Have any turkey hunting traditions?

[CtRider]

Like the title asks, what's your turkey hunting tradition?

We have two, one by choice, one by fate

1) Crank up Walt Gabbards "Turkey Time" in the truck on opening morning. Gets me fired up every year

2) End up helping a drunk. We've helped a young lady that flipped her car at 3am as well as a middle aged woman who fell over a curb at midday.

[wade]

On the second turkey hunt of my life I was headed to my pickup, tired and dejected. Out of nowhere a pillieated woodpecker sounded off and was answered by throghty gobble. With renewed energy I crawled and clipped my way through vines and briers to the little field he was in and an hour later I killed my first tom. Now even though I've never had a bird answer it I carry a pillieated woodpecker call on every hunt.

[mightyjoeyoung]

Lately it's been trying to get the wife up, ready and able to sit in the blind for more than an hour without acting like a 4 year old that didn't get that lollypop and is way past her bead time.

[g8rvet]

Lately it's been trying to get the wife up, ready and able to sit in the blind for more than an hour without acting like a 4 year old that didn't get that lollypop and is way past her bead time.

That is hysterical and my life.  Except it is my 24 year old daughter.  She says I am not allowed to talk to her until 8am.

[Sir-diealot]

Yea, missing them! Grrrrr

[Happy]

Only have two traditions. One is when me and pedro(that's my son and main trigger man) head out I have two sugar free red bulls on ice for the morning drive. The other is once I get away from the truck and am surrounded by the stillness I take a knee and thank the good Lord I get to do it again.

[Cut N Run]

In my vest, I carry a stone spearpoint that I found during a turkey hunt about 25 years ago, just to remind myself how hard it could be to hunt turkeys and what it means to be the supreme predator.  It dates from between 7,500 B.C. to 8,000 B.C. according to all the archaeological journals I researched.

Jim

[mightyjoeyoung]

Lately it's been trying to get the wife up, ready and able to sit in the blind for more than an hour without acting like a 4 year old that didn't get that lollypop and is way past her bead time.

That is hysterical and my life.  Except it is my 24 year old daughter.  She says I am not allowed to talk to her until 8am.

They talk a good game too don't they?!  Lol. Then, when they don't go to bed until midnight or after and you've WARNED them that 0330 comes fast...  I still get grief even while she's putting on eye shadow in the truck on the way to the woods.  Thank god for energy drinks!!

[shaman]

Until a very few years ago, I always played my Ben Rogers Lee tape on the way to camp.  After my youngest son started hunting as an adult, we decided enough was enough.  Ben had gotten a little old.  That was a 30+ year tradition.

For about 10 years we always drove out to Mount Olivet for fried chicken during Opening Week.  That ended abruptly when the broasted chicken joint closed.

Probably the one tradition I still keep is making sure I drive to Falmouth for lunch at least once during Opening Week with the windows down, playing Keith Jarrett's  Koln concert.   It dates back to when I still had Barney, the Wonder-Dog.  During one trip to town back in 2002, I discovered Barney had learned "left" from "right" and I could yell "Cows to the left!" and Barney would jump to the back window on the driver's side and bark.   He knew horses from cows as well.  Horses got a plaintive whine.  Cows made him angry.  Dog's been dead for over a decade, but those were the happiest trips I ever had.  If the weather is warm and the sun is just right, I can still feel him in the back seat.

[g8rvet]

I as thinking I did not have a tradition until Happy reminded me. 

I say my favorite sportsman's verse from the Bible in prayer. 

Psalm 118:24  "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."  Makes the hunt the focus for me instead of the kill.

[silvestris]

I still use a caller, exclusively.

[Double B]

I have a hunting buddy that always plucks a feather and sticks it in a fork or rough bark of the nearest tree when he kills.

Cut n run - Very cool, I picked up the best point I ever found,  while on a turkey hunt.....gives you chills thinking about the prehistoric hunters who used the same ground.

[monty690]

Yes I have a tradition most days..........get frustrated!
But on all days......I'm thankful for the time in the woods with EVERYTHING that goes along with it.

[MISSISSIPPI Double beard]

I always pull a feather when I kill a gob and stick it in my hat. Also if I am fortunate enough to get my 3 bird limit I always pluck the 3rd gob and deep fry him on July 4th.

[Prohunter3509]

If I am lucky enough to harvest a Tom I thank God for him
And my son and I always listen to T.k. and Mike 'so
Turkey Hunting 101 we love that.