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How many turkeys do you shoot a year on average? Is it 1-5, 6-10, 10-15, 16-20, or 20+?

I was discussing this with a friend this week and wondering if there is a time when we say thats killing enough this year. Whats some of your guys thoughts on this? Is there an amount to say you have killed too many for the year?

1-5 for the last several years.  There was a time in the early 1990s when I hunted three states in both the spring and fall and that number went up - way up.  Now just hunt Florida in the spring as a resident. 

I'm in the 1-5 category. I would like to see all states adopt a maximum 2 bird limit.

Quote from: Spring Creek Calls on July 23, 2021, 06:56:32 AM
I'm in the 1-5 category. I would like to see all states adopt a maximum 2 bird limit.

AND a one bird non-resident limit to go along with that.

1-5 for me in 2 states.  I'd say let turkey populations in each state dictate season limits for residents and non-residents.  If there's a big difference in turkey populations within a state use zones to determine season start time, length of season and limits.


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Too many would be over your legal limit, a fella hitting the road hard with a little luck on his side, and tag money in his pocket could push that 20 number real close. I think the majority of turkey hunters kill 1-3 turkeys a year, and traveling turkey hunters probably a majority of those guys kill around 5-7, give or take the amount of travel/determination.

I usually shoot about 5 a year the last few years.

   I am down to 2 a year or so.
  Turkeys are very scarce now in North New Jersey.In New York- just so many more hunters out in the Spring.
 

I've been 16-20 for quite a few years, fortunately I'm self employed and can literally leave for a month at a time if I want. . One year I killed 27 between spring and fall. I put all of those tailfans on the wall. Makes for a cool display (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210723/913d7644bfdb80056d290afd132c1559.jpg)


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Generally, I'm a 1-5 guy.

I try to hunt 2 or 3 states each spring (including my own 2 bird state).  But, I'm also NOT the guy who'll go outta state and buy every tag I'm allowed and fill it.  Just because I'm far from home and hunting "somebody else's birds" doesn't necessarily make me feel obligated to limit out. 

Quote from: Spring Creek Calls on July 23, 2021, 06:56:32 AM
I'm in the 1-5 category. I would like to see all states adopt a maximum 2 bird limit.

I am also in the same 1-5 category,...and I am also a proponent of a two-bird season limit across the board. 

...As usual, i will expand on that philosophy a bit...   ;D

Way back when,...when spring gobbler seasons were just kicking in around the country, I was a young, college-educated wildlife biologist.  I also quickly fell in love with spring gobbler hunting after trying it a few times.  Here in New Mexico, we started out with a very short, limited-permit hunt with a one-gobbler bag limit. 

After a few years, a handful of us wildlife-educated folks were getting together when our state NWTF board would meet and we would talk about turkey hunting, and the relatively-new spring season, in particular.  The same theme kept coming up.  Why, when wild turkeys have such a high reproductive potential, as well as a relatively short life span, are we only allowing spring gobbler hunters to kill just one gobbler?  The entire theory of spring gobbler hunting revolves around there being surplus gobblers,...gobblers not needed for successful breeding,...and we were all asking what the logic was behind managing wild turkeys like we manage mammalian, big-game species that have a much lower reproductive potential?  Biologically speaking, it did not make much sense.

So, under the NWTF banner (yes, there are some real benefits to being in an organized group with some clout), we started lobbying our G&F Department to increase the spring limit to two gobblers.  The reason for that was NOT necessarily to kill more turkeys. It was to give turkey hunters more hunting opportunity if they happened to get lucky and kill a gobbler early in the season.  Hunters would not have to make the choice between passing up an early-season gobbler and being able to continue to hunt.  They could harvest one bird, and continue hunting for ONE more.  In essence, we were advocating for increasing hunting opportunity while still maintaining some level of a quality turkey hunt by not getting crazy with liberal bag limits that would most likely eventually lead to depleted gobbler numbers,...a concern that I believe has clearly been demonstrated over time in those states that decided to treat their turkeys like quail and doves, or ducks and geese.

