Off Season Topic #2: What's It Worth To You?

[Happy]

I am perfectly content chasing easterns. So I guess my answer is not much.

[Greg Massey]

1000 - 1500 if i was interested ... but i'm really not interested ... i will take that money and buy me some more calls ... maybe another gun also....

[mudhen]

Too much fun chasing hybrids across several states...

Goulds are cool, just not worth 5-6+ dirty birds to me...

[TauntoHawk]

I'm going to have to kill a lot of other turkeys In a lot of places before I start thinking about paying money to go to Mexico for another.

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[TRG3]

It seems that the news is filled with Americans getting confronted around the world, often at the cost of them being killed. For this reason alone, I'm not interested in going beyond the borders of the good 'ol USA. I've still got neighboring states that I've not hunted yet.

[Wisgobbler]

I've only killed Easterns and one Merriams. I'd like to kill a Rio an Osceola and a Goulds but I'm not interested in going to Mexico. I'm also not in a position to afford a fully guided hunt and not so sure I'd enjoy one if I could afford it. I'll do the gas, hotel room and nonresident tag route instead. That's really more my speed any way.


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[Chris O]

I have no desire to ever go to Mexico. If I did I would rather go bass fishing than chasing that weird looking turkey.

[Spurs Up]

Some of you hillbillies don't need to be so provincial. 

I want to hunt turkeys in both New and Old Mexico. Both sides of the wall. Then, I'm a going to New Zealand. 

[strut2]

Every year, me and my three turkey hunting buddies travel to two or three states and hunt public ground. Typically, the hunting licenses are the most expensive purchase of the trip. In our group, There are three generations of hunters. The oldest is in his mid 70s. This year we went to Tennessee and hunted Public ground. The oldest hunter of our group has always wanted to kill a Goulds to complete his Royal Slam. So, us four, traveled to Mexico after a Goulds and spent much more than we usually do. I figured it's a once in a lifetime experience and it was for one of my good hunting buddies. Long story short, we all killed one but it definitely wasn't as easy as I thought it would be / heard. The first evening there we hunted and the guide let me do my own thing as I requested. I passed up a long beard thinking there were going to be plenty more opportunities. I ended up killing one on the third morning. I spent twice as much as I do every other year. With plane tickets, lodging, food, the hunt I spent approximately $2500. I had no intentions of getting my Gould gobbler mounted because I felt I spent a lot of money as it was. Well, the gobbler I killed just had to have four beards $$$. I'm glad I went and experienced it. It was a once in a lifetime trip for me. As far as being in Mexico and border issues, there were none except paperwork issues bringing the turkey capes back. Bring on Spring 2020.

[nitro]

Shane Smith of Bridgeport, AL did an outstanding job preserving my Gould's.

[Yoder409]

My experience with my Gould's trip was similar to Yoder's, except I went to Durango. Not to brag, but merely share my experience-

I have been hunting turkeys for 41 seasons and have killed quite a few. Passed my lifetime goal 15 seasons ago. Living in Georgia and killing  Easterns has gotten stale.  I enjoy traveling to new places every Spring and killing birds in unique, beautiful places. I never intend to kill the US Slam, but I did want to check off all the subspecies. Only the Ocellated remains and I am still kicking that trip around.

My Gould's hunt remains to this day the best Turkey hunting adventure of my life. From the humble , kind people, the incredibly beautiful country, the high altitude hunting  ( we were at a ranch that was at 6500 feet elevation), the food and hospitality of our host family were all first class from start to finish.  I want to go and kill more of them and hope to over the next few years. A Gould's hunt was worth much more to me in the size and scope of the experience than the money it took to get there.  I am looking at my Gould's as I type this and it brings back great memories.

Not many places in the world you can sit atop a mountain next to a beautiful White tipped Gobbler like the Gould's and see a vista of 70 miles - of nothingness. No cities or skyscrapers to impede the view.  The Gould's turkeys are quite something to hold and examine. They are in fact, the largest of the 5 subspecies.  Many things separate them from Merriams, including a larger skeletal structure, huge feet and long legs  ( suited for the habitat) Loud Gobbling and fantastic pure white tail and covert feathers. The Fans are huge. The "eyelashes" on a Gould's fan are another characteristic of the Gould's.  The Gould's is vividly more colored than the Merriams as well. Lots of green/ gold reflective coloration. Beautiful indeed.

