Turkey hunting forum for turkey hunting tips

To preface, I am not trying to stir up any trouble with this post, so don't nobody take it that way...

I was just wondering what other's thoughts were about the TFT hunt raffle (i.e...the "opportunity" to go on a hunt with a "celebrity" turkey hunter).  I'm assuming many others here received the same emails/info I did on this.  Personally, I did not purchase any tickets for these hunts...choosing instead to just make a contribution to TFT directly. (before anybody "goes off" on this, I have no problem with anybody that bought tickets and wants to go on one of those hunts).

Back to my "wondering"...  My thought (and the reason I didn't buy into the raffle) is that, although I wouldn't mind being in the company of some of those celebrity turkey hunters on a hunt, I suspect the whole affair would have had basically been a hunt where I would have done nothing but pull the trigger on a gobbler that one or more of the "hosts" called up (or by whatever hunting method was used).  I could be wrong on that, but that was my mental image of what the hunt would be.

Again, "personally", I do not hunt turkeys to just "pull the trigger" while watching someone else have "all the fun" of making decisions on tactics and calling and, in general, "how the game is played".  I will admit, I "waffled" on buying a ticket or two...but my final decision (for myself, only) was that I was not going to take the chance of getting to and from one of these hunts...and the expenses that might have been involved in that...only to be a spectator and a trigger puller.  That ain't my thang in turkey hunting...  (I also considered the idea that if I won one of the hunts, I could just give it to some other deserving individual, but that idea was "overruled") 

On the other hand, had I been assured that the hunt would be "hanging out" with these folks in a turkey camp...but being able to actually hunt turkeys on my own somewhere while there, I probably would have bought some tickets.  Now, maybe that's how it was going to be...but I would have had to have some concrete reassurance that that was the case upfront. 

Back to the question,...Am I alone in having those thoughts? 

Who was the celebrity hunter?

Quote from: davisd9 on February 11, 2024, 09:36:40 AM
Who was the celebrity hunter?

I think there were six different hunts raffled with multiple "hosts"...with the celebrities being the "usual suspects".  To clarify, my point was not who these folks were, but what the actual hunts would entail in terms of the raffle winner's participation in "hunting" rather than "spectating"... 

Quote from: GobbleNut on February 11, 2024, 09:41:59 AM

Quote from: davisd9 on February 11, 2024, 09:36:40 AM
Who was the celebrity hunter?

I think there were six different hunts raffled with multiple "hosts"...with the celebrities being the "usual suspects".  To clarify, my point was not who these folks were, but what the actual hunts would entail in terms of the raffle winner's participation in "hunting" rather than "spectating"...

My answer would be, it depends on the celebrity. There are a couple that I would love to hunt with. Some I do not give a care in the world about. I did not get the email.

I didn't get any emails, and I have 0 interest in hanging out with any celebrity hunters or having them call in a turkey for me. Well, except Tom kelly, I could enjoy listening to stories around a campfire from that man all day long. No offense to anyone, but if I am out to kill a turkey, I prefer to be solo.

These hunt raffles are great ways to raise funds to donate to research projects and get data on many of the reasons that may be contributing to the decline of turkeys across the landscape. There was a raffle here as of late that the two winners and the two people who set up the raffle are getting a jump on the season and get to hunt turkeys in South Texas in February. That's 4 people getting the opportunity to kill 2 turkeys each. Seems a little off to me to raffle a hunt that raises money to save turkeys, but the hunt is a February turkey hunt that may lead to 8 longbeards getting killed before peak breeding occurs. Maybe I'm wrong, but that doesn't make a ton of sense knowing what we know. This is just my opinion and in no way am I looking to start any arguments here.

To be clear, I don't belong or have bought any tickets for the raffle. But if I did, and won a turkey hunting trip, I would go and just enjoy it for what it is. Really no different than going on a guided hunt I would think. Depending on who the "celebrities" are, it might be a lot of fun. I have called in birds for other people, I am fine if some "celebrity" want's to call one in for me. Being it will probably be filmed, I would
be wearing my most experienced hunting clothes, and rocking the 10 gauge shooting good old lead!

I didn't purchase any tickets due to not knowing about the raffle.