Over time, and with much debate, our G&F Commission finally gave in and NM began to "experiment" with a two-gobbler limit in areas of the state,...and eventually we went to a statewide two-bird limit.  As much as I like turkey hunting, and as much as I was a vocal proponent of the two-bird limit here, I would NEVER advocate for shooting more than that here.  In my opinion, the two-gobbler limit is all about providing hunting opportunity while minimizing impact on the resource.  It is not about providing hunters the chance for adding up a big body count.

Granted, there was a time in areas of the country where the very liberal bag limits proved to not be an issue.  I would submit that, at this point in time, we should all recognize that in a lot of those places, times have changed.  There are fewer turkeys,...and more turkey hunters. We need to put the pieces together to solve that problem.

In the meantime, anybody that needs more turkeys to eat? ...Go to the grocery store!   :angel9:

3 a year for me, I care nothing about travelling out of state to kill a turkey that is much easier to kill than my local ones and would rather spend that money on adding a new gun to the collection or upgrading my other hunting gear. Once you have killed 100 or so turkeys it isnt as big of a deal. I have no problem with other folks doing it though if they eat every bite of every turkey they kill and are not just giving them away and wasting them.

I hunt several different parcels in 2 States. Numbers are not my thing, I enjoy everything involved with turkey hunting and worry about it's future, thus I am careful in harvesting birds on these parcels. I have walked out in several of them with a Tom in my bag hearing gobblers on the way out. I choose not to return to that parcel till the following season knowing there should be one there. This is my way of preserving these areas for future hunts, kind of my own way of controlling the population. Bagging my first trophy Tom each year is what I strive for. Anything after that is an added bonus to me. I usually hunt around 25 days per season, daybreak till noon. I can only hope we have this great resource available to all of us for generations to come.....

6-15 depending on the year, was averaging 8 or so I guess.  Multiple states obviously and rarely ever killed a bird on the same property in the same state.

One year a friend of mine and I guided for 21 straight days with one on one clients, no clue how many I saw taken that season?  What did we do the day after all of that, went hunting of course, we both killed a bird that day!

We have a two bird season, I'm a one to two guy.

1-3 spring and fall

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Sorry for the sidetrack:
For the two bird every state limit proponents?
Do you think states like..... Texas should set a two bird statewide turkey limit?

Alabama? Tennessee?

There's a lot of private properties in those 3 states alone where the guys manage their own leases and properties. Most of the gripes I've seen about population and pressure comes from the public land discussions.

You guys wanting to punish the folks fortunate enough to maintain healthy populations through multiple control mechanisms and who have access to harvest more than 2 birds per season through their own efforts?

6-10 in 3-4 states

I'm a 0-5 guy if you get my drift

1-6 for me, I don't travel every year. The most I have tagged in season was 9

6-10

Hunted 5 states and an Indian Rez this past year.  Took one bird from each. 

Quote from: Zobo on July 23, 2021, 07:12:27 PM
I'm a 0-5 guy if you get my drift

Haha I like that!


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Quote from: deadbuck on July 23, 2021, 10:06:13 AM
3 a year for me, I care nothing about travelling out of state to kill a turkey that is much easier to kill than my local ones and would rather spend that money on adding a new gun to the collection or upgrading my other hunting gear. Once you have killed 100 or so turkeys it isnt as big of a deal. I have no problem with other folks doing it though if they eat every bite of every turkey they kill and are not just giving them away and wasting them.

That's kinda how I feel.  I have enough turkeys near me of different difficulty levels (easy vs hard to kill) that traveling to turkey hunt isn't on my list.  Traveling to turkey hunt with friends, I'd probably do that.


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The only year I shot 5 gobblers, 4 spring/1 fall, shaped my outlook on future kill limits. That 4th spring gobbler just didn't have that down on one knee thanking the Lord feeling. After a few months and shooting that fall gobbler, it was back.

