Number Of Wild Turkeys--What Is Your Goal in A Season??

[quavers59]

Good Summer question members. What is your total season goal of number of wild turkeys taken in both Spring and Fall. I only hunt 2 States right now-N.Y. and N.J. --so my season goal is 6 turkeys total with some being hens possibly. It never works out that way. Taking 4 birds was my best season so far.  I might equal that this Fall- we will see. What are your goals members and how many birds do you get in a Season?

[SteelerFan]

Maryland = 2 bird spring / 1 fall
Pennsylvania = 2 bird spring / 1 fall

Total 6 possible

I'm content & happy with 1 or 2 for me personally. I'm usually more concerned with friends and family getting a chance to pull the trigger. Killed one in Pa, and never carried the gun the rest of the time. Working a bird into range is my thrill - who actually pulls the trigger is irrelevant to me.

[GobbleNut]

In terms of harvest, my goal is to kill one bird in each state I hunt each spring.  I generally hunt no more than three or four states each spring.  I am not a fall turkey hunter, so that doesn't come into play. 

Outside of harvest numbers, my goal is to have a good hunt wherever I might be.  I define a good hunt as identifying a potentially good turkey hunting location and then going there, applying my hunting methods, and having a reasonable opportunity to work and possibly kill at least one gobbler.  If that happens, I have met my goal,...except for when that happens and I somehow manage to screw up a hunt (or more) that I should have had a reasonable chance of killing a gobbler.  If I screw up the killing part after doing everything else right,...well, then I am not so happy.   

[Coop1082]

For me it's 2 during the spring off of mine and my fathers lease. If him and and I can take 3-4 total together during a spring I'm perfectly happy. I usually shoot to try to get one off of public land aand or at some of my buddies clubs. Enjoy hunting/calling with and for them so if I happen to put a tag on one off of their places, I'm extremely happy also.

[g8rvet]

I don't really set personal goals.   That is for goal oriented people and reduces the sport to a numbers game for me.  Not judging, just not the reason I hunt.  Last year my main goal was get my daughter a bird.  I put one in front of her, but it was a marginal shot and she elected not to take it.  She learned more about ethics in that decision than one meal would have filled out bellies.

There is a group of 4 of us that hunt Canada every year for waterfowl.  We always have one or two new guys with us.  At the end of the 11 days, every single one of them can tell you how many birds we have taken and when any of the 4 of us are asked (it always happens sitting in the bar at the end of the hunt), we always shrug and say we have no idea.

Don't get me wrong, turkey is my favorite meat that walks in the woods and butterballs ain't the same meat.  But after I kill one I often lose the fever for myself and start worrying more about others. 

Also, when I am actually hunting, then my goal is that bird that gobbles and I will do what is legal and what I consider ethical to carry him home that day.  I have become fixated on a couple of birds and a few have taken a truck ride and a few walked another day.  That is what makes this so fun. 

[falltoms]

I like to have a goal of one in each state I hunt. But for me what defines a good hunt , doesn't necessarily involve numbers. Anymore it's more important to me where I hunt and where I harvest a gobbler.  What I mean by that is, I hunt a lot of public land, and it's all mountain ground. To me that's the epitome of turkey hunting. And like Steelerfan stated, taking loved ones  or friends is of utmost importance to. And yes, I live chasing longbeards in the fall. To kill one in the fall is a goal in itself

[The Cohutta Strutter]

23

[Happy]

I like to hunt hard and have fun. Hopefully my heart rate will increase a few times due to excitement and I will hear some toms gobbling. It isnt a numbers game to me. How I hunt is more important than success. I always want to improve and make fewer mistakes and when I am successful I want to appreciate it.

[Yelper]

23

That is quite the Goal!! I will be happy with a quarter of that. 

[The Cohutta Strutter]

No,no,no...my mistake. There should have been an "or" between the 2 and 3. I suppose my original post was a bit of sarcasm towards this topic. I think there are many here including myself that are well past the numbers game or even keeping score and really are just completely content just to be able to go at it one more time. I mean no offense to anyone.

[Yelper]

I was beginning to think that the turkey in North Georgia were in trouble!!

[dirt road ninja]

Only one more

[The Cohutta Strutter]

I was beginning to think that the turkey in North Georgia were in trouble!!

Lol, not in Murray Co, lol.

[Greg Massey]

I like to hunt hard and have fun. Hopefully my heart rate will increase a few times due to excitement and I will hear some toms gobbling. It isnt a numbers game to me. How I hunt is more important than success. I always want to improve and make fewer mistakes and when I am successful I want to appreciate it.

agree, numbers are just numbers...just hearing and working birds are a blessing. The kill if successful is another blessing...Never forget the excitement of the hunt regardless ....Amen Happy great post.

[THattaway]

My goal every season is the same, I hope to kill a bird. Everything else is icing on the cake. I say that as a veteran of 36 years hunting them.