I've always went back and forth with myself on which I like better, deer or turkey hunting. Just curious which you guys would pick. I love those crisp November mornings when you know the big boys are on their feet but I'm not sure if that beats the sound of a gobbler hammering on a limb at daybreak. Your thoughts?
I've hunted both since the mid 60's. No comparison for me. Turkeys have always been my favorite by far. I spend a lot of time in the deer woods but rarely deer hunt anymore. Turkeys are a different story. I get after them as hard now as I ever did.
Turkeys are better than goats. I like to sit in the woods and watch the wildlife, even kill a deer or two, but it is nothing like the spring woods!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Turkey first. No comparison. Primarily hunt for meat as my wife is big on organic meat. Have told my boys once they get proficient at killing them I am holding out for a big one. I enjoy watching the wife and kids shoot them more than myself anymore. My oldest boy turns into a wreck when it's time to
Shoot and then gets mad at me for chuckling about it. We have some good times.
Sent from my SM-G800R4 using Tapatalk
I love them both. Been deer hunting a lot longer. One thing about turkeys if ones gobbling you know you have a chance. With deer it can be hours upon hours of nothing and it leaves you wondering if there is even a deer in the timber. Since I feed my family with the harvest I would have to go with deer.
:turkey2:
Definitely turkey.
I do enjoy deer hunting and love the excitement of an opening day, whichever opener that may be!
I used to say deer, but if I had to choose one indefinitely it would for sure be turkey huntin now.
Turkeys present a whole different challenge that appeal to me more. I will always love deer hunting and killing a good doe or buck. But there's no comparison for me. I have longbeard fever. True turkey hunters are a different breed of liars. :TooFunny:
I'm going to go against the grain a bit here. I prefer a good spot and stalk deer hunt, even better would be elk!
I find myself going back and forth. If deer season is a couple weeks out, I'm pumped and ready. If it's April, I'm in full gobbler mode. If I absolute HAD to pick one.... I think I would choose to chase the longbeards. :turkey2:
:drool: :drool: :drool: All the way!!
I would use to say deer, but the first time that gobbler came in spitten and drummin, they won me over for life.
What is a deer?
By far turkeys for me.. Have hunted them for around 20 years and still get as excited about them as when I first started. Also have met a bunch of great friends through hunting them...
Quote from: guesswho on November 16, 2016, 08:15:32 PM
I've hunted both since the mid 60's. No comparison for me. Turkeys have always been my favorite by far. I spend a lot of time in the deer woods but rarely deer hunt anymore. Turkeys are a different story. I get after them as hard now as I ever did.
:agreed: I just love being in the woods during the spring and watching it come alive. Can't beat it when one is hammering from the limb and then hear him hit the ground and start your way. Game on.....
Turkey. By far, way more fun, and a heck of a lot easier getting one out of the woods.
I started squirrel hunting then moved on to rabbits, deer, and didn't get bitten by the turkey bug until later on. I still enjoy deer hunting, but over time Ive lost my passion for it, and far and away Id say turkey hunting is it for me.
As someone else said, its easier to get them out of the woods, and easier to clean them. Id rather kill a typical 2 year old gobbler than a nice 10 point. I like being in the woods better in the spring than I do in the fall and all things considered its just a no brainer. Turkeys are the ultimate choice for me.
I love to hunt turkeys as much as the next guy. But if I had to choose one. It would probably be deer. IMO a big mature buck is more challenging to kill. And their is just something about a cold November morning.
Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk
Turkey hunting by far! Love hearing a gobbler fire up on a beautiful springtime morning. I've killed my share of deer and just don't have the passion or desire that I once did.
Spring season is first, fall turkey season is a very, very close second. Deer season a very close third.
I've been a deer hunter longer than a turkey hunter. Always liked going turkey hunting but the bug hit the hardest last spring and it's the first in many that I didn't kill a bird. I'd give the birds a slight edge but not an overwhelming edge. Ask me in the spring though and I'll have a different answer
TURKEYS ALL THE WAY!!!
