Turkey hunter Vs Turkey Killer?

[Hook hanger]

A turkey hunter is one that obeys the rules and enjoys the hunt no matter the outcome.

A turkey killer is one that doesn't worry about limits or lines and the only objective is to kill a gobbler however it needs to happen.

Our definitions are pretty much the same.

"Turkey hunters" can be guys that kill a lotta birds.  But, they do it for the satisfaction of the interaction and the thrill of the game.

"Turkey killers" are motivated by the peer pressure ( whether real or perceived) to perform.  To prove a point or uphold a reputation to someone other than themselves.

This is exactly my view on this. I would add a turkey  shooter as another category. (Deer hunts them out of a blind, only can kill one if fanning/reaping, and ditch crawling them to sneak up and shoot one)

[silvestris]

My dear late friend, Kenny Morgan, often said that "anyone could kill a turkey, hot many know how to hunt them."  Make what you will of that phrase.

[Paulmyr]

Whenever I've heard the term turkey killer it always seemed to be in reference towards an excellent hunter. It never had negative connotations. I think slob hunter or poacher are more in line with what many here seem to equate to a turkey killer.

I think the hip name for it now is turkey thug.

Or is it the turkey thugs are now killers?

[aclawrence]

I've never liked liked the sound of turkey thug. I wish Cuz would stop saying that.


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[Happy]

I don't think Scott's definition of a turkey killer is necessarily a bad thing. It could very well be used to define a very good turkey hunter. In my own personal viewpoint, there are turkey killers, and there are turkey hunters. Killers are just out to kill, any legal method, and oftentimes, illegal methods are on the table. I do my best to avoid such people. Turkey hunters, on the other hand, I have some respect for with a certain type of turkey hunter standing a little higher to me. A turkey hunter has a certain attachment to the turkey. It is about the hunt, and yes, the goal is to kill the turkeys, but the details and the journey matter, and all is not lost if the turkey isn't killed. They are also law-abiding and decent members of society. The type of turkey hunter that stands tallest to me is the hunter that has a set of personal standards that have to be met before the trigger is pulled. They want to win the game, but only if they feel that they earned it. The standards vary a little from hunter to hunter, but in my experience, the standards were stricter than the law. I have only met a handful of these types, but I wish more were around.
As far as others see me? I hope to be thought of as a turkey hunter.
I have never really concerned myself with being a "killer" in the sense of having a high  kill to hunt ratio. I just try to hunt hard and to the best of my abilities, be thankful when I am successful, and appreciate every day I get to hunt them to the fullest. There is just something about turkey hunting that's special, I don't need to be behind the gun to love every second of it. Helping someone else pull the trigger can be just as rewarding.

[lowoctane]

I'm having a identity crises ... because all my turkeys where killed while I was actually hunting them .

Wow!!! Me too! 

[kytrkyhntr]

I'm always a turkey hunter trying to be a turkey killer.. I'm not too cool to admit what my end goal is when I load my shotgun and head afield.

[Howieg]

I'm always a turkey hunter trying to be a turkey killer.. I'm not too cool to admit what my end goal is when I load my shotgun and head afield.

So un politically correct!!!I like it ^^^

[TrackeySauresRex]

Hello,
My name is John and I'm a turkey hunter.

Seriously,
Most times, I'm not very good at it either. 

Very seldom I'm a KillaH, But when I do, I can talk some trash! 

[Yoder409]

The type of turkey hunter that stands tallest to me is the hunter that has a set of personal standards that have to be met before the trigger is pulled. They want to win the game, but only if they feel that they earned it. The standards vary a little from hunter to hunter, but in my experience, the standards were stricter than the law. I have only met a handful of these types, but I wish more were around.

Can someone please carve this in a stone, somewhere, please ??

[g8rvet]

The type of turkey hunter that stands tallest to me is the hunter that has a set of personal standards that have to be met before the trigger is pulled. They want to win the game, but only if they feel that they earned it. The standards vary a little from hunter to hunter, but in my experience, the standards were stricter than the law. I have only met a handful of these types, but I wish more were around.

Can someone please carve this in a stone, somewhere, please ??

I agree.  And no where in that description does it say that they must preach to all other turkey hunters their personal set of ethics or their set of rules to the hunt. I have no problem with trying to advance the standard of ethics and respect a lot of folks that do that (here and in real life), but when someone starts ridiculing someone for the way they legally hunt turkeys, my brain shuts down.  I have my own set of rules and ethics and while I will gladly listen to respectful opinions, when they start telling everyone else that does not do it their way is unethical, that is where they lose me.

I tend to use turkey killer as a compliment and turkey shooter as negative.  In my description, a turkey killer is a very accomplished turkey hunter.  A turkey shooter just cares about the kill. 

[Gooserbat]

Being a turkey hunter is physical and turkey hunters kill a lot of turkeys.  Being a turkey killer is a mental game and it's about the mind games.  They kill turkeys with efficiency and skill.

[Duckdogdad]

I have shot a decent number of birds in my 40 plus years of chasing turkeys, but my favorite hunts and memories don't involve birds I have killed. It's calling three roosted  out of trees 70 yards from my sons and I and having them land in limbs 10 feet above us. It's setting up a decoy and calling in 3 jakes, followed by an old boss hen who called in three separate groups of hens...had 50 plus birds in front of me before a triple bearded Tom with 1and 3/4 inch spurs came gobbling down the hill only to be met by three other Tom's who fought for an hour while it seems every turkey in the county came to watch. Yes I ended up killing the the old boy and he hangs in my cabin...but that was anticlimactic.

I don't think those things are important to a turkey killer

[ScottTaulbee]

I think the lingo is getting a little tangled up. To some the term killer is automatically negative. I think we all agree on the same stuff we're just disagreeing on the terminology. I'd say that within the group of respectable turkey "hunters" there are some guys that just get it done more consistently. Maybe there better woodsman, callers, juts know the animal behavior better. I definitely think there are guys who fall into this category.  I'd say there just better "hunters" instead of "killers", especially seeing how "killers" can take on a more negative connotation. The people that do if for the gram, the social pat on the back, bend the rules, cross the lines, well they definitely exist to, and maybe we should just call them low down good for nothing pathetic turkey shooting losers!


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Around here, the terminology isn't a negative thing, and it's interesting to me to see everyone's different perspectives from around the country. In my area a turkey hunter is the guy who uses decoys, blinds, has a vest full of calls and goes opening weekend and maybe the next weekend, rarely kills a turkey except for once in a blue moon and blames the turkeys, the weather, the gun he totes, etc for his lack of skill. He typically turns in to a turkey shooter, which is driving around until he sees a gobbler in a field, knocks on a door and takes off with a tail fan. In my area, a turkey killer is the guy who gets a bird year in and year out, no decoys, a couple calls and a lot of woodmanship. A guy you can drop off on any piece of land and in a day or two he will tote a gobbler out. We have a lot more of the first two rather than the later around here.


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[ScottTaulbee]

Being a turkey hunter is physical and turkey hunters kill a lot of turkeys.  Being a turkey killer is a mental game and it's about the mind games.  They kill turkeys with efficiency and skill.

I've never thought of it that way. I like your view point.


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