Confession of a wannabe turkey addict

[Jc69]

I've never killed a turkey!  I'm 51 years old and have been a hardcore deerhunter, squirrel hunter, off and on coon hunter, fisherman since about the age of 14.  I have my own small acreage that is great for deer, but just doesn't have any turkey on it(Arkansas).  I just never had much access to turkeys so never really got into it.  Joined a deer lease that has some turkeys on it and this past year, my  15 year old son and I went on the youth hunt.  Didn't really know what we were doing, we called in I don't know how many turkeys and they kept hanging up on us.  One gobbler would go from one point and gobble, and then go about 70 yards the other way and gobble, back and fourth.  After a long time of this,  When the gobbler went to the furthest point, we went closer to the other point to call because it was about to storm and it was thundering and lightning real bad and we had a long way to hike back to the 4 wheeler.  While we were working this particular turkey, a different silent gobbler  snuck in beside us at about 15 yards.  My son got him with my old 1956 Wingmaster.
  That weekend, we had countless gobblers that would answer and hang up.  By the time it was my turn at the start of the regular Turkey season, we never heard a single gobble during the whole rest of the turkey season and not another turkey was killed on the lease by anyone.  But my son getting one was better than if I had gotten one myself and has gotten me addicted to turkey hunting. I've already picked up a couple of dedicated turkey guns.
Here is a pic, if it will post.

[rakkin6]

Congrats and has far has them hanging up if you are hunting with someone else the caller can move 75 yards behind the shooter and start calling. That tom may think the hen is leaving and head right to the shooter. If you are by yourself you can do the same. And sometimes when they hang up like that it is best just to keep quiet. This is just my opinion and I am sure there are more experienced guys on here that may be able to give you better advice.

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[AppalachianHollers]

I've killed 2 from a blind when I was a youth hunter but got my first taste of running and gunning public land last season during COVID lockdown (yeah, guess I'm one of the people some folks on here wish didn't exist—just warning you that you'll see some bellyaching on here come springtime...but almost everyone is insanely helpful and nice).

And though I didn't harvest a bird last season, getting close on a hot gobbler who got henned up at the last second was enough to ruin me for life.
I care more about hunting turkeys and waterfowl now than I ever cared about deer. It's amazing what birds can do.


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[bbcoach]

I was in the same place you are, 13 Springs ago, when I was 50 years old.  I had never turkey hunted, had joined a deer lease with a few birds on it and learned by trial and error, since none of my buddies had hunted them either.  What I realized early on is study turkeys, read books, watch videos and practice your calling.  IMO your setup is 80% of your being a successful hunter.  You want to be where turkeys are and where they want to go.  This will come with experience and scouting.  You have entered a Sport that is Very Addicting.  When you kill your first bird by calling that bird in and he displays and gives you that Thunderous gobble, you will be HOOKED.  Good Luck, Study and Practice regularly and WELCOME to your New Found Addiction!

[GobbleNut]

Jc69, you have both my congratulations and my sympathies for your newfound affliction.  It's hard to comprehend the appeal of spring gobbler hunting until you fall under its spell by actually participating in it with some level of success.

To be sure, you will have those failures you mention, and ponder what went wrong.  Make no mistake, you will have those doubts and frustrations, as well as the moments of elation when things go right, for as long as you do this.  That is all part of the game, and there is no "magic bullet" for success.  There are just too many variables in each encounter with a gobbler that can dictate the outcome that are beyond your control.

A great deal of the enjoyment is in the learning process, and the satisfaction that comes as you put the pieces of the puzzle together over time.  A big key is staying engaged in that process.  Being here, among folks that suffer this addiction, will certainly help!   

[Happy]

Congrats on getting one for your son. One thing that may help you out when hunting without decoys. Try to always set up so that the bird has to be in range to see your calling position. Its fun to watch them come from a long ways off but unfortunately watching them is mostly what you will do.

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[Turkeytider]

Congrats and has far has them hanging up if you are hunting with someone else the caller can move 75 yards behind the shooter and start calling. That tom may think the hen is leaving and head right to the shooter. If you are by yourself you can do the same. And sometimes when they hang up like that it is best just to keep quiet. This is just my opinion and I am sure there are more experienced guys on here that may be able to give you better advice.

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Good advice. Something to remember too, a turkey that you`re having a conversation with will remember where you are with an uncanny sense of accuracy. They have a tremendous sense of " place ", direction and distance. Research has shown that they will return, sometimes hours later, to within feet of where a hunter had been set up calling them. Frequently a gobbler will be henned up. He may answer you, but hang up, not come in, and go off with his hens. But he knows where you are. It takes patience, but once the hens leave him, he may well come back. I`ve waited almost two hours in one spot for that to happen. It does.

Welcome to the addiction!

[PalmettoRon]

It's a great addiction! Staying positive is very important. I always go into the woods with the expectation that I am going to bring a gobbler out with me. I stay that way all day long as the situation can turn from nothing to everything in a moment. Patience is your friend too. There's a time to be aggressive, a time to cover a lot of ground, but turkeys don't carry a watch. You are on their schedule. Be patient.

I don't agree with Tom Kelly that, "You have to pay for every bird you kill and the coin you use to pay for them is time." Sometimes the gods throw you a kamikaze 2 yr old that you don't deserve at all, so "every bird" is a bit of a stretch. However, the vast majority of your success and growth comes with the investment of time indeed.

Welcome to the club!

[Tom007]

Fantastic story, your hooked on this mad profession. You are there, your son got a beauty already. Your addiction will lead to great success. Your already a fine member of our great fraternity. Best of luck, stay the course my friend....be safe, happy hunting.....

[Greg Massey]

Just wait until you become addicted to buying turkey calls, shotguns and all the other stuff those goes along with turkey hunting...

[Tom007]

Just wait until you become addicted to buying turkey calls, shotguns and all the other stuff those goes along with turkey hunting...

It gets costly, but it's worth every penny... best of luck

[Gooserbat]

Just wait until you become addicted to buying turkey calls, shotguns and all the other stuff those goes along with turkey hunting...

It gets costly, but it's worth every penny... best of luck

Still cheaper than bass fishing, golf, and duck hunting.

[Greg Massey]

Just wait until you become addicted to buying turkey calls, shotguns and all the other stuff those goes along with turkey hunting...

It gets costly, but it's worth every penny... best of luck

X 3 ... It sure is cheaper or is it ..LOL...
Still cheaper than bass fishing, golf, and duck hunting.

[Jc69]

Thanks for all the encouragement. 
And yes, I have already added to my shotgun collection!

[Dtrkyman]

I believe my first season hunting these fine birds was 1990?  I knew as soon as I heard the first gobble I was going to be after them as long as I could walk into the woods!

Little did I know it would consume me, it is my favorite thing to do and has taken me all over the country and even the world.

I can't imagine not being in the turkey woods in April and May every chance I get!

Welcome to the Obsession!