I have no issue with how someone chooses to spend their money.  I would have bought tickets for the Osceola, Rio and Merriams hunts, not because of the "celebrities" but because I assume these hunts will be in prime areas on prime land that there is no way that I could normally afford to hunt.

I've spent $20 on a lot worse things than a raffle ticket

It's a strange world we live in......turkey hunting / hunters is getting stranger too

Hopefully, they were able to raise some money for the future of the wild turkeys ... I agree it's not always about pulling the trigger ...

Quote from: Greg Massey on February 11, 2024, 11:38:03 AM
Hopefully, they were able to raise some money for the future of the wild turkeys ... I agree it's not always about pulling the trigger ...

Totally agree,...I hope they made a mint for turkeys with the raffle...and it ends up going to benefit the resource.  ...Not criticizing the fundraiser at all, and it was very generous of the contributors to offer up the hunts. Kudo's to all involved.   :icon_thumright:

Personally I don't care to hunt with "celebrities". I would also like to see where the actual money is going instead of just hearing research. As with everything you should always follow the money.

Well of course the "Nut" has to stir the pot. I can answer this a few different ways. First, Never in my imagination would I have any interest in hunting with a celebrity just to be a spectator and pull the trigger. Now if they wanted to hunt with me I'd be happy to teach them a thing or two. I have been on two guided hunts in my life and both of those the outfitter understood all I needed was the land and turkeys to hunt, the hunt was mine. Both tested my knowledge and skill set and then agreed to turn me loose. I have never shot a turkey I did not personally call. Whoever's sitting beside me would not change that.

Sitting around and telling stories with some of them would probably be entertaining. That might be worth a ticket

I tend to donate my money to my home state agency directly, not to National organizations that spend too much on fundraising and administration. I freely give my time for real time projects.

Now for the fun part, If Shannon needs funds for old gobbler he can sell raffle tickets for someone to win a hunt with a G.O.A.T. team member. Heck he might get enough to fund the sight for years. I know for some of the other teams that would be a true dream hunt.

Quote from: Bedge7767 on February 11, 2024, 12:10:13 PM
Personally I don't care to hunt with "celebrities". I would also like to see where the actual money is going instead of just hearing research. As with everything you should always follow the money.

Jim , i would like to hunt with you and all those trumpets you have ... Happy your welcome to come along also... It would be nice to share a campfire with you both and turkey hunt ....

Quote from: Greg Massey on February 11, 2024, 12:18:43 PM

Quote from: Bedge7767 on February 11, 2024, 12:10:13 PM
Personally I don't care to hunt with "celebrities". I would also like to see where the actual money is going instead of just hearing research. As with everything you should always follow the money.

Jim , i would like to hunt with you and all those trumpets you have ... Happy your welcome to come along also... It would be nice to share a campfire with you both and turkey hunt ....

We could hunt together but we're both just nobody's. Lol

I embrace being a nobody. Life is much simpler. With my good looks and debonair attitude, I am as popular as I want to get just locally.

Quote from: Happy on February 11, 2024, 12:44:03 PM
I embrace being a nobody. Life is much simpler. With my good looks and debonair attitude, I am as popular as I want to get just locally.

Same here.  I didn't know about the raffle, but probably wouldn't have purchased a ticket anyway.  I'd be more likely to just donate.   If I did get to go on one of these hunts I'd probably prefer to accompany the "celebrity" hunter and just observe.  It would be a cool experience just to meet and talk to someone like that for a bit.  Gaining insight, to me, is more valuable than killing another turkey.


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YES - I did buy a ticket in the raffle and mentioned it at least twice here and added it to the top of this page in the Turkeys For Tomorrow sticky.  The drawing was shown live on Facebook last Thursday at 7pm CST.  I didn't win.  Bummer since my choice was a Rio hunt with the THP group (gasp).  I wonder how many tickets were actually sold since one guy won two years in a row.  It was explained that he buys a whole lot of tickets.  All the hunts seemed well worth while.   :funnyturkey:

Quote from: joey46 on February 11, 2024, 01:18:54 PM
YES - I did buy a ticket in the raffle and mentioned it at least twice here and added it to the top of this page in the Turkeys For Tomorrow sticky.  The drawing was shown live on Facebook last Thursday at 7pm CST.  I didn't win.  Bummer since my choice was a Rio hunt with the THP group (gasp).  I wonder how many tickets were actually sold since one guy won two years in a row.  It was explained that he buys a whole lot of tickets.  All the hunts seemed well worth while.   :funnyturkey:

I suppose that is why I figured everybody knew about it.  I'm kind of surprised that so many here didn't get the memo in some form.  Hopefully, we will find out how much money was raised at some point...would be interesting to know.  Sorry to hear you didn't win.

