Why do you turkey hunt?

[davisd9]

To begin with it was to make it from one deer season to the next. Now with all the long long friends I have made, memories I have created, and love for the pure 1v1 chess match, it is just kind of who I am now.

[Guskie]

Why wouldn't turkey you hunt?

[Gooserbat]

Because once a Dad took a seven year old boy turkey hunting and at daybreak he blew the old notes "who cooks for you? Who cook for us too?" And somewhere in the distance a tom gobbled and then another, and then and there the boy became a turkey hunter.

[Zobo]

After doing it for decades, it's still exciting. It's like a drug with no side effects. The anticipation makes me feel young. The ritual of it all gives some form of purpose to my life that just always feels right. It constantly teaches me important lessons. And I'm consistently in awe of the grace and beauty of God's natural world.

[Brillo]

I have only hunted turkeys three years and I am sixty-eight.  Last spring on a pristine morning I wandered near some private with a high fence screened with fabric.   I was calling into a valley across a road from this property when a tom answered from behind the fence.  I spend an hour trying to convince him to fly over the fence to me while he tried to convince me to fly over the fence to him.  At some point that bird and I fell madly in love.  I am sure I did everything wrong but that was just about as much fun as I have ever had in the woods.  The beautiful day, the calling, the answer, the anticipation, create an irresistible elixir.   

[timberjack86]

It's about the game, plain and simple. It's about convincing that turkey that I'm the real deal and fooling him to come into the call within the magic 40 yards. Whether I kill him or not doesn't matter. I've missed birds before. It hurts a little but I remember the calls and the set up that brought him in and that's what matters most to me.

[GobbleNut]

As others have said, it would take a book to cover the reasons...but I'll give it a try as briefly as possible ("briefly" being a relative term in this case). 

...To say it is about "The Gobble" is the simple explanation, but the more complex explanation for me is that it was about the entire journey from being a clueless novice almost sixty years ago now to being the not-so-clueless, but still learning, turkey hunter I feel I am today.

Initially, I started spring gobbler hunting because it became available and was one of only a few outdoor hunting activities to take part in during the spring.  I thought at the time that it would be a casual activity for me that I might occasionally participate in. I was fortunate that I lived in a place where there was a good turkey population and a ton of public land to hunt them on, so the conditions were the perfect storm,...except for the fact that the spring season was very short, not to mention I was initially very young and with limited opportunities to go afield.

At the time (1960's), there were a handful of outdoor writers that extolled the virtues and thrills of hunting gobblers in the spring,...and the more I read about their successes,...and compared those to my initial failures,...I became determined to figure things out for myself. That was compounded by the fact that there was literally nobody in this part of the country that knew anything about spring hunting.  Except for those articles in the outdoor publications, I was completely on my own.

In those first few springs, with each new article that came out, my interest in achieving just simple goals such as hearing a gobbler, and then positioning myself to call, and have him answer those calls began to fall into place, one by one.  Those writers made it sound pretty simple, but after a few springs of hunting our short season for only a weekend, or possibly two, I was still making simple mistakes,...which translated into continued failure and frustration.

Somewhere along the line in those first few seasons after hitting the woods at sunrise, I figured the first real clue out.  I was not getting into the woods early enough.  By the time I got out there, most of the gobbling that was going to be heard,...as well as my ability to get in position on a gobbling bird while he was still in the tree,...was long over.  In addition, I learned from those writers that it was possible to make gobblers tell you where they are by using the proper noise-making instrument at the right time.  If there has been one single thing that changed the game for me, it was realizing the importance of those two elements. 

Once I got to that point, things began to fall into place.  I was regularly finding and interacting with gobblers, but the problem now was learning to "speak the language" to the point where I knew what I refer to as the "4 W's"...What to say, When to say it, Where to say it from, and Why to say it.  However, although there is some consistency in applying those 4 W's, they are variable enough with each individual gobbler that, even to this day roughly sixty years later, there is always some uncertainty regarding success or failure.  I fail often enough that when I succeed, it holds the same thrill I experienced when that very first gobbler came to my calling and pirouetted into view in the middle of New Mexico's Gila Wilderness many decades ago.

All these years later, my fascination with spring gobbler hunting still holds.  It not only is about these grand birds themselves and the confluence of their natural breeding behaviors and tendencies with the elements of hunting them that just "fit" what I look for as a hunter, but just as importantly to me, it is about that long journey I made decades ago and all the history that has been made along the way.

I have hunted many species of game, large and small,...and still do.  To this day, none of them holds near the fascination I have with spring gobbler hunting.

[ScottTaulbee]

To me, turkey hunting is what it's about to be alive. Sitting in the woods at dark, listening to the woods come alive in the spring. Waiting to hear that first gobble. Patiently waiting to make that first tree yelp and listening to him or them respond.

It's about talking to the gobbler and dancing with him. It gets your blood boiling. It's not about the kill it's about the experience.

And as a fall hunter as well, it's still about the interaction. The busting up the flock and calling them back in. Listening to all the turkeys talk trying to regroup. I've all but given up on any other type of hunting. Yea, I'll deer hunt but that's just to pass time and go for some peace and quit. But turkey hunting...man, that's where it's at. Coming alive. And happy to be alive to listen to this wonderful animal talk and the anticipation of the dance.

Even on a quiet day when nothing is gobbling. It's the anticipation that the next time I call, a gobble might erupt. It gives me goose bumps just thinking about it. We are so blessed the good Lord created such a bird!

I agree 100%. Last season was my first year trying to fall hunt, It was a great time in it's own regard!.


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[Zobo]

We are so blessed the good Lord created such a bird!

So true, what a gift!

[BDeal]

Because I can't bowhunt deer in the spring!

