Would you shoot if you didn't call him in?

[Zobo]

Doesn't trigger me, I congratulate Alabama for it.

[crow]

Makes me want to say certain words into my diaphragm call

[Paulmyr]

Shoot one that I stumbled upon? Nope. I did that once a long time ago. Hadn't heard anything for a while and was heading back to the truck. Stumbled into a Gobbler strutting for a hen on the other side of an overgrown fence line. The hen spooked. I shot him when he came out of strut and put his head up to see what was up.

It did absolutely nothing for me. All the anticipation of the hunt, the excitement of calling to him and him gobbling back, the spit, the drum, the trying to look out my ear hole to see him because he silently flanked me, the moment where I knew if he takes one more step he's mine, the knee jumping and trying desperately to hold it back that insues, there was none of it. There was just a black heap laying on the ground. I felt no different than if I had walked into a grocery store.

That was some 30 years ago. Back then whenever talk of turkey hunting safety came around, it was always; don't wear red, white, or blue and don't pearl harbor a gobbling turkey with the thought being the turkey maybe gobbling at another hunter.

I don't bushwhack or reap because of my safety concerns, besides it's not what I'm there for.

If I'm set up and he comes in silent, I'm dropping the hammer.

[Tail Feathers]

I did it once.  Walked around a bend and a strutter was 35 yards in front of me.  No calls, nothing but a shot.  It did not satisfy my hunting itch.  So given that situation, I probably won't. 

[Wigsplitter]

Yes I will take the opportunity

[mcw3734]

Another joke thread.  Yes said "Horse Pucky" since this forum wouldn't allow Horse Shxx.  Maybe a few of you could start an "Elitist Section".   Maybe one state could be designated for cool guys only. No gps, no OnX, no decoys, no cell phones, no cameras, no crops of any kind, no social media allowed, if caught watching THP it's a permanent ban to hunt only Alaska for longbeards. Stalking game has been done since the cavemen.  It will continue as long as hunting is permitted. Get over it

.SAFETY - lol, sounds like the 2nd amendment attacker's - if it only saved one life.  Please stay home if the woods gives you the vapors.

Well, Joey, if this is such a "joke thread", why did you respond in less than 10 minutes after I started it? And then proceed to contribute another 10 posts over the next 8 hours?

Shannon – Hey man, I truly didn't mean to get anyone's nickers in a twist. Like everybody else I'm just jonesing for the season to start and like to pick people's brain on what they do and their reasoning behind it.

[tal]

Makes me want to say certain words into my diaphragm call

[Kygobblergetter]

I wouldn't. I had this happen last year when sneaking to the edge of a field to look out in it. Heard drumming and could see his fan over a little rise at 30 yards. Took some video and let him walk. Not because I think it's bad to kill them that way. I just have plenty of time to hunt with my schedule and didn't want to be tagged out at home on a hunt like that. I ended up killing probably that same bird in that same spot a week or so later. But he came in gobbling before hanging up and making me pull some tricks to kill him. And it was a super fun hunt


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[joey46]

Another joke thread.  Yes said "Horse Pucky" since this forum wouldn't allow Horse Shxx.  Maybe a few of you could start an "Elitist Section".   Maybe one state could be designated for cool guys only. No gps, no OnX, no decoys, no cell phones, no cameras, no crops of any kind, no social media allowed, if caught watching THP it's a permanent ban to hunt only Alaska for longbeards. Stalking game has been done since the cavemen.  It will continue as long as hunting is permitted. Get over it

.SAFETY - lol, sounds like the 2nd amendment attacker's - if it only saved one life.  Please stay home if the woods gives you the vapors.

Well, Joey, if this is such a "joke thread", why did you respond in less than 10 minutes after I started it? And then proceed to contribute another 10 posts over the next 8 hours?

Shannon – Hey man, I truly didn't mean to get anyone's nickers in a twist. Like everybody else I'm just jonesing for the season to start and like to pick people's brain on what they do and their reasoning behind it.

When I saw the original post I guessed how it would turn out.   Many on this forum are so predictably elitist it was like an "elitist call to arms".   None of the responses were a big surprise.  Be assured if I'm walking out on a trail this Friday and an unalerted hen crosses within range I'll kneel down and wait to see if she's being tailed by a big boy.  If so then shame on him.  Over the near 50 years I've turkey hunted I'm now remembering more than a few times this has occurred.  I don't recall ever being ashamed as I carted him out.  Good luck to ALL this season. 

[Howie g]

Mr Joey , with all do respect, I think your confused on this "elite " stuff .
IMO it's called a hunters evolution journey.
I grew up hunting gobblers with some great mentors and sportsman . But even though I had some great mentors to learn from ,, as a young hunter I fell into the trap of the numbers game . I've admittedly killed gobblers about every way possible. You name it ? I did it , with the exception of hunting over bait .
But with age I grew out the numbers game . Nowadays, I want to yelp them to close range . That being said , I still use woody skills to get in the right spot to get the drop . I don't think hunting them the way I choose has anything to do with being elite . 