Quote from: Jstocks on July 23, 2021, 03:41:20 PM
Sorry for the sidetrack:
For the two bird every state limit proponents?
Do you think states like..... Texas should set a two bird statewide turkey limit?

Alabama? Tennessee?

There's a lot of private properties in those 3 states alone where the guys manage their own leases and properties. Most of the gripes I've seen about population and pressure comes from the public land discussions.

You guys wanting to punish the folks fortunate enough to maintain healthy populations through multiple control mechanisms and who have access to harvest more than 2 birds per season through their own efforts?

Your point here is reasonable,...to a degree.  There may well be exceptions to my personal "two bird limit fits all" philosophy.  I could go into a long, drawn-out explanation of why I personally believe a two-bird limit should be enough (under the circumstances that currently exist), but I suspect it would fall on deaf ears for those that do not agree.  Hence, I will accept those differing opinions. 

As I stated in another thread, I was a strong proponent of the two-bird limit here in New Mexico when the bag limit was one.  I am just as strongly opposed to ever going to a larger bag limit here, but I recognize our circumstances in this state are not necessarily comparable to those in other states.  Again, your points made are certainly worth unbiased consideration.   :icon_thumright:

If the skying is really falling as so many believe it is, a two bird limit eventually will seem like the good ole days. The day could be coming when all public lands are restricted by quota and you can't hunt in consecutive years in the same state, including the one where you live. Turkey hunting availability could become more and more like elk or even sheep hunting is now. It'll become a every few years tag.

I just enjoy the spring season. I don't worry about numbers, if i don't kill him today, i get to hunt him another day..

Quote from: Spurs Up on July 24, 2021, 09:09:57 AM
If the skying is really falling as so many believe it is, a two bird limit eventually will seem like the good ole days. The day could be coming when all public lands are restricted by quota and you can't hunt in consecutive years in the same state, including the one where you live. Turkey hunting availability could become more and more like elk or even sheep hunting is now. It'll become a every few years tag.

Although I agree that restrictions along the lines of what you envision are probably coming down the pipeline, I am not quite as skeptical about how bad things are going to get.  Overall hunting permits available for specific hunt areas that are allotted through drawings, and that are based on estimated turkey numbers, may well be in our future.  The same with eventual limitations on nonresident hunter numbers, also allotted by drawings.  in reality, that is probably what should be done.

Of course, all of these future speculations are based on the premise that turkey numbers will continue to decline and hunter numbers will continue to rise.  The real solution lies in restoring reasonable nesting success and poult survival, either naturally or through artificial means.  Whether there is the knowledge and/or willpower to do that remains to be seen. 

"The real solution lies in restoring reasonable nesting success and poult survival, either naturally or through artificial means.  Whether there is the knowledge and/or willpower to do that remains to be seen.
[/quote]

Agreed: I normally kill 2-5, maybe more if I travel but since I only need one more bird for a second slam I don't feel the pressure I once did. Now I am just as likly to travel for predators, deer or maybe exotics in Texas.

The real issue is the lack of habitat and the increase in hunter pressure either human or animal on turkeys. As I drive to my lease I am amazed at the number of new houses being built in places I used to see plenty of wild >:(life.

Quote from: neal on July 23, 2021, 08:51:14 AM
I've been 16-20 for quite a few years, fortunately I'm self employed and can literally leave for a month at a time if I want. . One year I killed 27 between spring and fall. I put all of those tailfans on the wall. Makes for a cool display (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210723/913d7644bfdb80056d290afd132c1559.jpg)


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I think I'm actually disgusted and jealous at the same time. Part of me says why would a person feel the need to shoot 20 gobblers in on year, another part of me says boy wouldn't that be great to have the opportunity.

