Simple times

[Farmboy27]

I don't know about anyone else, but some times I miss the "old days" and more simple times. Back when there wasn't dozens of chokes claiming to allow long range shots, ammo manufacturers saying how effective their shells are at long range, camo companies making new and "better" camos non stopped, 20 different decoys all saying they're must have items, and worst of all tv show hosts promoting these products as must have items. What ever happened to the days of taking your gun and favorite call, going to the woods, getting a bird into 30 yards and shooting him and being happy and satisfied?  I'm not knocking on anyone for keeping up with technology because lord knows I do it to. Just wondered if anyone else ever wishes things were simpler and the new gimmicks and must have stuff didn't exist?

[Happy]

Yup. Right there with you. Like many I shoot better ammo than in the old days and a special choke, dot scope ect.  But I believe I will never buy another decoy. I have a few hen decoys now but only pack one. As much as I use them I think I am set for life. I like keeping it pretty simple. Now I can NEVER have to many calls but I like to keep it simple and actually hunt. Just my personal opinion but with the addition of blinds, strutter decoys, and fanning it just takes the fair right out of fair chase. That's just a personal opinion and everyone has a right to disagree but they aren't gonna change my mind. I guess I am just kinda old fashioned about it. I would rather hunt my tail end off and fail then limit out and feel like I cheated. I understand my way isn't for everyone though and it doesn't have to be. If someone wants to set a strutting decoy out in front of their blind in a spot where their trail cameras have been getting pictures every day and wack turkeys then that's their business. Long as it's legal then it's legal.

[Gobbler2577]

I couldn't agree more.  First bird I killed I had an old pump gun, 3 shells and a box call.  I met a man the other morning who looked like he walked out of a cabelas magazine and I bet his vest weighed 40 pounds.  I still go in the woods with very little, but way more than I need.  I love calls and am always try to figure out how to build them and improve on the sounds.  I love chokes and different loads and trying to have a great hunting pattern., but sometimes those things get in the way of just enjoying hunting.

[SteelerFan]

Yep, I'm there with you. I feel like I'm coming back, sort of full circle. I appreciate advancement in technology, and use what helps me (Thank you Therma-cell, Gore-tex, etc, etc). But I have a greater appreciation for more "old school". I now prefer custom crafted pot calls, box calls, scratchers, trumpets, etc. just because I know someone applied their talent in a shop somewhere to make a call to sound like a turkey, and I've had some sort of personal interaction with them. Not a dig at the big brands at all, just my preference.

I killed a lot of birds with a shiny 2 3/4" 870 Wingmaster with a fixed modified choke back in the day. I bought my 1st "turkey gun" when Winchester introduced the NWTF 1300 laminate. Never used after-market chokes in that one. Just fed it the latest & greatest Federal Premium 2oz copper plated shells. Now I shoot a Benelli with an after-market choke and Winchester Longbeards. I'm not a numbers guy as much as a pattern guy.

Oh yeah, and thank you internet and Old Gobbler... 

[zeke632]

I couldn't agree more. While I enjoy the Avion X tv show, it looks like they are going duck hunting with all of the decoy bags they carry.
Shooting out of a blind doesn't interest me in the least, setting up on a gobbler is half of the fun. Decoys are a pain in my arse to carry & I don't like the idea to begin with.
Crawling behind a turkey fan just isn't right for me either. 

If you tend to agree with old school turkey hunting, read The Olp Pro Turkey Hunter by Gene Nunnery. (If you haven't already).   I used to read it cover to cover every March.  I still will read a story or two every year.

[buzzardroost]

Totally agreed. The Waddell worshippers of the world have really changed things and not for the better.


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[fallhnt]

Thirty years from now some turkey hunter will say the same thing. I miss the old days when I could just pull the cards on my 10 trail cams to pattern the birds,head to the woods with my long beard XR's , put out a spread of DSD's and just call a bird into range wearing my Under Armor camo and haul it out on my Bad Boy Buggy.

[silvestris]

Those days are still here.  One only has to ignore the hype and do it right.

[BowBendr]

^^ This ^^
I choose to ignore 90% of the latest and greatest, must have junk. I do appreciate my gobbler lounger and the thermacell, but the rest of it I can live without.


