Turkey hunting forum for turkey hunting tips

To help ease my turkey hunting withdrawal symptoms, I have been reading a bunch of my turkey hunting books, only to realize that I have accumulated a very large collection of books about wild turkeys and turkey hunting. 

Are there any others in this forum that are also avid collectors of turkey hunting books?  Just curious.

Im a Tom Kelly junkie...unfortunately I read all his books first, and others pale in comparison

Quote from: Halfski on June 06, 2014, 10:53:45 AM
To help ease my turkey hunting withdrawal symptoms, I have been reading a bunch of my turkey hunting books, only to realize that I have accumulated a very large collection of books about wild turkeys and turkey hunting. 

Are there any others in this forum that are also avid collectors of turkey hunting books?  Just curious.

Yes, I've got somewhere around 25 now, mostly out of print, and got started for the same reason.  I much prefer the stories to the how-to books and believe they have done more to make me a better turkey hunter.   The Old Pro Turkey Hunter by Gene Nunnery and Ken Morgan's Turkey Hunting: A One Man Game are favorites.

You bet, I started my collection with just trying to gain knowledge on hunting them and now I've lost count on how many I have kinda like my calls.

It would be great if you guys posted titles from your collections. I have a few as well, but nearly as many as I would like

where is some good places to get good books ? Some of the best titles ?

I have all of Tom kelly's books and a few others.

The turkey books I have helped make me the hunter I am today.

Wait...it's not fair to blame them...nevermind. :TooFunny:

Don't overlook
Turkey Tails and Tales from Across the USA by our own Hookspur Tom "Doc" Weddle
It's a great read.

I have quite a few. I always read " The old pro turkey hunter" before the season starts. Last night I started Tom Turpins book again. I like rereading the old ones. I just finished rereading Knight and Hales book. Another good read.

Agree with others. Old pro turkey hunter is a great read. I am always looking for others.

Jim Casada is the best source ........

http://www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com/Books/2014/TurkeyBooks.pdf

The list is good, but forum recommendations are more valuable in my opinion.  Old pro turkey  hunter is an amazing read. 

My turkey collection is about 50 deep with a strong emphasis on Tom Kelly and Lovett Williams.  Recently picked up Doc's book and it is great.  Illumination of the Flatwoods is another must have.

Quote from: land cruiser on June 08, 2014, 10:18:04 AM
The list is good, but forum recommendations are more valuable in my opinion.  Old pro turkey  hunter is an amazing read.

Here is a short list that I can recommend from my own collection in addition to those mentioned above, all of which I would recommend as well.

Some good and great stories:

Dr. Bobby Dale, Double Gobble: Reflections of a Turkey Hunter
Charles Elliott, Turkey Hunting with Charlie Elliott: The Old Professor Tells About America's Big-Game Bird
Herb McClure, Native Turkeys and a Georgia Mountain Turkey Hunter
Robert Hitt Neill, The Flaming Turkey
Phil Phillips, The Grand Obsession: A Half Century of Hunting the Wild Turkey in Florida
Wade Wineman, East of the Slash

Herb McClure's book is perhaps not as well known as the others, but I enjoyed it quite a bit for its first hand account of hunting very shy native Georgia mountain birds.  One of the few remnant populations before the days of transplants. You can get it directly from Herb.  Charlie Elliott's book has a mix of stories and some how-to, but it is all enjoyable.

Great old classics:

Henry Edwards Davis, The American Wild Turkey
Simon Everitt, Tales of Wild Turkey Hunting
Edward A. McIlhenny, The Wild Turkey and Its Hunting
Tom Turpin, Hunting the Wild Turkey

(These last four have been available, until recently at least, in high quality reprints at a reasonable price through Lovett Willams website.  His daughter takes care of the orders.)

This is great info, thank you!