Quote from: Spring Creek Calls on July 24, 2021, 08:22:00 AM
The only year I shot 5 gobblers, 4 spring/1 fall, shaped my outlook on future kill limits. That 4th spring gobbler just didn't have that down on one knee thanking the Lord feeling. After a few months and shooting that fall gobbler, it was back.

This is how I feel, the law of diminishing returns, too much of a good thing and so on. At some point grace and wisdom overtake numbers and trophies and what you find is contentment.

Honestly it depends on how many I hear when out before season. I then set mine and Pedro's overall number and go from there. I can kill a total of 4 combined in the two states I hunt. My boy Pedro can kill the same. Depending on how hard he is hunting gives me my personal game plan. My ultimate goal is to hunt the entire season. If that means slacking off a bit and possibly eating a tag or two I am ok with it. I have friends to call and guide for that own decent chunks of private. And yes I have permission to hunt them as well but I just haven't felt the need to pull the trigger on their properties yet.

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Quote from: Zobo on July 24, 2021, 09:35:19 PM
This is how I feel, the law of diminishing returns, too much of a good thing and so on. At some point grace and wisdom overtake numbers and trophies and what you find is contentment.

Exactly.  I will go one step further and reiterate what I have said about it before.  There is a point where something goes from being a passion to being an actual addiction that needs intervention. 

1-5. Get two birds each in the two states I hunt every year and usually tag out both places. Occasionally get to travel elsewhere and might pick up one extra doing that.


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My first out of state trip was at 11 years old in the late 80s and that helped fuel my desire to turkey hunt.  By the mid 90s we were hunting 2-3 states, followed by a 10-15 year run of averaging 4-5 states.   In the last 5-6 years I have slowed back down, typically hunting my home state and 1 more, maybe 2 at the most and more limited in days.  Kids, family, and just a change in priorities a little.  Not that turkey hunting isn't very near the top of my list, but for me personally I needed to be a little more balanced with those priorities.  It was difficult to travel with work, then be gone for a week straight plus turkey hunting.  And in all that, I came to realize for me personally I didn't have to kill 10 turkeys a year.  Not that I was ever too hung up on numbers, but at a younger age it did play a role.  Of course now I spend much more time in my mid 40s hunting with my two teenage sons and do take them on trips which makes it more enjoyable.   Personally, I would rather kill 1 turkey on a quality hunt in an oak river bottom or a mountain ridge in my home state than travel and kill 5 by a different method or terrain I don't enjoy hunting as much.   And most especially if that 1 is a hard earned one. 

I enjoy scouting, probably more than most, so I spend a lot of time walking and listening before season.  It's relaxing and you learn a lot.  It's not always a necessity to scout and the majority around these parts don't do much of it.  When you hunt it's go go go or your mind is working constantly to figure out a way to get the turkey in front of your gun.  With scouting, it's more of just relaxing and learning the lay of the land or what the turkeys are doing.  Strategy is a key aspect and not much more rewarding than using what you learned scouting to strategize on a later hunt to kill a gobbler.   With not traveling as much out of state I have been able to slow down to scout more the last few years.  It's been so much fun. 

Obviously the overall culture of turkey hunting has made a shift, most noticeably in recent years.  With some states reducing bag limits, some to 1, I see comments like "it's not worth traveling for 1 turkey" or "it's too much money for 1 turkey".  So, I can see how some feel that way, but for me personally it's not about a number.  If I can drive 10 hours and afford the license, then 1 turkey is worth it for me.  I think placing too much emphasis on numbers can devalue the experience and overall the sport of turkey hunting.  But, that's just my opinion and nothing more. 

Quote from: deadbuck on July 23, 2021, 10:06:13 AM
3 a year for me, I care nothing about travelling out of state to kill a turkey that is much easier to kill than my local ones and would rather spend that money on adding a new gun to the collection or upgrading my other hunting gear. Once you have killed 100 or so turkeys it isnt as big of a deal. I have no problem with other folks doing it though if they eat every bite of every turkey they kill and are not just giving them away and wasting them.

