Pondering about turkey hunting

[Kylongspur88]

I'm surprised there aren't more waterfowlers responding. For me in the fall it's ducks and whatever geese I can chump into the decoys.There is a slight similarity to turkey hunting in that you call and they respond (sometimes) but that's where the similarity ends. There is no back and forth interaction so duck hunting is a distant second. I mostly do it for the dog work. If not for my dogs I'd probably go deer hunting. Duck hunting is much more work.

I used to be obsessed with duck hunting and took several trips a year to chase them. It was #2 behind turkeys. But I don't live in a ducky area and with an already busy job and family obligations I had to make some choices about hobbies. I'll get back into some day but just don't have the time right now. As far as ducks, wood ducks were some of my favorites to hunt. They're beautiful and tasty.

[Sir-diealot]

I hunt turkey for love, I hunt deer for meat. Every time I have had to have surgery I have made sure I don't lose turkey season, I have given up deer season a few times and will be again this year as I am having surgery on September 1 and will be in a non walking cast for a month and unable to bare much weight for a month after that at least.

Sent from my moto g pure using Tapatalk

[deerhunt1988]

I've been deer hunting longer, but since the day turkey season first opened in my home county, turkey has been my #1.

Social media and YouTube has shafted us, no doubt about it. Public land pressure and demand is at an all time high. Public land hunting opportunities are quickly diminishing as states implement draws, non-resident restrictions, and reduced bag limits. I hate it. But what I hate the most, is the lost of opportunity for future generations. The social media crowd who profits off this exploitation that is destroying public land hunting claims "we need more hunters! To save hunting!". But how the hell is that going to do a bit of good when future generations DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OR A PLACE TO HUNT. Without paying out the wazoo for private access.

But I digress. My parents introduced me to hunting at an early age. However it was turkey hunting that really changed my life. At the time, no one else in my entire school turkey hunted. There was a mystique about it. Deer hunters laughed about it. (Now days, those same deer hunters get their limit thanks to bait and cellular game cameras) The wild turkey caused me to pursue an advanced education in wildlife sciences. Which ended up landing me in a dream job where I manage public lands and can have an impact on wild turkey populations for all to enjoy. However, the "all to enjoy" is now digressing thanks to social media/YouTube's impacts. Public land hunting opportunities are just continually going to get restricted more and more (both for residents and non-residents) thanks to the modern day social climate. It is what it is, and damn does it hurt to have predicted this and saw it coming.

Anyways. I figure I'll procreate in the next year two once after i get married and finish the 49. Gonna need a hunting aged kid just to make up for all the quality hunting opportunities I have lost. Sucks knowing my future progeny won't get to experience near the level of quality public land turkey hunting as I did. We had a good run, and i'll do my damndest to make sure the future generations can get the last bit of milk from the tit.