Mostly For Show

[guesswho]

For the newer turkey hunters.   Understand that hunts you see on TV are mostly for entertainment purposes and to sell products.   It is actually harder to be successful hunting like they do on TV than it is in real life, unless your on prime property with multiple targets.   Turkey hunting is a pretty simple game when you break it down.  You just have to put three or four pieces of a puzzle together each hunt.   Find a bird, find a spot you think he's comfortable coming to (this comes with experience), call just enough to keep him interested, sometimes you may have to hammer him like they do on TV, but most of the time far less calling is required, Sit relatively still, know your weapons effective range and keep shots well within that range.   Learn these steps and build from there.   Simplicity kills turkeys, the rest is for show and entertainment.   

[Greg Massey]

For the newer turkey hunters.   Understand that hunts you see on TV are mostly for entertainment purposes and to sell products.   It is actually harder to be successful hunting like they do on TV than it is in real life, unless your on prime property with multiple targets.   Turkey hunting is a pretty simple game when you break it down.  You just have to put three or four pieces of a puzzle together each hunt.   Find a bird, find a spot you think he's comfortable coming to (this comes with experience), call just enough to keep him interested, sometimes you may have to hammer him like they do on TV, but most of the time far less calling is required, Sit relatively still, know your weapons effective range and keep shots well within that range.   Learn these steps and build from there.   Simplicity kills turkeys, the rest is for show and entertainment.

Only thing i would add is spend as much time in the woods as you can with turkeys and listen to these birds as you become more WISE hunting these birds a bird can tell you a lot in what he wants in your calling him to the gun barrel. Patience's is a big part of the game you want see on these hunting show's , because again most of the show's are around 12 -15 mins of a 30 min. show...Remember turkeys do what turkeys do....Shows do what shows do but they do support our 2 Amendment........

[MK M GOBL]

For the newer turkey hunters.   Understand that hunts you see on TV are mostly for entertainment purposes and to sell products.   It is actually harder to be successful hunting like they do on TV than it is in real life, unless your on prime property with multiple targets.   Turkey hunting is a pretty simple game when you break it down.  You just have to put three or four pieces of a puzzle together each hunt.   Find a bird, find a spot you think he's comfortable coming to (this comes with experience), call just enough to keep him interested, sometimes you may have to hammer him like they do on TV, but most of the time far less calling is required, Sit relatively still, know your weapons effective range and keep shots well within that range.   Learn these steps and build from there.   Simplicity kills turkeys, the rest is for show and entertainment.

Only thing i would add is spend as much time in the woods as you can with turkeys and listen to these birds as you become more WISE hunting these birds a bird can tell you a lot in what he wants in your calling him to the gun barrel. Patience's is a big part of the game you want see on these hunting show's , because again most of the show's are around 12 -15 mins of a 30 min. show...Remember turkeys do what turkeys do....Shows do what shows do but they do support our 2 Amendment........

Good Stuff here!

And yes when filming the hunt is not always aired as it happened... Editing happens. There is a lot to filming for a show when you are talking Sponsors and such and of course "Having the Kill" on camera. Funny if you watch how product endorsements are woven into the "show". If you start looking some are of course obvious and some are in there that your head just recognizes. You can't imagine how big the money machine is...

MK M GOBL

[Rzrbac]

Whether it be public or private, learn big chunks of land well.  Not a way point on a GPS good but that forked white oak on the other side of the creek. Reason being, those birds know it that well. As Ben Lee said becoming a good woodsman and knowing his habits will make you a better turkey hunter.

[chatterbox]

For the newer turkey hunters.   Understand that hunts you see on TV are mostly for entertainment purposes and to sell products.   It is actually harder to be successful hunting like they do on TV than it is in real life, unless your on prime property with multiple targets.   Turkey hunting is a pretty simple game when you break it down.  You just have to put three or four pieces of a puzzle together each hunt.   Find a bird, find a spot you think he's comfortable coming to (this comes with experience), call just enough to keep him interested, sometimes you may have to hammer him like they do on TV, but most of the time far less calling is required, Sit relatively still, know your weapons effective range and keep shots well within that range.   Learn these steps and build from there.   Simplicity kills turkeys, the rest is for show and entertainment.

This^^^^^^^^

[THattaway]

And you must learn to control the loose nut behind the trigger.

[dirtnap]

For the newer turkey hunters.   Understand that hunts you see on TV are mostly for entertainment purposes and to sell products.   It is actually harder to be successful hunting like they do on TV than it is in real life, unless your on prime property with multiple targets.   Turkey hunting is a pretty simple game when you break it down.  You just have to put three or four pieces of a puzzle together each hunt.   Find a bird, find a spot you think he's comfortable coming to (this comes with experience), call just enough to keep him interested, sometimes you may have to hammer him like they do on TV, but most of the time far less calling is required, Sit relatively still, know your weapons effective range and keep shots well within that range.   Learn these steps and build from there.   Simplicity kills turkeys, the rest is for show and entertainment.   

Good post.

[trkehunr93]

Yep!  Well said, looking back I feel hunting shows gave me a false expectation of what turkey hunting really was when I started.  They leave out all the work that was done by the outfitter patterning the turkeys or the fact that the place is managed for turkey hunting so there are gobblers everywhere.  Not a real life scenario. 

[LI Outdoorsman]

Last year I started giving turkey hunting seminars in my shop on the weekends in conjunction with the DEC hunter safety course. My opening line to a new group of people is always "Before we begin lets just forget everything you've seen on TV"....

[Old Gobbler]

True words


If only folks like Dwain Bland were  around these days to properly school a hunter , instead of the stuff we mostly see on TV

[greencop01]

True words


If only folks like Dwain Bland were  around these days to properly school a hunter , instead of the stuff we mostly see on TV

You got that right along with Ken Morgan and Gene Nunnery.

[Naylor649]

Whether it be public or private, learn big chunks of land well.  Not a way point on a GPS good but that forked white oak on the other side of the creek. Reason being, those birds know it that well. As Ben Lee said becoming a good woodsman and knowing his habits will make you a better turkey hunter.

Couldn't agree anymore. You get to know that 30ft of a little hill you can sneak behind to get a better shot/sight for your bird.

[LI Outdoorsman]

Love Dwain Bland's book...Turkey Hunters Digest...that's a guy i would have loved to travel and hunt turkeys with..Great stuff!,,real turkey hunting info...not a product driven advertisement

[silvestris]

True words


If only folks like Dwain Bland were  around these days to properly school a hunter , instead of the stuff we mostly see on TV

You got that right along with Ken Morgan and Gene Nunnery.

Kenny Morgan is still here through me, but every time I open my typewriter mouth on this or most other sites, I get shamed.  The new breed doesn't want to know how to hunt turkeys, rather how to kill turkeys and as Kenny said to me several times, "a lot of people know how to kill turkeys, but few know how to hunt them".  A prime example is my "learn to call" thread in this section which has and will remain on the bottom of the list.

[BowBendr]

^^^ You won't be shamed by me brother ^^^
People look at you like a buffoon when you say "learn a turkeys language"
You can tell by the same old over and over questions that have popped up recently that people aren't even willing to do 5 minutes of research on any subject.