That apples and oranges. I love spring turkey season and fall archery season season. That would be like saying which if your children do you love more? I love them equally.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
I used to deer hunt from opening day of archery to the last hour of gun season, then cry because it closed. Lately I have found myself deer hunting less and less. The past couple of seasons I have been so excited for spring to come that I didn't even hunt the last couple weeks of the season. So....it's turkey for me.
Turkey, not even close!!!!!
Quote from: eddie234 on November 17, 2016, 06:46:14 PM
That apples and oranges. I love spring turkey season and fall archery season season. That would be like saying which if your children do you love more? I love them equally.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
^^^This
I just thank the good Lord that he made them both available to hunt at different times of the year!
I only bowhunt deer and I do still find it excites me, however deer don't gobble so there's really no comparison.
Fall turkey,Spring turkey and bow hunt deer while Fall turkey hunting.
No comparison I can quit deer hunting now in mid rut wouldn't phase me bit. when I have to quit turkey hunting may as well bury me
Quote from: Gooserbat on November 17, 2016, 11:44:52 PM
I only bowhunt deer and I do still find it excites me, however deer don't gobble so there's really no comparison.
Deer don't gobble but when they come down the trail grunting on the tail of a doe it's pretty darn comparable . IMO
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Quote from: turkeyfoot on November 18, 2016, 11:31:52 AM
No comparison I can quit deer hunting now in mid rut wouldn't phase me bit. when I have to quit turkey hunting may as well bury me
I feel the exact same way! I only deer hunt at that time cause they won't let me turkey hunt.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I gave up deer hunting 25 years ago to concentrate solely on turkey hunting in the spring. I've slowed down some, and only hunt 6 or 7 states a year now. I catch opening weekend of dove season and that is about it for hunting for me. The rest of the time, I'm crappie fishing.
I'm on the other side of the fence than most of you. If I had to only choose one it would be deer hunting. I do get excited when I hear birds gobbling and it is cool watching them strut. To me it's hard to beat being in the timber on a crisp November day watching 2-3 bucks chase a doe around the timber and like mentioned earlier, hearing those bucks grunting & bawling while they are trailing, chasing, tending a doe. To me, that is cooler than watching and hearing the birds. You can see birds strutting and hear them gobble all year round(although not as often as in the spring). Seeing the chasing and hearing that grunting usually only happens in the fall.
Turkey hunting-Spring AND Fall! I am not really a deer hunter. Never really got interested. I do like to hunt for sheds though. Pheasant and woodcock round things out for me---so just birds.
turkeys by far.
Maybe it's because I've had a lot better success turkey hunting vs. deer hunting. Plus, the "knowing" a turkey is close by hearing it gobble and being able to communicate/work a bird is a huge rush for me. Sitting in a deer stand for hours being still and quiet can get pretty boring sometimes.
Turkeys for me i just love that challenge of calling that bird in.
Well I'm deer hunting right now, but talking about turkey hunting on the net.......that tells you everything. :funnyturkey:
I hunt deer in the Fall and Turkey hunt in the Spring. Love being out on cool mornings which ever I hunt. I do not try to judge one over the other. But I also love cat hunting, coyote, crow and shooting the odd coyote that strolls by. Why choose? Killed a ten point buck first day of the Va deer season this year and two really nice Merriam Turkeys in New Mexico. Could not ever imagine limiting myself to one species. But each to his own.
Like to deer hunt with muzzle loader and recurve bow. Really like to fish for crappie and bluegill with ultralight tackle. LOVE to chase turkeys in spring and fall! Days when the weather isn't cooperating I have no issue staying in from deer hunting or fishing, but nothing short of the apocalypse keeps me in from chasing turkeys. I enjoy all aspects of being outdoors in GOD'S great creation he was loving enough to share with us!
Turkey.
I do enjoy a nice November day in the timber, but I always catch myself listening for fall birds..... and that leads me to thoughts of chasing spring gobblers.