Quote from: aaron on June 06, 2014, 03:43:24 PM
Im a Tom Kelly junkie...unfortunately I read all his books first, and others pale in comparison

I like everything Tom kelly writes except his opinion on fall turkey hunting with dogs leaves a bad taste in my mouth. But yes I'm a amateur collector too

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I think simon Everett's book and William frank hannenkrat' are my two favs

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I started collecting 51 years ago. Had them all, mostly first editions and sold the whole collection about 7 years ago. I still have a complete set of Turkey Call magazines. Had a guy on OG say yes he wanted them then he dropped off the face of the earth with no replies to my e-mails and messages.... no integrity I guess.

That is a good list. 

Some of my favorites:  The Old Pro Turkey Hunter, Bad Birds by Jim Spencer, The Grand Obsession by Phillips, You Never Know by Wingbone Cryer, Doc Weddle's book, Double Gobble, The Truth Series by Cuz Strickland, East of the Slash, by Wineman, Tall Timber Gabriels by Whittington.

Six more books are on the way for my collection, thanks guys! Keep them coming:)

BTW, if anyone has an extra copy of Tall Timber Gabriels they would part with for a reasonable price, please pm me.

I collect them and enjoy reading them very much

Land cruiser,

I see you are looking for a copy of Tall Timber Gabriels.  Just wanted to let you know that they pop up on eBay every once in awhile.  When they are sold in a true auction (i.e., as opposed to a "buy it now,"), to my knowledge they tend to sell for about $180.  The ones on Amazon are overpriced, in my opinion. 

Great idea, I added it to my list of searches. Thanks!

I have read a few of the ones that have been mentioned. But I do not own them. I checked the out at the public library. I do have a signed copy "Tom Foolery 2000" by Earl Grooves. I have rad it a few times. I am currently reading Ray Eye's Turkey Hunter's Bible.

Grand Obsession book on eBay.  The price is $31 right now.   

Must have missed it, the one I see is $100±

Quote from: HartClemson99 on June 08, 2014, 12:39:09 PM
My turkey collection is about 50 deep with a strong emphasis on Tom Kelly and Lovett Williams.  Recently picked up Doc's book and it is great. Illumination of the Flatwoods is another must have.

Agreed!  Will give you a new appreciation for the animal.

Old Pro is probably my favorite, but also like One Man Game, Tenth Legion, Fork in the Road, and a few others.  Planning on my next read to be by Lovett Williams.

I have Turkey Tails and Tales from Across the USA by Tom "DOC" Weddle that I would sell if anyone is interested. 

Yelper

I have the same affliction/addiction...if I can't hunt turkeys, I want to read about it.  This is not a list of my favorite books, but a source where you can find used books, often at great prices.   Abe books dot com has many first editions, out of print, hard to find books, and books signed by the author.  I'm not sure how many books I've bought through Abe books in the past 10-12 years, but it has been more than a few.  ABE is a network of book sellers across the globe who are looking to sell what you're looking for.  It is a great resource with several different ways to search.

Jim

If you enjoy turkey call books you may enjoy the book I authored.  It is called Today's Call Makers Keeping The Tradition Alive "Made In America".  The book is a collection of biographies about today's call makers and features close to 100 with over 300 full color pictures.  Book can be purchased through Amazon or my website which is www.lowercreekgamecalls.com

Great book, I have a copy :)

A previous poster mentioned Abebooks as a good place to buy turkey hunting books.  I agree.  Another is Amazon, but the trick is to keep looking periodically to get good deals.  I have some boring info. and some cool info. 

Boring info:  Most large scale booksellers on Amazon use a computer algorithm to set prices.  The result is that book prices go up or down, depending on how other booksellers price their books.  In some cases the book prices can fluctuate dramatically.  In most cases, this results in books being priced MUCH higher than they are worth.  This is due, in part, because there are some "phony" listings.  For example, to my knowledge, the bookseller "Anybook" does not have any books.  I heard they price their books very high, and if someone is silly enough to buy a book from them, they ask a real seller to send the book, and they keep the profit.  These phony listings bring up the prices of the real books. 

