Not a hunting rival

[wvmntnhick]

The thread keeps growing and got me to thinking. I've got very few rivals in the hunting world. I mean, there's always going to be someone that wants to swindle you in one way or another but in my case, most times, it's family. Would like to hear some about the good hunting buddies. To get the ball rolling, here's a starter. Apologies if some of it sounds redundant.  I started it in another thread but figured it'd fit better as a new topic.

Guess for the most part I've been pretty fortunate as I stated earlier. Someone mentioned Something about rivals while deer hunting. I've got more problems with family than friends when it comes to hunting issues. Family wants to nuzzle in riight next to you and cut you off form every which direction. The same gentleman that I mentioned earlier deer hunts a spot only a couple hundred yards from me. Several years ago, I was in a really good spot. The land has changed after being timbered and the deer have gotten used to the ladder stand so they skirt around it. My buddy shoots a buck or two from his stand every year during the first week. Often times I find myself putting in the hours and seldom see deer from my location. He's offered his spot countless times and I've often considered it but to be honest, I'm just as happy to see him get the deer. Besides that, I know that if times were real tough, he'd offer the meat if needed. He's done it before and I've taken it for dad on occasion but generally feel too proud to take it for myself. He helps me get my deer out of the woods regardless what the conditions are. I'm telling you all right now, I've been extremely lucky. In fact, the only other hunting partner I grew up with is very similar as far as gratuity. We just hunt different parts of the state now so don't spend as much time in the woods with him anymore. But we get together to fish a few times a year. And he shows me all the hotspots. Blessed I have been. Rant over.

[Vaturkeyhntr]

^^^^^^ this is more like it!!!!

Of course I was taught the way of the woods by my dad and turkey hunting wasn't a big part of his hunting.  When I was about 8 years old my next door neighbor introduced me to a primos batty world slate and that spring called in my first bird for me.from that point on I was hooked!!! He showed me some of his most secretive spots to kill birds at and we still hunt together these days on public land.  We might not tell everyone what we do but we hunt together and tell each other different things to help the other out. 

No doubt it's fun to kill a bird when your alone, but having a good friend or family member with you to experience a hunt is far more rewarding to me.

[wvmntnhick]

The fella mentioned above and I were hunting turkeys one morning. We'd heard a couple but they just weren't hot enough to commit and we started covering some ground looking for new birds. Had a little trouble getting one fired up and then I hit the crow call. A bird answered. My friend called to him and he answered. Called again and two answered. We set up and realized they were a bit hung up so we moved and tried again. called from the second setup and bird one came quickly. He told me to wait until the second one showed up. When he finally gave me the green light thinking the other wasn't coming the. I could see him out the corner of my eye. We waited a bit and he ended up killing his bird while I missed. I was tickled to death while he was upset that I missed. Neither of us care who kills or if we even do. It's all about having fun.

[crow]

several years ago I took a friend who is really getting up in years spring turkey hunting, this was a new spot for me, I went there because it's flat and he has bad knees.

At lunch time we ran into a father with his young son who were leaving. The father directed us to an area where they had heard some gobbling but he had to leave for work and ran out of time.

we thanked him and my friend started down the trail, the father told me this wasn't something he normally would do, but was glad to see my older friend still out hunting.

last year someone on old gobbler I didn't know moved up to my area and asked about some places to get started, told him thru a p.m. of some general spots on public that are good, and remembering the father with the young son helping me out I also told him how to get to a specific spot that had been good. Not something I would normally do, but just returning a favor.

[wvmntnhick]

Told a guy how to find my stand on some public ground. Told him I'd never hunted it yet but knew it was good ground. The year it was put up I didnt get to hunt much and then was granted permission to hunt private ground the year after. Hadn't made it back to get the stand yet. He went to the spot and killed a decent 7 point. He was pretty pumped about it.

[MK M GOBL]

I have a lot of "Not a Hunting Rivals" most all of my hunts include friends, youth or "New to" turkey hunting partners. I lay down the basic rules of hunting with me and go from there. I do at times get the "solo" urge to play the game but really enjoy hunting with others! Will hunt with 10-12 a year...

MK M GOBL

[hotspur]

Didn't mean to leave a bad taste just write  about what is happening now,not scouting yet, season not open yet. My non hunting rival is my son. I don't know any other turkey hunters,I will take anyone hunting. I started turkey hunting on my own as soon as I got a driver license. My son loves to hunt  and he loves turkey hunting. His ears are amazing, one day while. Trying to locate a turkey that hung out on the edge of pi loc land we were using a box call with no results, I switched to a glass pot and after a couple of calls and moves I thought I heard a gobble,I mentioned it to my son and he tells me  he has been  hearing the gobbler since I switched calls. We set up, I sit behind and call up his first gobbler that was one of the best and most  memorable turkey shot I ha e ever seen the look on my sons face was   priceless

[hobbes]

hotspur, you just posted up what you've experienced.  There is nothing wrong with that.