Deer hunting is always more like deer waiting. I was fortunate enough to shoot a nice spike on the rifle opener, but that's the exception, not the rule around here.
For me, it's turkeys all day long. I deer hunt some, mostly to get a couple in the freezer. My top three are: Turkey hunting, bowfishing, and crappie fishing.
Turkey. No question in my book. Love the gobble.
Quote from: guesswho on November 16, 2016, 08:15:32 PM
I've hunted both since the mid 60's. No comparison for me. Turkeys have always been my favorite by far. I spend a lot of time in the deer woods but rarely deer hunt anymore. Turkeys are a different story. I get after them as hard now as I ever did.
Concur and well said.
Id find it hard to answer this question. I love bow hunting/archery, love muzzleloaders and something about having a tack driving rifle in my hands drives me nuts too. I really enjoy just shooting them.
Turkey guns aren't that way for me. Yes I pattern them as crazy as anyone. Have 5-6 dedicated turkey guns. Try all kinda loads n chokes but turkeys are special in their own right.
To be honest any shotgun will work with some prep.
I hunt deer from Sept til mid Feb. it's a long time n by the end I'm kinda worn out. As I get older dragging them gets harder n a quick hunt before work is impossible.
Turkey season is short so I'm always hungry for more once it closes n throwing a bird on you're shoulder is nicer than dragging some beast.
That being said I mostly deer hunt in fall, turkey in spring.
So I guess I dig em both n ain't quitting either.
Now another addiction that's cool is hounds after deer season n before turkey. Or how bout calling coyotes, ducks? Great to be an outdoorsman. Always another opening day or start of a new season almost here
If I didn't like eating deer so much, I wouldn't hunt them. Longbeards hammering on a limb at daybreak is where it's at!
While I do enjoy a peaceful sit in the blind or treestand bowhunting, it pales in comparison to my joy of spring turkey hunting. After about 3 days in a row of an alarm going off at 5 am in deer season I start to hit the snooze a few times and maybe even miss a morning. I am just as excited to get out of bed the first time the alarm sounds on the last day of turkey season as I am the first day of season.
Gotta say turkey . The spring woods has been a great time to to relax and enjoy those gobblers hammer away.
You know they are there but the anticipation of what may happen next is second to none.
No doubt it's turkey. I spend a lot of time thinking about turkeys while hunting for deer, and it's never the other way around. Also, I never even think to check in on deer forums, but here I am in deer season posting on OG...
Ducks for me....
Turkey for me. When I'm deer hunting I can watch them come and go without any regrets but when a bird comes in hot and gobbling I've got to lay the hammer down.
Turkeys and green heads over deer, with turkeys being first. Don't get me wrong, I love deer hunting too. But never once during spring gobbler season do I find myself saying, "sure wish deer season would get here." I long for the spring every time I even think about hunting.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Turkey hunting till I die!
not a single doubt in my mind. turkey hunting all the way
turkey hunting is my passion , but i will say bowhunting deer is a close second. i quit rifle hunting about 6 years ago and hunt the whole season with a bow. if i had too choose , turkeys get the nod.
A big deer is much harder to come by than a big gobbler.
I consider myself a turkey hunter but have been saving my entire young adult life to purchase 200-250 acres in southern Iowa to deer hunt. Successfully hunting mature deer and turkeys requires very different skill sets, both of which I enjoy significantly. I'd certainly give up deer hunting before I ever surrendered by ability to turkey hunt but I enjoy both pursuits.
The love and passion I have for turkey hunting is unmeasurable over deer hunting! I just love everything about it and have from day one on my first spring gobbler hunt with my dad at 8 yrs old! God bless
Love them both, BUT turkeys are at the very top of everything! Deer don't keep me awake all night waiting for time to get up.
#1. Mallards and Long beards are tied. I thank the Good Lord that the seasons do not overlap.
I love them equally, and could not put one before the other.