A hunt in the Sierr@  Madres was physically challenging. It is rugged terrain and the birds can cover ground much faster than a human.

One of my companions on the trip died a year or so after we went and I miss him very much.  Some folks here have no clue what they are missing and that is just fine..

It's not for everyone. I do without some extras every year to save and scrimp for Spring. I love traveling to kill someone else's Gobblers.

Someday, if we are luck enough to live to old age, memories will be all we have. I hope all of you make a bunch of great ones. My Gould's trip falls in that category.

EXCELLENT post !!!!

The experience of hunting turkeys where an in-shape guy has to catch his O2 (we were between 8000-9000 ft) in places you wonder if you'll ever see your family again...................  Wyoming was big.  Chihuahua was BIIIIIIIIIIIG !!!!!!!

My avatar pic is of my 2nd Gould's bird.  I carried this bird out +/- 4 miles to the truck from where I shot him.  The first 1/2 mile was a climb of roughly 1000 ft of elevation.

[Wisgobbler]

My experience with my Gould's trip was similar to Yoder's, except I went to Durango. Not to brag, but merely share my experience-

I have been hunting turkeys for 41 seasons and have killed quite a few. Passed my lifetime goal 15 seasons ago. Living in Georgia and killing  Easterns has gotten stale.  I enjoy traveling to new places every Spring and killing birds in unique, beautiful places. I never intend to kill the US Slam, but I did want to check off all the subspecies. Only the Ocellated remains and I am still kicking that trip around.

My Gould's hunt remains to this day the best Turkey hunting adventure of my life. From the humble , kind people, the incredibly beautiful country, the high altitude hunting  ( we were at a ranch that was at 6500 feet elevation), the food and hospitality of our host family were all first class from start to finish.  I want to go and kill more of them and hope to over the next few years. A Gould's hunt was worth much more to me in the size and scope of the experience than the money it took to get there.  I am looking at my Gould's as I type this and it brings back great memories.

Not many places in the world you can sit atop a mountain next to a beautiful White tipped Gobbler like the Gould's and see a vista of 70 miles - of nothingness. No cities or skyscrapers to impede the view.  The Gould's turkeys are quite something to hold and examine. They are in fact, the largest of the 5 subspecies.  Many things separate them from Merriams, including a larger skeletal structure, huge feet and long legs  ( suited for the habitat) Loud Gobbling and fantastic pure white tail and covert feathers. The Fans are huge. The "eyelashes" on a Gould's fan are another characteristic of the Gould's.  The Gould's is vividly more colored than the Merriams as well. Lots of green/ gold reflective coloration. Beautiful indeed.

A hunt in the Sierr@  Madres was physically challenging. It is rugged terrain and the birds can cover ground much faster than a human.

One of my companions on the trip died a year or so after we went and I miss him very much.  Some folks here have no clue what they are missing and that is just fine..

It's not for everyone. I do without some extras every year to save and scrimp for Spring. I love traveling to kill someone else's Gobblers.

Someday, if we are luck enough to live to old age, memories will be all we have. I hope all of you make a bunch of great ones. My Gould's trip falls in that category.

Excellent points to consider!


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[Crghss]

I guess because I'm more of a DIY guy the Gould's hunt really isn't on my list. Also I like fly fishing when on my turkeys trips.

Maybe if I ever get through CO, WY, MT and NM then l may give it a thought.

But to each his own, have fun.

[GobbleNut]

I started the initial post just to see what kind of interest there was by really serious turkey hunters like are on O.G. to go to Mexico and what their limits were in terms of cost.  I have been down there a number of times myself,...but not since they started having the really bad problems with the drug trade. 

I think that issue for American hunters has calmed down considerably and is really not a factor anymore, but it does make you wonder about taking the chance.  Bottom line is that if you are hesitating because of safety concerns, I don't think that is a problem that should keep you from going.

The price for hunting down there has gradually gone up to a point where you are probably going to pay between $1,500 and $2,000 for a one-bird hunt,...including transportation from one of the U.S. border towns, food, lodging, etc..  Adding a second bird will put you in the $2,500 range. 

Living close to the border myself, I have a few contacts that provide hunts down there.  I could go every year,...but like some of you have stated, the price is beyond my personal budget-number nowadays.  I am hoping to find a source for hunts where a guy can kill two birds for under a couple of grand,...but I'm not sure any of those exist anymore.

[silvestris]

A gobbling turkey is all I require.  Slams or number of states mean nothing to me.