Turkeys my favorite critter to eat. I usually share some in the form of a cookout and fry a bunch with some buddies but the rest is mine. I'll travel out of state whenever I have time, cause I love hunting em so much I don't want to quit early just cause I tagged out at home. Even hunting at home I hunt multiple counties and rarely kill more than one bird in the same spot.


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most years it's 4-6 for me with fall and spring combined. I took 9 a couple years, but in the last 10 years I average 5 or 6/yr

The year I retired I took 13 toms. I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. It seemed I was always in a hurry to get a bird so I could get on to the next state. Anymore if I can kill half a dozen or so that's enough.

Killed 5.a year for 25+ years till the limit dropped to 3 here. I griped about the limit change at first but turkey season is way more enjoyable now and I appreciate a good hunt more than ever. The truth is that no one really gives a dam how many turkeys you kill. When you realize that I think you have arrived.

I am at an age where I would rather take a week and relax, soak in the scenery, and hunt all week for 2 birds rather than jump from state to state to kill as many as possible.  So for me, it's less about a specific number and more about hunting at a pace that just isn't likely to result in a very high number.

I think a lot of it depends on different factors for different folks. Jobs, family circumstances, geographic locations, etc.  20+ for some is not to drastic while 5 is unrealistic for others. Then I would add different years bring different opportunities. 


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1 to 3 a year

turkeys are my favorite hunt, but the season falls during so much else going on. morel and ramp season, trout starting to eat dry flies, fishing on the mississippi heats up

variety is the spice of life

Well for 15 years I have been a 15 bird average (Pre-Covid) now take into consideration I might tag 1/3 of those birds myself. I have always been one to take someone else out to see about helping them out through Learn to Hunt programs, Youth Hunts, Charity Hunts, then theirs friends and family, I have met a few people through the store and even on a friend of a friend hunt. Some years I am traveling to other states and some not. Come spring it's all I do when I have a day off, morning to hunt or some afternoons, when it's season I'm hunting. In most cases I have enough public and private that I am taking a bird or 2 off a property and the hit up the next one, sometimes it's who I am hunting with on their ground. Funny one is I have one property I hunt and the guy "hates" turkeys, all he wants is deer so it's a take them all and I have killed back to back birds for years and in numbers and turkeys are just always there, place is a turkey hunting heaven!!

MK M GOBL

Quote from: Tom007 on July 23, 2021, 10:55:37 AM
I hunt several different parcels in 2 States. Numbers are not my thing, I enjoy everything involved with turkey hunting and worry about it's future, thus I am careful in harvesting birds on these parcels. I have walked out in several of them with a Tom in my bag hearing gobblers on the way out. I choose not to return to that parcel till the following season knowing there should be one there. This is my way of preserving these areas for future hunts, kind of my own way of controlling the population. Bagging my first trophy Tom each year is what I strive for. Anything after that is an added bonus to me. I usually hunt around 25 days per season, daybreak till noon. I can only hope we have this great resource available to all of us for generations to come.....

Well said. I feel the same way about that. 

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Quote from: GobbleNut on July 25, 2021, 10:12:21 AM
There is a point where something goes from being a passion to being an actual addiction that needs intervention.

I'm a gobbling spring turkey addict through and through. There's a lot worse things to be addicted to than turkey hunting though. Intervention comes in various forms, the season itself intervenes from the monotony of the months between, where we spend quality family time, wet a line, seek rutting bucks, or chase waterfowl flock feeds. The nine and a half months of in between are filled with "everything else", and those two and a half months of spring is "turkey time". That turkey time breaks the monotony of everything else, it's my escape from the real world and problems. Everything else is put to the wayside. Feeling like you drag yourself through nine and a half months just for those two and half months is certainly an issue, but needing those nine and a half months after running yourself thin for those two and a half is all very necessary. Those nine and a half months intervene from that grind, that mental exhaustion you put yourself and your family through, and allow yourself to dial it back in that time. Like any addiction, it will affect your family and your ability to support them, but if you have the right family, they will support your addiction that is a much healthier one than most others. At least that's where I'm at with it, my wife's a real Saint. She's due early February with our second, and I still plan to be hitting the road mid March, and she fully supports that, for now at least.