2015 Old Gobbler contest Champions

[Cottonmouth]

To me there's nothing worse than seeing some celebrity hunter pushing some junk product just to make a dime. If I don't believe in a product,  I'm not going to try to sell it to somebody else. I guess the lust for money runs deep...even in the hunting industry.

[stinkpickle]

Nah...if it weren't for the new stuff, nobody would appreciate the old stuff.

[Cutt]

Shooting out of a blind doesn't interest me in the least, setting up on a gobbler is half of the fun. Decoys are a pain in my arse to carry & I don't like the idea to begin with.
Crawling behind a turkey fan just isn't right for me either. 

True, half the fun is just sitting against a tree and trying to blend in and make the move at the right time. Don't see any challenge or fun gunning out of a blind, unless you are starting out a kid. And decoys are just getting out of hand, some hunters put way too much money and time hauling them around, which isn't even  needed to gun down a Tom.

[Spitten and drummen]

I may sound greedy  but what I miss most is the number of turkey hunters. I started hunting turkeys in 1978 and then you could go to public land and hunt vocal birds all season and see only a handful of hunters all season. When they saw you parked somewhere they respected you and moved on to another. All the videos and outdoor programs imploded the sport. Now you have people on every other Ridge hammering them with owl and crow calls or ripping out Cutts and cackles like they see on tv. Bumping birds left and right. I have even seen people out there calling birds up before season. Turkey hunting is already tough but throw in all the extra education that some folks give them , it puts it at a higher level. Just ranting a little.

[Greg Massey]

First off lets remember that not all of us are able to hunt like we use to in our younger days. We are looking at two different methods of hunting here one is the still hunter or as you call me the blind hunter and the second one is the spot and stalk hunter or as a lot of people call you the run and gunner. Veteran turkey hunters like myself has to hunt out of blinds for personal health reason but because of these problems with my health do you guys think i should just stop hunting because you don't like blinds ? I don't think so. Yes i use decoys while i'm hunting out of my blinds and yes i have to use my calling ability to call turkeys to me so i have to wait for these birds to come to me but this doesn't always work. I see no difference in a person who spots and stalks and carries a pocket full of mouth calls, custom pot calls and thermacell that we didn't have years ago or these real nice custom box calls so who are we as hunters to judge how we turkey hunt. i still buy a hunting license, guns and shells and gas for my truck just like you younger hunters and veteran hunter that still spot and stalk. I see no difference in me hunting out of a blind and you crawling or working your way to ambush a bird from a field edge or trying to outflank him in the woods. Again who am i to judge how you hunt. Regardless we are still both hunters. Again for some of use older veterans we welcome some of the new products like decoys with nice bags to carry these decoys with just like you enjoy a nice turkey vest to spot and stalk that has the big thick seat cushions. If it weren't for some of the new products on the market who or what would fund our hunting for our next generation ? So again let's not be one to judge ones hunting as we go after these wild turkeys with our 25,000 - 45,000 dollar pickup trucks just because someone else uses a new product like a decoy or hunting blind. Turkey hunting still gives us all a big adrenaline rush and excitement with that first morning gobble.   Lets all just be glad at whatever age we are we still get to enjoy these birds in the woods and the excitement they bring young and old ..HUNTERS..

[TRG3]

I think a lot of us are often unaware that the hunting videos we are watching are really infomercials, pushing a new gimmick that solves a problem that we don't really have or the implication that if you hunt with this or that outfitter that you too can come home with a trophy animal even though you will be hunting in the same stand, same fields, etc. that several others have used for the past weeks, leaving their scent, candy wrappers, pop bottles, etc. In the recent years, I took gobblers with both my 12 and 20 gauge flintlock fowlers. Last season, I used a 1889 Remington hammer fluid steel shotgun with low pressure reloads to take my longest-spurred bird to date at 20 yards. This season, I'm planning to use my grandfather's Winchester Model 12 nickel steel made in 1920 with reloads as well as my LC Smith hammer Damascus 12 gauge made in 1913, also with low pressure reloads. I'll need to get them in to 30 yards or less. For me, the thrill of taking a gobbler has moved to the method used.