I too have hunted with my son a lot since 2008.  He's been my #1 hunting buddy.  Once I moved west from back home in Southern IL, I've not had the chance to turkey hunt with quite as many guys because I've not met that many turkey hunters in CO and now MT.  I hunted with a lot of buddies back home and try to hunt with at least one anytime I go back to visit.  We've all called birds in for one another. 

I did have one great friend back in CO that had quite a bit of experience with elk hunting.  He was pretty selective about who he hunted with, but for whatever reason we hit it off pretty well and hunted elk together for the first time in 2008.  (If you think finding a turkey hunting partner can be a chore, try spending time in the backcountry with someone that doesn't have the same goals or drive that you do.)  We started making plans to hunt together after the 2007 season and had shot our bows together some and discussed what we were finding on our scouting trips.  My buddy knew I had been putting in a lot of time trying to kill a bull with my bow and it just hadn't came together.  I remember that during the summer before the 2008 opener he had said "You've put enough time and effort in that I know it is going to come together for you soon, I just hope I'm there to witness it".  We didn't know it but his words were played out on the openign day. 

We both had elk located the day before opening day, but his spot would have a lot more pressure and the elk would be blown out after the first weekend.  We opted to try and get into his spot ahead of the crowds and kill a bull before they were gone.  And we literally did just that with two guys behind us with head lamps shining as we snaked our way up and crossed over a ridge into a small basin well ahead of the other hunters. 

About a half hour after daylight we spotted a bull with a couple cows and a calf just above treeline moving back into the timber above us.  My buddy had insisted that I was the shooter.  We quickly set up and he started to cow call from behind me 30 yards or so.  We could immediately hear the elk running down hill toward us.  The calf blasted by me with the two cows behind and the bull brining up the rear.  After a tense minute or two of the bull hanging up behind a spruce, he walked past me in the open at 25 yards and stopped when I cow called to him. 

After the shot, my buddy ran up to me just as excited as I was.  After a few minutes of back slapping I finally realized that he'd been filiming the whole thing.  He had even videoed the shot and the bull running off.  He continued to film as we blood trailed the bull and found him piled up 200 yards away.

We hunted together every opening weekend after that and several other times throughout the season.  We even hooked up to hunt turkeys in Nebraska last year for the first hunt we'd done together since I left CO in 2011.  I never did get to call a bull in for him to repay him.  Maybe some day he'll come up here to MT and I'll gladly spend the whole week as the caller trying to call a bull in for him.

[wvmntnhick]

Now that's a good story.

[turkeywhisperer935]

My best friend since I was 12 or 13 years old. He's a member of this site and the closest thing to a brother I've ever had. We've hunted everything together. Thanks to me he got bit by the turkey bug, I've had the pleasure of calling in quite a few for him and enjoy it as much as if I shot it. Including a double beard with 1 1/2 spurs. Probably my favorite hunt ever.

[TauntoHawk]

Growing up I hunted with my father here in PA, but he would often go hunt NY with a good buddy of his. When i was a teenager I killed my first turkey in PA and was hooked on it, asked if I could go to NY too so he took me along the next year. When we got there his buddy introduced me to a young man from his church (he was a pastor) this guy was in his 20's and had never met me. He offered to have me come and stay with him and hunt his spots for the next 4 days. We had an incredible time chasing birds around the coolest river bottom right along the Hudson river. I ended up tagging out on two Jake's as I was still new to turkey hunting but he taught me a ton in those 4 days. That mans passion for hunting and the outdoors is something else and he always wants to take someone and show them hunting, so much so he hardly hunts for himself. He takes friends, family, kids, veterans anyone that will wake up and go.

That was 9 years ago and we have become best friends and the closest of hubting buddies. We hunt turkey, deer, bear, go fishing and are planning some trips out west. He taught me turkey but better yet he taught me how to get excited about taking others hunting. I have several other good friends I hunt with as well as my father and even my wife turkey hunts. But that friendship is what hunting to me is all about. A man that never met me put me up in his house, fed me, and took me to his best spot and put me on turkeys just because he loved taking ppl hunting. I have not left a NY turkey tag unfilled since then and have shot bucks with my bow on his families farm 4 years in a row.



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