Having "run" a few of these kinds of raffles in the past, one of the problems is always that there are a few "well-to-do" folks (weller-to-do than me, at least) that will buy gobs of tickets.  I suppose many of them are just supporting the fundraiser, which is fine, but I would personally prefer those types just donate to the cause and allow some "average Joes" the chance to go on a hunt that they could otherwise not afford to go on.  I understand the theory that "it only takes one" ticket to win,...but even though my math skills are suspect, I am pretty sure having a bunch of tickets in the pot seems to up the odds of winning.   ;D

Of course, the whole purpose is to raise as much money as possible, so there is that...   :icon_thumright:

I would rather give my money to this forum ... Old Gobbler ... Shannon will take donating also to help pay for the server fees ...

Quote from: GobbleNut on February 11, 2024, 01:54:53 PM

Having "run" a few of these kinds of raffles in the past, one of the problems is always that there are a few "well-to-do" folks (weller-to-do than me, at least) that will buy gobs of tickets. 

I saw this 1st hand when I was a local DU committee member. At our annual banquet, most people would buy $20-$50 worth of raffle tickets for the general raffle. Some would splurge and buy $100. When you bought your raffle tickets, you used the number from your dinner ticket & wrote it on the raffle tickets. One year we had a group of 8-10 guys that each bought $100 worth of tickets. Instead of writing their own individual dinner ticket number on their raffle tickets, they picked one dinner ticket number and wrote it on all 800-1,000 tickets. They basically won every raffle prize. When the banquet was over, they backed 2 pickups up to the back door of the event center to load all the stuff they won. I got off the committee after they pulled that stunt the 2nd year. Our banquet number dropped from close 200 attendees to about 75 in those 2 years.


I did receive an email from TFT about the hunt raffles, but I didn't buy any tickets. I thought about it only because I have never hunted turkeys anywhere other than here at home. It would be a good opportunity to hunt a different sub-species and a different area/terrain. I guess I'm not sure how I feel about "being there to just pull the trigger". On one hand I would like to be able to have some input into the hunt, but on the other hand it wouldn't be much different than a guided hunt...which I have thought about.

I didn't buy any tickets because there are a very select few people that I enjoy hunting with and I have a very full schedule in the spring between working and hunting as much as possible. I also have to take my wife along at least a few times. I love the idea of the raffle from the perspective of raising money for tft though, and I hope the hunt winners get everything they hope for out of the experience. I'm with nut in the fact that I'd get absolutely no enjoyment of "tagging along" and pulling the trigger on a hunt. Not my thing but I do support the idea


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I'd like to turkey hunt with Blake Shelton. Let me know when that raffle starts.

Dang I meant to buy a few, the Fl and the one for a Merriam and I would have loved to hunt with the Jordan's but didn't want anything to do with that Rio hunt!

Quote from: joey46 on February 11, 2024, 01:18:54 PM
I wonder how many tickets were actually sold since one guy won two years in a row.  It was explained that he buys a whole lot of tickets. 

Yeah, that doesn't sound suspicious or anything like that. Who won, Scarlet Johansson, Megan Fox?

I put in for the Sr tour group hunt. Salma Hayak, Halle Berry and Elizabeth Hurley. I am sure Mrs. Z won't mind if I win.  :funnyturkey: Z

Quote from: zelmo1 on February 11, 2024, 04:31:02 PM
I put in for the Sr tour group hunt. Salma Hayak, Halle Berry and Elizabeth Hurley. I am sure Mrs. Z won't mind if I win.  :funnyturkey: Z

Should have told me earlier. Bout 15 years ago, they were begging me to answer their phone calls. I could have sent them your way.