Cool info: In some cases, you can get very good deals.   This happens if there are no phony listings, and if algorithms are set such that two or more bookesellers want their book to be the the cheapest listing on the site.  Right now you can get Better on a Rising Tide for only $15!  And The Boat, by Tom Kelly (which is not a turkey hunting book but is still collectible) is selling for only $5.  Now would be the time to pick up a copy. 

I'll keep an eye out for a copy of tall timber gabriels.  I have a copy but could never part with it.  Back in 2007 I was asked to make a set of twenty box calls for the annual hunt at Longleaf where Charlie Whittington hunted and wrote about in that book.  It still looks much like the pictures in the book and is a wonderful place.  I carried my copy of the book with me and the Anderson's (who own Longleaf) were blown away that someone had the book.  It's a wonderful read and as far as I'm concerned no collection is complete without it.


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I will be much obliged. 

I've been looking for a copy of Double Gobble by Bobby Dale but the price is usually crazy. I rolled the dice recently on a copy listed by Goodwill on eBay that was described simply as "good" with no photo or anything else. It just got here and it looks to be in new/unread condition other than a very small crease on the lower dust jacket which I think is from them not packing it all that well. And the kicker, it's a signed copy.  :z-guntootsmiley:

Just finished reading Illumination in the Flatwoods again (for the second time).  This book might be a "must read."  While it isn't about turkey hunting, it is VERY interesting.  The author lived with a flock of wild turkeys and during that time made some interesting observations.  It changed how I think about turkeys.  It's readily available and inexpensive. 

I started collecting Older Turkey books years ago.  I reread the Old pro Turkey hunter ever winter before spring.

I have been collecting for several years and have accumulated a nice collection, some from halfski himself whom I can strongly recommend. Jim Casada has a hard bound bibliography he sells that is as complete a source about turkey literature as is available. Anyone interested in collecting books about turkey hunting would be well served to own one. You can get it directly from his website. He also recently released a book titled "Remembering the Greats" that has 27 chapters covering the old masters of turkey hunting which is a great read especially for those interested in the history of our sport. Many were taken from his column in T&TH.

By the way thanks for starting this discussion. I think it could really become a valuable resource for those of us who enjoy reading about turkeys. Sure helps to fill the gap between seasons and scratch that itch when we can't be in the field.

Thanks MGM!  I actually just listed Jim Casada's bibliography and his "Remembering the Greats."  Perhaps someone might get a good deal on them.

It's always nice to hear from people that share my interest in turkey book collecting.  At one time I had a fairly good collection of custom turkey calls, but I ultimately came to the conclusion that I have neither the money nor the space for a "complete collection."  I sold most of my calls, and kept a few good ones from the Wisconsin call makers. 

In my opinion it is much easier to get a "complete collection," or at least a "close to complete collection" of turkey hunting books.  Unlike other hunting books (i.e., waterfowl and deer), not many turkey hunting books were written before the 1990's, so the number of turkey hunting books that were printed is relatively small.  There are a few books that are expensive (i.e., Jack Dudley, Wingbone Cryer), but many are relatively affordable.  An added bonus is that with the exception of some of the common titles, turkey hunting books tend to appreciate in value (as long as you take care of the books by storing them out of direct sunlight and by not destroying them while reading them).  I learn something from each book I read, and it is always fun to gaze at my bookshelf and find a book to read (or reread) to get me pumped up for the upcoming season.  It's also fun to search Amazon, Abebooks and eBay for "hard to find" books that are missing from my collection.  It's almost like hunting!  One thing that I have found over the years that the fall is the best time to buy turkey hunting books (as opposed to late winter/early spring, when more people are actively searching for them). 

 

Was looking on Amazon and found a signed copy of Hunting the Wild Turkey in Michigan, by Denny Geurink, for only $30.  That is a very good price, and I hope someone from this forum gets it. 