[zelmo1]

My wife started hunting with me about 6 years ago, her first bird was a jake double with me on her first hunt ever. Spoiled right off the bat,lol. She shot another jake the following year, her call. year 3 she passes up a 22 yard shot so our daughter could shoot the tom. Later in the morning we doubled again but she shot the wrong bird, a jake and I shot the Tom. Best day of my hunting life, triple woth my girls. So I decided to get her a tom, she earned it. Late in the season we were roosting birds and saw a lone tom fly up. It was like you read in the books. We saw exactly where he  flew up and were there at zero dark thirty the next morning. We got set up tight to him, jake decoy in the field.  We were there so early I actually took a nap before he gobbled, lol. When he gobbled he was 35ish yards behind us on the limb. I told her that when she heard him flap to get her gun up. I never loaded my gun. He gobbled his brains out for 20 minutes then we heard him fly down. He came down right where he went up as usual. He hit the ground and tucked his wings, turned to the decoy and gobbled at it. She shot him at 25 yards, hunt over. No calling here, is this considered "a real hunt"? I was as proud of her as I ever was about any bird I have ever taken. Don't get me wrong, I love to talk to my birds, but no more preparation and planning and execution ever happened if this wasn't a successful hunt. Just looking for opinions. Z

[kytrkyhntr]

Some of you guys are corny as hell

[Paulmyr]

Another joke thread.  Yes said "Horse Pucky" since this forum wouldn't allow Horse Shxx.  Maybe a few of you could start an "Elitist Section".   Maybe one state could be designated for cool guys only. No gps, no OnX, no decoys, no cell phones, no cameras, no crops of any kind, no social media allowed, if caught watching THP it's a permanent ban to hunt only Alaska for longbeards. Stalking game has been done since the cavemen.  It will continue as long as hunting is permitted. Get over it

.SAFETY - lol, sounds like the 2nd amendment attacker's - if it only saved one life.  Please stay home if the woods gives you the vapors.

Well, Joey, if this is such a "joke thread", why did you respond in less than 10 minutes after I started it? And then proceed to contribute another 10 posts over the next 8 hours?

Shannon – Hey man, I truly didn't mean to get anyone's nickers in a twist. Like everybody else I'm just jonesing for the season to start and like to pick people's brain on what they do and their reasoning behind it.

When I saw the original post I guessed how it would turn out.   Many on this forum are so predictably elitist it was like an "elitist call to arms".   None of the responses were a big surprise.  Be assured if I'm walking out on a trail this Friday and an unalerted hen crosses within range I'll kneel down and wait to see if she's being tailed by a big boy.  If so then shame on him.  Over the near 50 years I've turkey hunted I'm now remembering more than a few times this has occurred.  I don't recall ever being ashamed as I carted him out.  Good luck to ALL this season.

You guessed how it would turn out? Your 1st post in this thread was a passive aggressive attack on the original poster.

You followed that post up by calling people elitest for voicing personal standards. Of course you knew where this thread was headed, you've been dragging it there since your 1st post.

[jb1069]

The guy going to the woods without calls would definitely be at the biggest disadvantage in my opinion. So does this make him the better hunter or a slob for stalking? I bet not many have left home without calls on purpose.

I agree this isn't deer hunting but I find it laughable that generally a guy that can stalk up within bow range of a deer is considered a good hunter with great woods skills. If the same guy stalks up within range of a turkey, that has eyes like an eagle, then he is lessoning the hunt and not respecting the game.

I see bowhunting and turkey hunting closely related. Its about getting close to your game. That is the rush to me. Wether you call it in or stalk it. How close can you get without being detected. Both tactics accomplish this and both are legal most places. Enjoy the hunt however you choose.

[Paulmyr]

The guy going to the woods without calls would definitely be at the biggest disadvantage in my opinion. So does this make him the better hunter or a slob for stalking? I bet not many have left home without calls on purpose.

I agree this isn't deer hunting but I find it laughable that generally a guy that can stalk up within bow range of a deer is considered a good hunter with great woods skills. If the same guy stalks up within range of a turkey, that has eyes like an eagle, then he is lessoning the hunt and not respecting the game.

I see bowhunting and turkey hunting closely related. Its about getting close to your game. That is the rush to me. Wether you call it in or stalk it. How close can you get without being detected. Both tactics accomplish this and both are legal most places. Enjoy the hunt however you choose.

I can see where your coming from, personally I've never tried it on turkeys. I'd buy the deer comparison a little more if the deer was growling every few minutes letting me know exactly where he was.