The Time is Now!

[allaboutshooting]

Now that the 2014 turkey hunting season is pretty much over, it just seems appropriate to remind all of us of what hunting turkeys is all about. I know that for the majority of us we need no reminder but please bear with me on this subject.

For many of the states in the U.S. turkey harvest numbers are down, some, maybe most for the second year in a row. Urban sprawl is reducing the number of acres we have to hunt. It really is about saving the habitat.

So what can we as turkey hunters do about that? For one thing, we can place less emphasis on the kill and more on the hunt. It's all about woodmanship and outwitting the bird and less upon the distance that we can shoot a bird.

Old Gobbler has led the way and I might add kept the way in keeping us on target in discussing turkey hunting as a sport rather than talking about turkey shooting as a sport. Shooting a turkey is not the sport but calling in a turkey is a big part of the sport and keeping shots at 40 yards and under is a big part of the hunting.

What's my point? The resource, the American Wild Turkey population is down in most parts of the U.S. That's a first for many modern turkey hunters. We need to concentrate more on the hunt than the kill.

We need to support folks who emphasize keeping shots under 40 yards and let anyone who wants us to buy their products or support their products that promote long range turkey shooting that we do not agree with their marketing and will not support them as long as they continue to promote long range turkey killing. The resource, the American Wild Turkey, is too important to reduce to a commodity.

There comes a time when all of us must stand up and be counted. I believe the time is now.

Thanks,
Clark

[zeke632]

Good post & I agree 100%

[fastford04]

I agree..


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[the Ward]

x3   

[DirtNap647]

 

[cphill]

Well said

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[lowoctane]

Agree! Thanks Clark!

[noggin buster]

 

[BandedSpur]

Clark,

Not to be argumentative, but you always recommend EM's Hevi-shot 6s or 7s. Let's not forget that they started this marketing hoohah with their "pattern-density technology" ads showing the 5s in their MB load being effective at 75+ yds. If everybody quit supporting EM and Winch over their marketing claims, I guess there would be a lot of folks shooting Remington turkey loads.

[hunter-b]

Well said .

[Longshanks]

I absolutely agree..the long range marketing for turkey loads is a complete disservice to our sport. Unfortunately Whitetail deer and the Wild Turkey have become a huge commodity due to outfitters, high fence operations, hunting channels/shows, etc. Its a disgrace to hunting when you can contact a ranch, they will send you pics of the deer you are going to kill and also tell you how much the deer cost based on charging you by the inch of antler. A friend of mine put it best "they are pimping the deer and turkeys". Marketing ploys by companies are as a result of a huge systemic problem with respect to preserving our hunting heritage. The trouble is that it's not getting any better.
    Where I hunt in the midwest  we pay a reasonable price to lease ground. An outfitter right across the fence is charging 4,000 for a 5 day bowhunt. We don't turkey hunt on that ground but the outfitter sells turkey hunts for a $1000 a turkey. I've done my share of guiding but it no longer sits well with me. I don't care to be part of the problem.
    Where I grew up hunting in the south paying 250.00 for a yearly membership, it's now $3800 for a 3 day hunt. Leases prices have skyrocketed as well.
     Hunting and hunting products are big business and it's unfortunate. The NWTF and hunting shows have done a fantastic job getting more hunters into the woods. Good to have the support but there are now more turkey hunters than ever and declining populations the last couple of years as you mentioned.
Turkeys have more hunting pressure than ever before where I hunt and we hear more shots around our  leases than ever. I sure hope they are missing..
     I have seen Hunting move from a tradition and heritage to big business in the last 45 years and how to turn that around I don't know. Instilling in new turkey hunters the art of turkey hunting and ethical shots is about our only means of trying to sustain the sport of turkey hunting. Reading on other websites we hear about folks shooting turkeys at 50+ yards regularly.  I've been hearing these stories for decades .Hevi 13 and Nitro have encouraged more folks to take longer shots than any thing I have seen in the hunting woods in the last 20yrs. It all started with tight patterning screw in turkey chokes to be honest. Tighter patterns enticed folks to add 5-10 yds to their shots. Winchesters new claims with the LB XR's haven't helped the situation but the long range shooting has been going on since HTL hit the market and even before. Pure Gold is a fantastic company and I have always supported them due their stance on their chokes. "Not designed to increase maximum range but rather to put more shot in the kill zone at reasonable ranges".
    Discuss the issue of long range shooting with turkey hunters that hunt near you and educate new hunters. These will be heated discussions, I can tell you from experience, but it is worth it to preserve the Wild turkey as much as we can.
     Clark, thank you for all that you do for our sport and help that you give others on this website. You are an asset to our sport.

[mastevt]

Can't agree with that more.  I've noticed it over the years in my neck of the woods, and have now limited my season to a one bird season over that last couple of years.  Don't know if it helps, but I figure if I leave one tag unfilled, that, maybe, just maybe I'll be able to hunt that second bird next year.  Just my .02cents worth.

[Old Gobbler]

I have much to say on this , and I will chime in with a perspective post when I am off from work tonight

But yes I am in full agreement with Clark with his opinion and possision on the critical situation

[KYStalker]

On a related but different note, I hear farmers talk every year about all the turkey nests with eggs that they accidently destroy when they cut their fields this time of year.  The work that farmers do is super important and they aren't destroying nests intentionally,  but I've wondered if there isn't some way for farmers adjust their practices and to delay cutting their fields for a few weeks to allow more of the young turkeys to hatch.  Loss of habitat coupled with large losses of eggs is a double whammy to the production and recovery of populations.  The growing human population is demanding more food, which is forcing farmers to utilize every square inch of land for crop production, which in turn eliminates habitat for all forms of wildlife.

[tomstopper]

Good post Clark. In relation to this subject, I think its extremely important to teach and mentor our youth hunters as well. My own nephew on Monday had a very nice gobbler hang up at 65 yards and then leave with two hens. I could tell he was disappointed when we left the woods & he said "uncle I had him in my sights". I explained to him that taking ethical shots would continue to produce more wild turkeys under his belt than unethical ones. He is starting to learn especially when I asked him how he would've felt if he took that shot and crippled that beautiful bird with chances being it suffer a painful death or is picked off by one of the many natural predators at night b/c he broke its wing and it was left on the ground. Just little reminders/examples of how we owe it to them to harvest them quickly without suffering has made him change his way of thinking. I might also add that he is 12 & when I asked him why he thought he could make that shot, his reply was "In a hunting magazine at home there was a shell that could kill out to 70 yards (Long Beards). Needless to say we had a great & educational ride back to his house......