#2. Deer excite me. I'm all about the early bow season, love the rut in early November, but as duck season opens, deer come to a halt.
I guess that's why we have seasons at different times.
Nah, I just love it all.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I would give up duck,grouse,rabbit,deer,bear and moose hunting if i only had one animal to hunt,it would be wild turkeys no doubt.I live to hunt wild turkeys.
Turkey over deer for sure, Turkeys can't bust you by smelling you. After a turkey gobble to tell you that he is there its all your game if you don't connect.
Turkey hunting without a doubt. It's more fun.
There is no debate here. When it's time it is what we harvest. They each are pursued with vigor. My fav is what I am after on any given day.
Not even close for me. Turkeys any day.
Quote from: jblackburn on November 29, 2016, 01:40:06 PM
If I didn't like eating deer so much, I wouldn't hunt them. Longbeards hammering on a limb at daybreak is where it's at!
My thoughts exactly sir!!
Love them both but if I had to pick one......Turkey every time!!
Quote from: guesswho on November 16, 2016, 08:15:32 PMNo comparison for me. Turkeys have always been my favorite by far.
Same here. I've been hunting deer, turkeys, ducks and small game for decades. Turkeys are by far my favorite!!! :newmascot: Always will be!! But I sure do love eating venison :rudolph:, ducks and squirrels!!
Spring turkey by far!
:OGani:
Deer around my area become very nocturnal after small game season starts and I can go days wondering "where they are". Only to have them show back up after the new year begins. Amazing!
Wish they would change the spring season to be:
March - 2 months long
April - 2 months long
May - 6 months long
Rest of the year - 2 months long...........gotta have some time for wife and family things!
Oh, by the way, the weather would need to adhere to those changes also.
LOL.........................
:santaclaus:
I went deer and/or pig hunting this evening. I was more excited to see 10 turkeys than the deer that came out.
But, I have my buck in the freezer already... :you_rock:
Both equally but for different reasons. However, I still get shakey after I pull the trigger on a buck or gobbler.
I'm glad that I don't have to choose. Spring turkey has no competition in the spring, so no reason for me to weigh the pros and cons. I guess I could spot and stalk spring bear, but haven't really tried.
I used to bowhunt whitetails with a passion when I lived in Illinois, but rarely hunt them now that I'm no longer in the Midwest. It's not because I wouldn't love to, but they aren't as readily available to me at my location in Montana. I guess I gave up bowhunting whitetails for bowhunting elk.
I did however spend a few days spot and stalk mule deer in the rut with a rifle and really enjoyed that. There is always the possibility of a whitetail in the same area.
I really like waterfowl hunting, but I don't like eating them. I have recently started hunting rooster pheasants and really enjoy hunting them and they are good eating.
I don't see a reason to give up any fall hunting to concentrate on spring hunting. Unless it's money, vacation time, or spouse time related, deer or elk or upland or waterfowl have no bearing on spring turkeys. I have no problem flipping the switch to turkeys in late winter and turning it back off late spring. I'd say flipping back and forth is more likely to adversely affect deer, elk, etc than the other way around.
If I had to choose, deer would get the nod. Elk over deer though.
Luckily the seasons don't overlap!
Esse quam videri
Most of my life it's been all deer hunting. Mostly what I thought/obsessed about year round. The last couple of years those thoughts have turned more and more towards turkeys. Guess I'm getting wiser in my older age. However I don't see myself giving up either as long as I'm able God willing.
Quote from: SteelerFan on November 17, 2016, 07:58:32 PM
Quote from: eddie234 on November 17, 2016, 06:46:14 PM
That apples and oranges. I love spring turkey season and fall archery season season. That would be like saying which if your children do you love more? I love them equally.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
^^^This
I just thank the good Lord that he made them both available to hunt at different times of the year!
Amen, if they were both at the same time, I would be left with nothing to do except pig hunt the rest of the year. But on second thought that wouldn't really be all bad
Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk