We're lucky

[Gooserbat]

I'm sitting in the truck on a forest rd in the Mark Twain National Forest right now just waiting for the fog to lift a little bit.  I've been catching up on OG and I realized how good we've got it.  We're living in a time when you have options on the style of hunting you prefer, run and gun, blind and deeks, faning, or just go sit in the woods and "deer hunt". We have gun choices, ammo choices, camo patterns and calls out the tail end and all we can do is not be satisfied.  Sure turkey numbers are not what they once were in a lot of places, but we as turkey hunters, overall are recognizing the problem and looking for solutions. 

We're teaching our kids to turkey hunt and planting seeds with 410s and tss sooner other than trying to complete with modern society and the hustle and bustle.  We're lucky plane and simple.  We're also spoiled and never satisfied with what we have.  It's a fact otherwise we'd have a lot more tolerance for other hunters, or at least I know I would.

Most importantly I have my health, my family is well a job if you call being a professional turkey bumb such and my peace of mind.

My rant is over and I'm going to go try my hand again. 

[GobbleNut]

Truth be spoken.  All too often, we look at things from the "glass half empty" perspective rather than it being half full.  Having said that, I wish I, too, was sitting in the Mark Twain NF getting ready to go challenge a gobbler!  Alas, here I sit behind a computer just talking about it!   

[Happy]

I agree with a lot of your points but I have noticed something else as well. As people we have lost the art of discussion. We can no longer accept that we just sometimes aren't going to agree on things. There is no civil debate or dialogue. As soon as someone has a different opinion battle lines are drawn. It didn't used to be this way. I really don't care how someone else does things. I hunt how I want too in a way that I get the most satisfaction from my hunts. The only reason I support making means of harvest more difficult is for the sake of the turkeys. If someone disagrees then that's fine. Doesn't ruin my day in the least.

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[GobbleNut]

I agree with a lot of your points but I have noticed something else as well. As people we have lost the art of discussion. We can no longer accept that we just sometimes aren't going to agree on things. There is no civil debate or dialogue. As soon as someone has a different opinion battle lines are drawn. It didn't used to be this way. I really don't care how someone else does things. I hunt how I want too in a way that I get the most satisfaction from my hunts. The only reason I support making means of harvest more difficult is for the sake of the turkeys. If someone disagrees then that's fine. Doesn't ruin my day in the least.

You are aware, of course, that your opinion sucks.   

[Happy]

Yeah it does. And my momma wears army boots.

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[GobbleNut]

Yeah it does. And my momma wears army boots.

It's "Yo' Momma wears army boots"...but I can see how that didn't fit the narrative at the moment...   

...And sorry for hijacking your thread, Sam,...but I just couldn't resist! (It's Happy, after all!)   

[zelmo1]

Being thankful and gracious is lost on some of our younger generation. It is our job to make them aware of it and acknowledge their awareness. Great post bro. Al

[Gooserbat]

We'll I'm back.   I didn't take long.  I got out of the truck immediately after I posted this.  Had a bird gobble in the fog at like 200 yards.  Made a 75 yard circle to get out of sight of the truck ( makes me feel better) called had him answer and another bird gobbled behind me.  The initial turkey gobbled like 40 times in 10 minutes and finally pops his head around a tree at 15 yards.  Instant flopage!!!!... Jake Flopage.  Actually I'm not disappointed about it.  He'll make fine turkey/jalapeno poppers and he gobbled like a hot 2 y/o and most of all I had fun. 

Note:  I've never hunted within 50 miles of this place and drove up this morning. I kept looking at it on the map and had done a carpentry job not far from here a few years ago and the customer told me they had a lot of birds.  I'm calling it a success.

[GobbleNut]

We'll I'm back.   I didn't take long.  I got out of the truck immediately after I posted this.  Had a bird gobble in the fog at like 200 yards.  Made a 75 yard circle to get out of sight of the truck ( makes me feel better) called had him answer and another bird gobbled behind me.  The initial turkey gobbled like 40 times in 10 minutes and finally pops his head around a tree at 15 yards.  Instant flopage!!!!... Jake Flopage.  Actually I'm not disappointed about it.  He'll make fine turkey/jalapeno poppers and he gobbled like a hot 2 y/o and most of all I had fun. 

Note:  I've never hunted within 50 miles of this place and drove up this morning. I kept looking at it on the map and had done a carpentry job not far from here a few years ago and the customer told me they had a lot of birds.  I'm calling it a success.

Yeah, I would say that was a success!   

[zelmo1]

An hour round trip from boots hitting the ground till you get back with a tasty bird, chalk that one up. Nice one bro

[Yoder409]

Well-stated thoughts and well-played hunt, Sam !!!   

I think some of us forget.........and a lot of us never knew.......about a time where turkey hunting was NOT what it is today.

This marks my 43rd spring chasing these majestic birds.  I live in one of the best WMU's in my state for turkeys.  But, when I started hunting........there were NONE here.  We had to drive a couple hours to the mountain ridges in the central part of the state.  The first turkey seen in our area was in 1979.  My brother and a buddy flushed a hen while hunting rabbits.  I hunted the first gobbling bird that showed up near our property a year or two later.  The local population has since exploded..........receded.................exploded again........and now is receding again.  But no more 100 mile drives to get to huntable numbers of birds.  Am I in full agreement with some of today's trends to make turkey hunting success more remedial ??  No.  Same goes with deer hunting.  But only because..........as someone already mentioned........I feel the resource(s) ........which are already strapped by habitat loss, pesticides, predation, disease, etc......... can only handle so much hunter success.  But, at the end of the day, there's only so much I can do about it.  And bellyaching isn't one of those things that'll solve squat.

[RutnNStrutn]

Truth!!! Good luck the rest of the season Sam!!

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[Cowboy]

Well said. We live in the greatest country there is. Wish more people realized it. 

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[TonyTurk]

Spot on Sam, and congratulations.  I also experienced "jake flopage" about 10 days ago.  The first jake I've shot in years, and didn't regret it at all.

I guess as I'm getting older I've learned to mellow out and just appreciate the hunt for what it is.

[3bailey3]

Great post Sam! Congrats and good luck..