Home State:
1-Merriam, 1-Rio and if I'm lucky an Eastern; so 2-3 in the spring
0-4 in the fall depending on freezer space and opportunity. I dont hunt turkeys in the fall but wont always pass on them either while out big game hunting. Also have land owners that see them as nuisance who get depredation tags because our state wont relocate them. State is messed up and doesnt see the value of the bird as they are "non-native".... just increased opportunity unlike everyone else who is limiting their opportunity. I use to go all out in the fall but in trying to do my part I am very selective in my fall harvest despite knowing I can take 4 every fall without effort.
In summary 1-5 in my home state.

Non-resident hunting will add to that count so in total 6-10 in a year.

'19 - 3/0 + 4 = 7
'20 - 2/2 + 1 = 5
'21 - 2/tbd + 0 = ???
'22 - 2-3/0-4 + 2-5 = 4+

1 or 2 if I'm lucky.

"I killed too many turkeys this year!" 
If can't wrap my head around such a statement.   :toothy12:

Quote from: HookedonHooks on August 20, 2021, 10:32:46 AM

Quote from: GobbleNut on July 25, 2021, 10:12:21 AM
There is a point where something goes from being a passion to being an actual addiction that needs intervention.

I'm a gobbling spring turkey addict through and through. There's a lot worse things to be addicted to than turkey hunting though. Intervention comes in various forms, the season itself intervenes from the monotony of the months between, where we spend quality family time, wet a line, seek rutting bucks, or chase waterfowl flock feeds. The nine and a half months of in between are filled with "everything else", and those two and a half months of spring is "turkey time". That turkey time breaks the monotony of everything else, it's my escape from the real world and problems. Everything else is put to the wayside. Feeling like you drag yourself through nine and a half months just for those two and half months is certainly an issue, but needing those nine and a half months after running yourself thin for those two and a half is all very necessary. Those nine and a half months intervene from that grind, that mental exhaustion you put yourself and your family through, and allow yourself to dial it back in that time. Like any addiction, it will affect your family and your ability to support them, but if you have the right family, they will support your addiction that is a much healthier one than most others. At least that's where I'm at with it, my wife's a real Saint. She's due early February with our second, and I still plan to be hitting the road mid March, and she fully supports that, for now at least.

I feel the same way 100%


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Can turkey hunting become an addiction that is detrimental to a normal family life, Yes and no. It's a matter of how you define addiction.

I define it like this.
Addictions are mental diseases that are driven by the mind's inability to rationally use our thought processes to limit our choices regarding a defined activity. In other words we fail to moderate our consumption of any given thing. It's driven by perceived pleasure and the associated hormones. True addictions feed off this imbalance to the point the physical body is enslaved and being destroyed.

Then there are obsessions, this is where I categorize turkey hunting. It's still a detrimental mental process, but does not involve physical processes. I find that this obsession is more a disease of the younger and less seasoned turkey hunter. It's a desire that is fulfilled over time and usually moderated by our mental maturity.

I went through this phase and I will admit I let it take a toll on my family life. One of my  daughter's birthdays fell in out-of-state turkey season and I missed most of her childhood birthdays. She still tells people as an adult, "dad was never here for my birthdays". I deeply regret this now, in my old age. I spent time, money and emotional attachment that belonged to my family and can never be recovered. I write this as a warning to all you younger hunters, please realize turkey hunting does not rank above your family, period. There are still plenty of opportunities to do both, including travel.

