When is Enough Enough?

[stinkpickle]

...If you going to call yourself a hunter you should have to brave the elements just the same as a turkey does...

I agree.  This is why I hunt naked, wearing only the feathers the good Lord gave me.

[Ihuntoldschool]

Great idea.  Makes it easier for you to try Tony McCleb's secret when needed.

[stinkpickle]

Great idea.  Makes it easier for you to try Tony McCleb's secret when needed.

Nah, the Indians cheated by wearing buckskins.  Turkeys don't get to wear buckskins.

[Tom Foolery]

...If you going to call yourself a hunter you should have to brave the elements just the same as a turkey does...

I agree.  This is why I hunt naked, wearing only the feathers the good Lord gave me.

LOL


I'm a low technology guy too.  I climb trees and cluck on a wing bone, when the birds walk under me I fall on them from above and crush them with a jelly belly flop.


For you technology haters, the shotgun/shells/etc stuff you're using, they are all new technology. 


Turkey hunting and archery, I feel I'm superior to you because I think I use less new stuff. 


I assume you low tech guys walk everywhere too?  I think these new fangled automobiles is for sissys. 

[jakesdad]

NO on electric calls. NO on bait/feeders. Not big on blinds or decoys but will use on occasion especially with my boys. Have nothing against anybody using anything they want if it's legal. It's not really up to me to judge what you view as ethical . Do use cameras to get a general idea of where birds are on a property. Once I get birds on camera consistently it's all boot work after that figuring out where they're going or coming from. I've found myself going to a minimum  approach to hunting so I'm ready to grab and go anytime, anywhere; not having to worrying about grabbing 100 lbs of extra gear to hunt. Got tired of feeling like a SherPA climbing everest with all my must have "technology ". Bottom line  is do what makes YOU  happy.

[Ihuntoldschool]

Yea cause they didn't have any camouflage or shotguns or automobiles back when Spring Turkey Hunting started.  Oh wait they did. 

[Ihuntoldschool]

So when you guys who are bringing up stupid stuff like automobiles, clothing, use of a shotgun you are comparing apples to oranges.   For a fair comparison, look at what was available when the sport started versus what is available now from a standpoint of technology and crutches used to kill a bird. 

[Tom Foolery]

Look what was available to any consumer years and years ago.  For goodness sake there's more of everything.   There's more deer hunting stuff, duck hunting stuff, etc.   Of course they're crutches now too.  Didn't Indians use the skins of other animals to get close to the animals they were trying to kill?  If only Indians knew how to hunt they wouldn't have had to do that.

I guess that's where we are different, I don't look at hunting as a sport, I look at it as hunting.  I go to the woods at try to kill what I'm after because that's how you hunt.  I follow the game laws and I won't take bad shots but if something gives me a legal advantage I'll try it.   I get limited time in the woods and I try to make the most of it. 


We were merely pointing out that you were complaining about the use technology but you do use technology.  So let's say all this new fangled turkey hunt ruining stuff was around when spring season started, old timers wouldn't have jumped on board?  I think the answer is yes because they got limited time in the woods and they wanted to kill things too.


Just to get it out there

Have I ever hunted from a blind, no
Have I ever killed a bird over decoys, yes my first bird.  After that I've not even carried one
Have I ever killed a bird at a range lead shot wouldn't kill one, no
Have I ever ran cameras for turkey hunting, no

I hunt with a vest, 2 slates, 2 mouth calls and a pocket full of shells.

The difference is I'm not going to bash someone that uses a legal means of hunting.  They are using the tools that are available to them to legally kill things.   Now if they are doing it illegally then they are a poaching POS and they need to be in jail.

[donjuan]

I'm not into bashing another s methods of legally hunting.  Blinds can be a great tool to introduce young ones to the thrill, especially if it is raining. Decoys can take the birds attention of your little guy who can't sit still.

That being said, I feel there is nothing more satisfying than calling a gobbler into range with nothing but a mouth call.  He is searching out you specifically, and it is a very deep connection to the outdoor world.

[Ihuntoldschool]

I am not bashing anyone, everyone hunts by their own rules. Everyone has their own opinion of what is fair chase and what is not. I am not looking for a tool/aid to make the sport less challenging or increase my chance for success. I don't need to take the wild out of the wild turkey and make him into a different animal in order to kill him. I like to call birds in not decoy them in. I know how to sit still and use what cover is available in nature so I don't need a blind to kill turkeys.  I don't need anything more than what I stated above to kill my birds, never have. Thats all the old timers had available when the sport started and thats all they needed. There are plenty others on and off this board who feel the same way and hunt the same way. You can bash me all you want for my minority opinion. The OP raised some very good points and some serious questions about the way technology has made the sport easier and where it is headed. I gave my opinion just like everyone else about where I personally draw the line and acknowledged that others will disagree. Most people will always take the easy road, but not all. I came up hunting old school and will continue to. If they didn't need it back then and I didn't need it when I started then I sure don't need it now. If you learn how to turkey hunt you don't need all that stuff.  Everyone now wants that quick, easy road to success. This new breed of hunter can't be bothered with learning how to turkey hunt . They rely on these tools/aids/gimmicks that are popular on these hunting shows. Spring turkey hunting is about calling the bird to you.

[stinkpickle]

I know how you feel.  I prefer to bash people old school by using newspaper articles and snail mail.  Email, Internet forums, and social media take the sport out of it.  It's cheating.

[Ihuntoldschool]

I apologize on behalf of all the old school hunters who hunt without blinds/decoys/visual aids/modern technology.  Clearly some are offended by our traditional hunting method of just calling the bird to us.

[stinkpickle]

...Clearly some are offended by our traditional hunting method of just calling the bird to us.

Nah, I don't think anybody's offended by that.

[Tom Foolery]

Pretty sure no one has a problem with calling birds into range.


Old school sitting there calling a bird into range, tricking him into range with sound, good, mighty hunter.

Using a decoy, tricking a bird into range visually, bad, gimmicky cheater face. 

[g8rvet]

I think the point being missed by some, is that some of us do not have egos so large that we need to compare ourselves to other hunters.  We are not saying because we kill turkeys we are somehow better hunters, more old school, more deserving or more respectful of the game we are pursuing (like the game gives two flying ****s).  We hunt for our own reasons and for our own joy. 

Phillip said if I use a decoy, I am not as good a hunter as Joe Blow that does not.  Who cares?  I do not care what Joe Blow thinks of me and frankly, anyone that hunts for the sake of being better than other hunters is beneath my consideration. I have met lots of guys I consider better turkey hunters than me. They put in the effort and they get the reward.  The ones I respect don't need to tell me how good they are. One of those guys calls me for duck hunting advice, because I have hunted ducks longer than him. 

Maybe some folks have very little in their lives to be proud of and so it is all put on how good of a turkey hunter they are - not for themselves, but to belittle and judge others.  Have at it.  I have many hobbies and turkey hunting is one of them. I love it.  But I love it for me, not to brag to others.  The only people I show pictures of dead turkeys are my friends and family and most of them know that means they are going to be eating it. 

When they shovel dirt in my face, how I rank compared to other turkey hunters will not be important to anyone,  least of all me.