Always enjoy seeing what you have available. Do you have or have you seen any of the four books published by Premier publishing? Looking for a couple to add to my collection.

Also, any good leads on old copies of Turkey Call from the 70s and 80s in great shape?

I would be happy to ask around for old copies of Turkey Call magazine, and I will get back to you if I find some. 

Also, to my knowledge there are only two turkey books published by Premier Press.  McIlhenny's "The Wild Turkey and its Hunting," and Henry Davis' "The American Wild Turkey."  Although the books say 3,000 copies were published, the number is actually smaller than that.  Less copies were printed of the Davis book, so that one is sometimes harder to find.  The McIlhenny book is on Amazon, and the Davis book is on Abebooks.  I think a fair price for the McIlhenny is $50-$75 and the Davis is $75-$100.  (in very good + condition). 

Quote from: Halfski on September 12, 2014, 09:43:50 AM
Also, to my knowledge there are only two turkey books published by Premier Press.  McIlhenny's "The Wild Turkey and its Hunting," and Henry Davis' "The American Wild Turkey."  Although the books say 3,000 copies were published, the number is actually smaller than that.  Less copies were printed of the Davis book, so that one is sometimes harder to find.  The McIlhenny book is on Amazon, and the Davis book is on Abebooks.  I think a fair price for the McIlhenny is $50-$75 and the Davis is $75-$100.  (in very good + condition).

If you are okay with reproductions, Lovett Williams had high quality copies made of the Davis, McIlhenny, Turpin, and Everitt classics and they are significantly less expensive than the originals.  I've bought them and the quality is excellent. His daughter Heather manages the sales now.
http://www.lovettwilliams.com/ (http://www.lovettwilliams.com/)

Thanks. I have the Davis and McIlhenny books by Premier. For some reason I thought there were two others. I'll contact Real Turkeys and see what they have available. Thanks to both of you for the info!!

I had every book written on the Wild Turkey that I know except an original Turpin book. My collection included every print of the 10th Legion and all the hard to get one's. A couple of the harder one's to get were Spring Gobblers by John Lowther in hard cover, and the Jack Dudley book. "The greatest Moments in My Life" I think it was called. I lost every one of them in less than one hour when Katrina came through in 2005. I did not even try to collect again. That did me in. Somehow I still managed to compile about 150 different books since mostly from fellow collectors that had multiples that I helped out before the storm. I think today it would be tough to get most of them without spending a lot of money to obtain. When I started they were easy to find and very few people were trying to make money off the books.

What a shame, but glad to hear you're getting many of them back. Hard to beat reading a good turkey book whether it's just before the season to get you fired up or between seasons to fill the time. Good luck!

Pretty good deal for someone on eBay right now, signed copies of both of Bobby Dale's books for $100 (for the two together). I'm currently reading Double Gobble myself and highly recommend it. I have Turkey Roost Tales as well but haven't had a chance to read it yet.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/221552175181  (http://www.ebay.com/itm/221552175181)

Both are great reads

Great to see that others are addicted like me. I am up to close to 100. I try to add as I can afford as some of the older ones are pricey.

 :thanks:Thank You Mr Halfski ! I went on Amazon and purchased "Better on a Rising Tide" for $8.95 and that is with shipping. I have found over the years that reading good turkey hunting books puts you so far ahead of the game. I've found the books that helped me the most were "Wild Turkey Management and Hunting" Lovitt Williams, "Turkey Hunting a One Man Game" Kenny Morgan, "Practical Turkey Hunting Strategies" Ray Eye, " Illumination in the Flatwoods" Joe Hutto have the most useful info for putting birds in the bag. I know I like "Old Pro Turkey Hunter" Gene Nunnery's idea of calling the bird all the way to the gun and then lettin em in close, all alert looking for you, the 'hen'. We wait all year, enjoy the show and " stare down the rattle!" Again thanks for the info. Norm Greencop  :OGturkeyhead:

Just got a copy of Tall timber Gabriels yesterday. Glad to add it to my collection. Great book with an awesome cover.