[Sir-diealot]

I have only truly felt at home 3 places, on my peddle bike (GT Timberline) which I can no longer do, in the water swimming or in the woods. I think I liked the biking so much because I did it a lot in the woods and I also swam in creeks that run through the woods a lot so there really is a common denominator there.

I have heard many say the in the past but not here it is the adrenaline rush of shooting a turkey, while I agree with the adrenaline rush part it is not the shooting one that gives it to me, it is the getting them there to where I want them and the thrill that comes with it. Last year I took my camera hunting with me and I can tell you I got the same shakes and thrill from photographing them as I do from getting them there to shoot with a gun.

I was able to watch "The Dance" up close for the first time last year and it was thrilling to witness. I had them in closer to me than I have consistently this past Spring as well which was great because it allowed me to hear more vocalizations than just the gobble and that was a wonderful learning experience for me as I learned just how low they really talk.

I like seeing young people that are just starting off and the thrill in their eyes.

I love to get to the woods early and hear and see God's creature come to life.

I enjoy trying to learn more about the places I hunt and what grows there. It was neat learning about a flower that only blooms at night, wound up going a little early so I could see it at night, very pretty.

I think the best shape I am in is right after turkey season every year from all the walking.

I have started to try to learn more about the birds and other woodland creatures where I hunt, they are so fascinating.

I hunt for all the above reasons and more.

When I had my last car accident and could really not hunt for around 17 years I was not constantly dreaming of taking a big buck, I was constantly dreaming of taking my first turkey. I love this creature, is is such an incredible survivor. I enjoy learning all I can about them, I love reading about their biology even.

I hunt turkey because it is when I feel the closest to God and the most alive, I hunt turkey because I have to.

[eggshell]

I hunt turkey because it is when I feel the closest to God and the most alive, I hunt turkey because I have to.

Sir-diealot, you make a good point, it becomes part of who we are. I believe I have shared this before, but it is part of why I turkey hunt. Around 2000-2002 my life pretty much fell apart and there was no peace or refuge for me anywhere. My mom was dieing of terminal illness, my wife was critically ill and work was falling apart. I had an employee who was mentally ill and had declared war on me and I never knew what was going to happen next. There was only one place to retreat to and I rarely found time to get there. I finally cracked and suffered a breakdown and clinical depression. I was mandated to take 30 days off from work and get help. It so happened it was also fall turkey season. So I would get up every morning grab my gun and go to the woods and come home when it got dark. I never even considered what kind of emotional stress I was putting on my wife and daughters through. Just think of watching a man you know is clinically depressed grab a gun and walk out the door without a word every day! That was one of the most profound seasons I ever experienced. I actually called in and passed on shooting 57 turkeys. To this day it is the only fall tag I never filled in Ohio. I knew if I killed a bird I was done and I couldn't be done. I hunted and I sat and prayed to Jesus and some days just layed down and slept in the wild flowers. All God's creation attended to me and I began to heal. To shoot a bird would only deny me my healing. Finally on the last day it dawned on me I needed to apologize to my wife. I went in early and sat down beside her and offered my apology for not being more considerate. She started crying and hugged me and said, "it's all right, I now understand what it means to you to be in the outdoors. Everyday another piece of my husband came home, I was watching you heal". She has never questioned my outdoor ventures since and encourages me to get out when I need to unwind. That is why I turkey hunt, it literally keeps me sane.

[sswv]

killed a turkey before I killed a deer (and that was a long time ago) and the memory of both still rings fresh but, there is just something about the spring woods coming alive and going to battle with that gobbler. It just does something to my heart. I have killed some monster bucks with gun and bow but there wasn't a battle involved like in spring gobbler hunting. I love hunting both but the springtime just has a special magic to it.

[Sir-diealot]

I hunt turkey because it is when I feel the closest to God and the most alive, I hunt turkey because I have to.

Sir-diealot, you make a good point, it becomes part of who we are. I believe I have shared this before, but it is part of why I turkey hunt. Around 2000-2002 my life pretty much fell apart and there was no peace or refuge for me anywhere. My mom was dieing of terminal illness, my wife was critically ill and work was falling apart. I had an employee who was mentally ill and had declared war on me and I never knew what was going to happen next. There was only one place to retreat to and I rarely found time to get there. I finally cracked and suffered a breakdown and clinical depression. I was mandated to take 30 days off from work and get help. It so happened it was also fall turkey season. So I would get up every morning grab my gun and go to the woods and come home when it got dark. I never even considered what kind of emotional stress I was putting on my wife and daughters through. Just think of watching a man you know is clinically depressed grab a gun and walk out the door without a word every day! That was one of the most profound seasons I ever experienced. I actually called in and passed on shooting 57 turkeys. To this day it is the only fall tag I never filled in Ohio. I knew if I killed a bird I was done and I couldn't be done. I hunted and I sat and prayed to Jesus and some days just layed down and slept in the wild flowers. All God's creation attended to me and I began to heal. To shoot a bird would only deny me my healing. Finally on the last day it dawned on me I needed to apologize to my wife. I went in early and sat down beside her and offered my apology for not being more considerate. She started crying and hugged me and said, "it's all right, I now understand what it means to you to be in the outdoors. Everyday another piece of my husband came home, I was watching you heal". She has never questioned my outdoor ventures since and encourages me to get out when I need to unwind. That is why I turkey hunt, it literally keeps me sane.

My sister died on Dec. 20th and the day after she died I went out to shoot some pictures which is something she and I both love/d and getting into nature and shooting some pictures was a great help to me.

[Soft Talker]

Because Spring or Fall, the good Lord has made me extremely deadly at it Wild Turkey has been part of my family's diet for generations.