We're all here because we love the wild Turkey and love hunting them. I also enjoy deer hunting and usually start thinking about bow season and bow hunting whitetails this time of year. I was out walking this morning and thought to myself "should I make deer hunting my number 1?" Honestly I don't think I can but here's why I was thinking that way. We'll first here's what I love about turkey hunting:
Springtime- I love being in the woods during the spring.
The weather- the weather is much more enjoyable than sitting in a tree on a 30 degree morning.
The animal- turkeys are so fun to hunt. It's completely different than ambushing deer. The communication with the bird, the calls.
I love seeing the wildlife, the song birds, hearing the whippoorwills, flowers, plants turning green. Turkey as a whole is just as good as it gets. I love hunting by myself or with a friend.
The only thing I don't like about it is the ridiculous hunting pressure and crowds, the way social media has impacted our public lands. I don't want this to be a thread about that though. I know social media is impacting probably most hobbies all across the country. Western big game hunters have been dealing with this for years. But.....when deer season rolls around. It's a ghost town compared to turkey season. I see a few trucks at gates but it's not even remotely close. This is one thing I like about deer hunting. I can grab my rifle and go for a walk and cover tons of ground and probably not bump into anyone. I love being in the wilderness and feeling like I'm the only one out there. Sure thats selfish but it's true. I did take a friend who had never been last year and he loved it. He ended up buying a rifle and clothes and all kinds of gear. I have started to learn a lot more about deer hunting and I'm enjoying the chess match. Old deer are smart and honestly harder to kill than a gobbler to me. I will usually end up killing at least a couple turkeys a year. A big buck is almost impossible it seems.
I think as long as I can chase turkeys they will always be number one. Unless the sport gets completely ruined but I pray we can start to save the turkey and the turkey hunting fad will go away. For now I'm going to keep hunting both and have as much fun as I can. That's what it's all about. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230717/da883041b7c20c26b84baa23c34bcc68.jpg)
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Well spoken, great picture!
Turkeys have always been my #1. I still put in as much time and effort as I ever did for deer, but haven't killed one in the last five years, and only one before that the previous five years. I do have several successful youth deer hunters every year though. But turkeys still have a strong hold to #1 for me. I still have the same desire and enthusiasm as I did back in the mid 60's. I do it my way and will as long as I hunt them, which I hope is several more years.
I have always enjoyed deer hunting and staying at the hunting cabin with friends and family. We have seen over time kids become men and now they are passing hunting down to their children. With turkey hunting it's a little different because most in my group don't turkey hunt which is fine with me. Turkey hunting will always be my number 1 , just because i enjoy it so much in many ways from using and trying all kinds of calls. I have met some awesome people and call builders on this turkey hunting adventure. Without turkey hunting i wouldn't have probably found this forum and learned near what i know now about hunting these gobblers. The day i have to stop will definitely be a sad day in my life ...
Quote from: guesswho on July 17, 2023, 03:00:28 PM
Turkeys have always been my #1. I still put in as much time and effort as I ever did for deer, but haven't killed one in the last five years, and only one before that the previous five years. I do have several successful youth deer hunters every year though. But turkeys still have a strong hold to #1 for me. I still have the same desire and enthusiasm as I did back in the mid 60's. I do it my way and will as long as I hunt them, which I hope is several more years.
That's awesome you have been hunting turkeys that long. I'm sure you have seen all the ups and downs and have a pile of great stories to share.
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There is no comparison for me. I kill a half dozen or so deer every year. I prefer to do it with a bow but I only do it because I love the meat and it helps to pass the time. I do enjoy tinkering with my bow and building arrows, but quite frankly I ain't into the whole trophy thing. I try to take a decent buck for my area but it don't matter as long as the freezer gets filled. When I pull out the rifle, it's getting real, and deer are gonna die.
I'm kinda like happy. if I'm not turkey hunting ,I'm just passing time.
The deer meat is definitely a big bonus for deer hunting. We haven't bought ground beef in years. We usually put 5-6 deer in the freezer every season. That's not really the fun part though. I usually shoot the easiest deer that I can get to the processed as quickly as possible. I shoot those deer for the meat and do the rest of the hunting for fun. I like to get out and hike and explore.
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I have 2 serious addictions....... Gobblers in the spring and mature whitetails with my bow.
I started hunting turkeys in 1978. I started hunting whitetails with a bow in 1979. About my 2nd year in, turkey hunting got into my blood and has been pounding through my veins ever since.
If I had to give one of them up....... I'd sure miss my bow in November. But there'd be absolutely NO hesitation as to which one stays and which one goes.
Never, EVER was it better said than by The Colonel....
I do not hunt turkeys because I want to, I hunt them because I have to. I would, really, rather not. I am helpless in the grip of my compulsion.
Col. Tom Kelly
Tenth Legion
I hunt deer to feed my family.
I hunt turkeys to hear the gobble.
Road goats easily take a back seat in my book.