You're welcome greencop.  And contrats MGM on picking up a copy of Tall Timber Gabriels - one of the better turkey hunting books around.  When you read it, you will be amazed that it was published in 1971 - over 40 years ago. 

Thanks. Can't wait to read it. Those guys knew how to hunt turkeys! Great chance to learn from some old pros.

 :gobble:

If anyone is seriously interested in a mint copy of Wiley "Wingbone" Cryer's, You Never Know, I have a author signed one. Never been off the shelf, mint condition. I personally knew and hunted 3 states with Wingbone. A great man!

Serious request only.

I have 34 turkey hunting books.I just recently bought both of GENE NUNNERY'S books---THE OLD PRO TURKEY HUNTER AND I WILL LIFT UP MINE EYES TO THE HILLS. The first one cost me 50 bucks and the second was 200 bucks. Really glad that I bought those two books!
     I myself have written 3 turkey hunting books. Only 1 printing of each and I believe I only had 242 copies printed and the first and less then 220 copies of the other 2. They are almost sold out and Jim Casada  told me that they could be worth some money way in the future because so few were printed.  I did sign and put some copies of each away in a ammo can for my family.

Quote from: quavers59 on April 21, 2017, 02:16:52 PM
I have 34 turkey hunting books.I just recently bought both of GENE NUNNERY'S books---THE OLD PRO TURKEY HUNTER AND I WILL LIFT UP MINE EYES TO THE HILLS. The first one cost me 50 bucks and the second was 200 bucks. Really glad that I bought those two books!
     I myself have written 3 turkey hunting books. Only 1 printing of each and I believe I only had 242 copies printed and the first and less then 220 copies of the other 2. They are almost sold out and Jim Casada  told me that they could be worth some money way in the future because so few were printed.  I did sign and put some copies of each away in a ammo can for my family.

I have about worn out my copy of Old Pro Turkey Hunter. Have threatened to buy I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes To The Hills but never could bring myself to spend the money for a copy. Is it a good read and worth the price?

Yes Sir-- I WILL LIFT UP MINE EYES ONTO THE HILLS  was worth the 200 I paid for it. I got it from Jim Casada's turkey books site.

Here are some of the books in my small collection.
WAYNE'S TURKEY WORLD-60 YEARS OF HUNTING-SIGNED BY WAYNE BAILEY IN 2003.
FACES IN THE CROWD-THIS IS MY ONLY TOM KELLY BOOK-SIGNED.
THE TURKEY HUNTERS BIBLE BY JOHN E. PHILLIPS-1992. 3 CHAPTERS ARE REPEATED TWICE IN THIS BOOK!
THE WILD TURKEY AND ITS HUNTING-MCILHENNY-1914--REPRINT IN 1984.
HUNTING THE WILD TURKEY-BY TOM TURPIN. REPRINT-1984.
TALES OF TURKEY HUNTING-1928 BY SIMON (THE KURNEL) EVERITT-REPRINT ALSO.
REMEMBERING THE GREATS-- PROFILES OF TURKEY HUNTINGS OLD MASTERS-BY JIM CASADA.  NOTE--DON'T MISS THIS ONE!!! ONE OF MY FAV  BOOKS FOR SURE!
AND I HAD-- HOW TO KILL YOUR WILD TURKEY GOBBLER---THE FIRST TIME YOU HUNT. I SOLD THAT LITTLE BOOK TO JIM CASADA. BOB BOAN WROTE THAT BOOK.

I highly recommend Tom Kelly's Tenth Legion. That book is a true inspiration piece.
Al

Not really a collector but I am an avid reader I really like the self published books written in the early 1970's.I have read and traded or resold  most of the rare titles Tall Timbered Gabriel's, Bearded Bird, Greatest moments of my life etc.