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 My passion for turkey hunting began in 1976. My first spring gobbler was taken on a hilltop in May of that year near my hometown of Birchardville, in rural Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania.
As I carried that bird from the woods on weakened knees, I knew I had been afflicted with something that would stick with me for the rest of my life. I found it impossible to quench my thirst for the knowledge that would help me in pursuit of this incredible bird. Whatever it was, I had it good!
With very limited instructional material available back then, everything I subsequently learned about turkey hunting came the hard way: through good old-fashioned trial and error.
Over the course of the last 3 decades, my overwhelming passion for the sport of turkey hunting has evolved into the art of building collector grade box calls. I also developed and maintained a passion for black powder hunting during that same time.
I built my first muzzleloader when I was 16 years old. It was a CVA, "Mountain Rifle," kit that I got for Christmas, 1979.
Just 4 days after I eagerly tore apart the carton in which it came, and before it was even finished, I harvested a deer with that gun. I didn't know it then, but Gobbler Knob Custom Muzzleloaders was born before the acrid, white smoke cleared enough for me to see that fallen deer. I still have that rifle and have since passed it on to my son.
As I begin to focus on my fast-approaching retirement from the ranks of Pennsylvania Wildlife Conservation Officers, I looked for a pursuit that would keep me busy, yet reward me, as well. Recreating 18th Century Americana is where I have come to rest.
My shop is humble, yet fulfills my needs. It sits rustically on a hilltop outside Birchardville, in one of the woodlots I hunted as a kid. The places I took my first turkey and black powder deer are within walking distance of where I create my wares. I listen to old-timey bluegrass music by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs as I carve stocks and tune calls. If you show up at the right time, you’ll be able to enjoy the lilting voice of Alison Krauss with the incredible musical talents of Union Station!
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