With that said, it is a part of who we  are and what drives us. For someone, a spouse for instance, to try and deny us that part of our core happiness and personal identity is equally as wrong. If they didn't want to share a spouse with the outdoors, they never should have married a hunter. Love means putting someone else ahead of your own desires, but it does not license abusive behavior or neglect. An understanding spouse is a gem of highest value, on both sides.

Let me tell you a story:
There was a time when my life was falling completely apart. My mother was dying of terminal illness, my wife had health issue and I was bouncing between two hospitals and trying to be a father to two kids. Then my work fell apart and I had major issues that threatened my holding that job. There was no escape anywhere, all of life was a burden. Even when I slept I did not rest. I finally broke and fell into clinical depression. I just wanted to die!

Well, I found myself in a place I had to take medical leave from work and get help. I was off for around 6 weeks. During this time fall turkey season came in and I had every day to hunt. So every morning I put on my camo and headed to the woods. I would stay there all day and hunt until I was too tired and then would lay down and sleep. Come sunset I'd go home and retreat too my bedroom.

We were only allowed one tag and I didn't want to fill it fast. So I decided I would only shoot a mature gobbler. I found lots of turkeys, but no gobblers. Soon, I found I did not want it to end and I decided I would not shoot any turkey until the last day or two. I passed up 57 turkeys and never killed one. It still remains the only fall season I never filled a tag. It was not the kill I was after it was the hunt. It had become my release, my healing balm. I sat and watched wildlife and I talked to Jesus, this is still why faith is so important to me, because I know he walked those hills with me.

The end of season came and my mental state had rejuvenated to the point I was at peace and on my way to complete healing. On the last day, it dawned on me what I had put my wife through. Everyday she watched here husband, who at times had expressed suicidal thoughts, walk out a door with a gun and be gone all day with no word or communication. She did not know if I was laying dead somewhere or even coming home. It must have been torturous to her. So I walked in and sat her down and apologized for  the torment I had put her through. She broke down and started crying. I hugged her and promised to never let hunting do that to her again. She looked up with tears streaming and said the last thing  I expected. She said, "it's ok I understand now. Everyday I watched and worried, but everyday a new piece of my old husband came home, I watched you heal in these last few weeks. I now know that it's a part of you and it's the part that makes you whole and who you are. It is your balance in life. I will never ask you to not do it again", and she hasn't.

So yes, it is a part of our identity, but not a license to ignore the other things we have obligated our time and life too.

Eggshell, that's the most powerful and compelling message I've ever read on this forum. Thanks for sharing your story!

Quote from: Spurs Up on August 22, 2021, 07:45:36 AM
Eggshell, that's the most powerful and compelling message I've ever read on this forum. Thanks for sharing your story!

Wow, thanks for sharing your story. I am happy that you are in your right place now. Turkey Hunting definitely can become possessive in one's life. I am blessed to have a wife that grew up with a father that loved to hunt. I have the "Turkey Addiction", but I understand it and control it. I have been lucky enough to strike a perfect balance between my sporting and social life. My wife realizes my passion for Turkeys even though she does not participate. Now that I am retired, I hunt on average about 25-30 days each spring. I have no problem hunting from daybreak till noon on any given day. But I always know that I have a responsibility to make sure that I engage and take my wife out on any given day to enjoy our social life together. Sometimes it's tough when I put a long morning in Turkey hunting, but I make sure this does not get in between my family obligations. I have to say that I am blessed to have this relationship, it works perfectly for both of us. As Eggshell say's in his story, family is most important in everyone's life. Finding a "perfect balance" between our shared passion for turkey hunting and our family is everyone's goal, I truly hope we all achieve this. Be safe.....

Very powerful story. Thank you for sharing

I think a 2 bird limit is to plenty.


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My thoughts......I know it's not the same , but you can do 95% of the things necessary for a turkey hunt AS MANY TIMES as you like.......just don't carry a gun..

Eggshell,  that's a great, honest self assessment and a very valuable lesson, awesome.