Deer don't gobble. :toothy12:
I've never hunted turkey in the fall. We don't have a season for it here so I'm free to concentrate of deer. I certainly enjoy deer hunting, and spend a lot of time out hoping Mr. Big shows up for me each fall. Thankfully I don't have to choose, I enjoy each in it's season.
But I think, read, practice calling or do something turkey related 365 days a year. Deer, not as much.
Quote from: Tail Feathers on July 17, 2023, 08:41:36 PM
Deer don't gobble. :toothy12:
And, THAT'S why they're a distant 2nd fiddle to Meleagris gallopavo. :icon_thumright:
I love deer hunting because turkey season isn't open. Deer season is maneuvers Turkey Season is War!
I have hunted and harvested every legal animal in the Northeast, May 3rd 2001 I was born a turkey hunter and all other animals have been in a tie for second. You all know why. Z
I chose a long time ago and quit deer hunting. We don't care to eat them and I won't kill something I son't use. I used to hunt pheasants hard, but all my dogs died and hunting pressure went way up after pheasants recovered in the new CRP lands. Now I shoot afew doves and I hunt turkeys, that's it. I may spend three days dove shooting is all. So turkeys are basically all I hunt.
I fish like a mad man and that is a passion rivalling turkey hunting. The good news is I can do both on the same day and they don't compete with each other. Since fishing is 10-11 nonths of the year I fish way more.
Quote from: eggshell on July 18, 2023, 06:49:17 AM
I chose a long time ago and quit deer hunting. We don't care to eat them and I won't kill something I son't use. I used to hunt pheasants hard, but all my dogs died and hunting pressure went way up after pheasants recovered in the new CRP lands. Now I shoot afew doves and I hunt turkeys, that's it. I may spend three days dove shooting is all. So turkeys are basically all I hunt.
I fish like a mad man and that is a passion rivalling turkey hunting. The good news is I can do both on the same day and they don't compete with each other. Since fishing is 10-11 nonths of the year I fish way more.
I've kind of done the opposite. I've basically given up fishing. I used to have a boat and I live right by the Tennessee river. It's an amazing place to live for fishing but it's expensive and I can only have so many hobbies. I do have a canoe though and I've been thinking about getting a tenkara rod and trying that. Just fishing in a way that is stripped down and easy and relaxing. Man I'd love to have access to a handful of good ponds like I did growing up.
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We like deer meat. We like turkey meat. Deer killed in summer before acorn drop are preferred by my family. That can only be accomplished by deer damage permits and does happen.
I have hunted deer since before a teenager and didn't start turkey hunting until a teenager.
To me, it's all about that gobbler, sounding off and telling me I am over here. Show me what you got!
I can't set very long for a deer, maybe one full day, after that I am done. I can still hunt them, for a day or two. I have to walk to the area I plan to hunt because once I start hunting it will take me all day to cover 4-500 yards of ground. I am slow!
That is why I think I like turkey hunting so much. They are hollaring at me to come get them and in down times I can cover some ground. Seen lots of great stuff covering ground turkey hunting.
Waiting for spring to hear the next gobble.
Quote from: WV Flopper on July 19, 2023, 09:22:29 PM
We like deer meat. We like turkey meat. Deer killed in summer before acorn drop are preferred by my family. That can only be accomplished by deer damage permits and does happen.
I have hunted deer since before a teenager and didn't start turkey hunting until a teenager.
To me, it's all about that gobbler, sounding off and telling me I am over here. Show me what you got!
I can't set very long for a deer, maybe one full day, after that I am done. I can still hunt them, for a day or two. I have to walk to the area I plan to hunt because once I start hunting it will take me all day to cover 4-500 yards of ground. I am slow!
That is why I think I like turkey hunting so much. They are hollaring at me to come get them and in down times I can cover some ground. Seen lots of great stuff covering ground turkey hunting.
Waiting for spring to hear the next gobble.
Deer before the acorn drop? Can you tell a difference in the meat? Do tell.
I've not heard that before here in the south.
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That's interesting. I've always heard fall bears that have been feeding on blue berries taste the best but I've never heard anyone mention that with deer. Nice score in the depredation permits.
Hearing a gobble definitely boost the morale for the start of the morning. It would be nice if old bucks would give you some kind of clue but I doubt it would help lol.
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There's just something about that gobble that entices you. Imagine if the deer and fish could gobble.... You would never see me!!!
Turkeys always have been and always will be #1 in my book. Bow hunting deer around the rut is fun, but I've never been an antler freak and aside from the tinder loins and back straps the rest is good for stew meat or the dogs. And yes I know how to cook venison, but I'd much rather eat turkey, bear, moose or elk over deer. I've never had pronghorn and the only bison I've had was farm raised so I'm sure it was very different than wild bison. I'd give every other kind of hunting up before I considered giving up turkey hunting.
In the spring I love turkey hunting and in the fall I love deer hunting. Both are number one depending on the time of year. Back straps and deer jerky taste just as good as turkey nuggets.
