asked Ithica37 if he would take the initiative to get an NWTF chapter started in Idaho.
Ithica37 got back in touch with Vern Anderson who was enthusiastic about the idea of transplanting more tur- keys into Idaho. Vern sent for the forms from National and, within a few weeks, the seeds were being sown for an Idaho NWTF chapter. F&G biologist Andy Ogden, his sister Kay, Keith Sampson and Nampan Roy Payne were among the first members. Jerry Conley supplied a list of the ninety-some folks who'd bought a turkey tag in 1982 and Ithica37 sent postcards to most of them announcing the first meeting.
A dozen people showed up for that initial gathering and Ithica37 recalls it was exciting to have so many turkey hunt- ers all in the same place to talk about turkeys! A second meeting was scheduled and a few more interested per- sons showed up. Ithica37 bought a bottle of Wild Turkey whiskey to use as a raffle item and was amazed when it fetched $25. That small (but significant) act was the Idaho chapter's first "fund raiser" and began what has become nearly two decades of service to sportsmen in the state of Idaho... and to the wild turkey!
Ithica completed the first "Idaho Slam" Support of sports- with this 1986 eastern taken near Dworshak man to make it all Reservoir.

ithica.jpg
 
Ithica37, great job!!!! maybe i will get the chance to come call in one of them elusive idaho toms!!! as a turkey hunter my hats off to you for helping restablish the population!!! do know or have you heard of Lovett williams and or David Austin ???? they are responsible for alot of reintroduction projects throughout the country!!! i used to hunt with them at "fisheating creek" !!! just curious ????
 
Ithaca 37.....Congratulations on your accomplishments throughout the years. I see you are holding up your namesake in the above picture.....I think I saw where Ithaca is producing a newer type version of the Model 37.

And DKO, your mention of Fisheating Creek brought back memories of finally getting a special opportunity permit back in '92 or '93 to finally hunt Osceolas on the east side of I-27. I can't remember the exact weight, but somewhere in the 16 - 18 lb. range, but one of the tastiest turkeys I ever got. I was in Cowbone Marsh, right up "against" the private land there. Have also taken a few hogs west of I-27, but really despise the no-dismember rule on the pigs there until you get them to the check station.......does make you hustle though! Have also taken a couple deer there, but nothing to brag about, as if a FL deer would be. Isn't it embarrassing to have a hound dog bigger than the deer you bag?... heh, heh, heh...Lots of Fun though, eh?
 
Thanks, guys, for the kind remarks. Those were busy days back in the early eighties. I was also director of the Idaho Citizens Against Poaching program at the time and worked a lot with the Fish and Game law enforcement people to try to stop the illegal hunting of our young turkey flock, and lots of other poaching, too. In 1982 when I shot my first Idaho turkey there were thirteen harvested that Spring. We spent lots of time in the next few years transporting turkeys from the Boise airport where they'd be flown in from Arizona, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and a few other states, even a few from Pennsylvania, to the places we thought would be successful habitat for them. Many of the transplants were wildly successful and we soon were trapping from those flocks and moving them around the state. Of course our efforts weren't one hundred percent altruistic; we wanted to create our own turkey hunting spots!

DKO, Yes, I've heard of Williams and Austin. I've been a big fan of Dr. Williams for many years and have read everything i could ever find that he wrote. One of my biggest thrills was meeting him and getting to spend some time with him a few years ago. I also got to meet and work with many of the guys from NWTF over the years and many famous turkey calling champions and writers and hunters. One of the most memorable was the late Ben Rogers Lee. I'm really proud of his box and slate calls I have that are autographed by him. I still get them out and use them once in a while, too, even though they are kind of valuable collectors items now. I think he'd want them used and I do it in his memory. I also have a Neil Cost call in my collection and lots of other early calls from the fifties, although nothing older than that. Most of them are ones I bought in the sixties when I first started hunting turkeys in Pennsylvania and some of them were old used calls I'd find in a junk store or pawn shop back then.

I'm amazed at how the turkey population has grown all over the country. When I first started hunting them they were hard to find and it was very difficult to find anyone that would tell a new hunter how to call and hunt them. The turkey hunters back then were quite secretive about their sport. I hunted for ten days before I heard my first gobbler, and since that was the first gobble I'd ever heard I wasn't even sure what it was, except I knew it wasn't any other animal I'd ever heard so it must be what I was looking for! I had just about decided that turkeys were just a myth like snipe or jackalopes and was ready to give up and quit wasting my time. That one gobble got me hooked, though, and I've been after them ever since and still learn something almost every time I hunt them. And they still outsmart me and make me look like a beginner every year!

PS The Idaho grand slam consisted of a Merriams, a Rio Grande from Texas that was transplanted here about 1983 and an Eastern from Pennsylvania that was transplanted here in 1984. We'd protect each transplant for a couple of years and then start hunting them
 
I commend you on your accomplishments also Ithica. You certainly have made a difference to the hunting in Idaho. This has been a very interesting read.
 
Great job Ithica! Glad to see the turkey population booming all over the US. It is people lik eyou that make this possible. Thanks!!

Boomer
 
Sorry Ithica THat I didn't ask you First........ But I hoped ya wouldn';t mind :D :D

Heck I go turkey hunting when Theyy are in the Way Of me getting my bear in the Spring
But I hope to MAke a bit-o time for um Next year...........

-Moosie
 
........and to think, just a few weeks ago we (the masses frequenting this board then)thought you were just a sh!t stirrer! ;) ......the scurge of the forum! :eek: ........so it turns out you are a productive member of the hunting community.......makes me glad I was your pal all along :D .......and all apologies can either be forwarded to Ithica directly or post here on this board.....

Great job Buddy!!!!!!
DS
 
No.......thank you, friend.......you have certainly earned it.

Just goes to show you can't always believe the mob mentality.......sometimes,..no, many times, a guy can be misjudged and slandered simply for having enough backbone to stand against the crowd........we need a bunch more like you Ithica.

Moosie tried to tell everyone he knew you stood for some real and good things, but I guess that didn't count for much seeing as how you would not conform to the popular majority............glad your finally getting a little of your due......
DS
 
Right on Ithaca, good story .
Another thing about Ithaca that I found out is he can handle you haveing a view other then the one he has. We have had a few talks on the phone and My views arent always just like his.
He has a way of explaning his views that makes you want to hear more and really turn it over and think about what he said.
I may not always agree but thats life,its by hearing all sides that we learn. Thanks for hanging in there Ithaca. We all can learn alot if we keep our minds open to new thing's.
(I never was any good at that mob thing)Some of my good friend were ones that were almost lynched by a mob.
:D :D
 

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