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I'm surprised there aren't more waterfowlers responding. For me in the fall it's ducks and whatever geese I can chump into the decoys.There is a slight similarity to turkey hunting in that you call and they respond (sometimes) but that's where the similarity ends. There is no back and forth interaction so duck hunting is a distant second. I mostly do it for the dog work. If not for my dogs I'd probably go deer hunting. Duck hunting is much more work.
Waterfowling used to by #1. But changing flight paths, boom scouters and lack of birds just took the joy from it. As all that happened, I discovered turkey hunting and my path was set.
Here, if it is in season it's in grave danger. Trapping and turkeys trip my trigger the most, but deer are a large part of our diet so we fill up on them.
I'm a Turkey hunter who deer hunts.
There's certain things I like about both, and certain things that excite me about both.
I really don't get super excited about deer hunting until the rut comes around.
I'd love a buck up on the wall and some venison in the freezer as much as the next guy.
The gobblers will always be king to me.
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I pretty much limit myself to deer and Turkey. Both make up a large portion of my family's diet. My preference has been and always will be spring gobbler hunting. When I can I archery hunt for deer all season. I think getting a mature deer (buck or doe) into close range while going undetected, making a good shot and following a short copious blood trail to your quarry goes hand n hand with locating a hot gobbler, setting up, calling and conversing with him while bringing him into reasonable range and killing him cleanly are my two favorite things... However, it's the gobbler hunting that takes my prize.
I guess that I'm the odd man out in this one!! I used to think that turkeys were my favorite animal to hunt. But as time went on and the population started going down I realized that I never really liked hunting for turkeys. I liked to call to them!! A few years of endless walking and searching without hearing a gobble was enough to make me basically give up on turkey and focus more on deer. And I have found that if the birds are there, it's not not hard to kill a mature bird with a little experience and time. A truly nice buck is another story.
I hear you Farmboy. I still love turkey hunting but I caught myself thinking a few times this last season that it was as fun as usual. I'm like you I like the calling and conversation. This last spring almost anytime I would call to a gobbler they would shut down almost immediately and go quiet or the other way. (I'm talking about the public land birds). At that point I realized I wasn't having as much fun. I was getting frustrated at the way the birds had responded to the tremendous pressure. Luckily I got to kill two birds on private land and they acted way differently. They both gobbled at my calls and eventually came in to me. I still had to work and reposition on both of them but I wasn't out of the game as soon as I clucked at them.
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Quote from: Paulmyr on July 20, 2023, 09:49:51 PM
I'm surprised there aren't more waterfowlers responding. For me in the fall it's ducks and whatever geese I can chump into the decoys.There is a slight similarity to turkey hunting in that you call and they respond (sometimes) but that's where the similarity ends. There is no back and forth interaction so duck hunting is a distant second. I mostly do it for the dog work. If not for my dogs I'd probably go deer hunting. Duck hunting is much more work.
I used to be obsessed with duck hunting and took several trips a year to chase them. It was #2 behind turkeys. But I don't live in a ducky area and with an already busy job and family obligations I had to make some choices about hobbies. I'll get back into some day but just don't have the time right now. As far as ducks, wood ducks were some of my favorites to hunt. They're beautiful and tasty.
I hunt turkey for love, I hunt deer for meat. Every time I have had to have surgery I have made sure I don't lose turkey season, I have given up deer season a few times and will be again this year as I am having surgery on September 1 and will be in a non walking cast for a month and unable to bare much weight for a month after that at least.
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I've been deer hunting longer, but since the day turkey season first opened in my home county, turkey has been my #1.
Social media and YouTube has shafted us, no doubt about it. Public land pressure and demand is at an all time high. Public land hunting opportunities are quickly diminishing as states implement draws, non-resident restrictions, and reduced bag limits. I hate it. But what I hate the most, is the lost of opportunity for future generations. The social media crowd who profits off this exploitation that is destroying public land hunting claims "we need more hunters! To save hunting!". But how the hell is that going to do a bit of good when future generations DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OR A PLACE TO HUNT. Without paying out the wazoo for private access.
But I digress. My parents introduced me to hunting at an early age. However it was turkey hunting that really changed my life. At the time, no one else in my entire school turkey hunted. There was a mystique about it. Deer hunters laughed about it. (Now days, those same deer hunters get their limit thanks to bait and cellular game cameras) The wild turkey caused me to pursue an advanced education in wildlife sciences. Which ended up landing me in a dream job where I manage public lands and can have an impact on wild turkey populations for all to enjoy. However, the "all to enjoy" is now digressing thanks to social media/YouTube's impacts. Public land hunting opportunities are just continually going to get restricted more and more (both for residents and non-residents) thanks to the modern day social climate. It is what it is, and damn does it hurt to have predicted this and saw it coming.
Anyways. I figure I'll procreate in the next year two once after i get married and finish the 49. Gonna need a hunting aged kid just to make up for all the quality hunting opportunities I have lost. Sucks knowing my future progeny won't get to experience near the level of quality public land turkey hunting as I did. We had a good run, and i'll do my damndest to make sure the future generations can get the last bit of milk from the tit.