Referring to All Turkeys as “birds”

[Robasse]

I'm new to forums but I am a pretty seasoned turkey hunter so bare with me and hear me out. I've turkey hunted in numerous states and taken a few Grand Slams. I thought this would be a good platform for some feedback on a question I have. I came up turkey hunting with with my grandpa as a kid and have learned a lot from him during that time. I respect everything he tells me as I know it comes from decades of experience in the turkey woods.

He made a comment to me a while back and since then it's really resonated with me. He was referring to a younger generation kid that used the terminology "bird" a lot when talking about a tom he shot and how the hunt unfolded. According to my grandpa he used this term "bird" multiple times throughout the conversation regardless of what type of turkey he was describing. My grandpa said that the kid was being disrespectful to turkeys by calling them birds and that they deserve more respect than that. Maybe that's over-the-top, but think about how that term is casually used by many hunters you know and see on tv. Maybe even by yourself.

At the time I thought he was being too legalistic about the terminology. Since hearing that I've noticed that many turkey hunters, whether talking about jakes, jennys, toms, hens, poults, or just turkeys in general, call most everything birds and leave it to the listener to determine what the age category and gender the turkey is that they are commenting on.

Some examples would be:

We heard 3 birds this morning and after fly down we saw another bird pecking through the pasture
Donnie killed his first bird yesterday.
We hunted a bird hard yesterday.
There are tons of birds in that area.
I got 12 birds on cam and 2 of the birds were strutters
I saw 2 huge birds in the field yesterday.

Right or wrong on my part, the more I hear the word "bird" used by turkey hunters to describe the spectrum of turkeys, the more it has made me wonder about my grandpa's point and it's validity. Should they get more respect from hunters than to be generalized as "birds"? I have noticed that many of the older generation turkey hunters out there don't call them birds, or at least they very seldom do unless speaking very broadly.

Wondered if some of you could really think through this and give me some objective opinions on whether or not you think the term "bird" is disrespectful and/or is overused to describe turkeys that we love to hunt and often get outsmarted by?


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[WorkingBirds]

I've never thought of it this way as being disrespectful. In our duck camp we use the term birds, as we had several birds working but just couldn't get them to commit. Even dove hunting we use the same term "birds". So I don't see it as a disrespect.

[RutnNStrutn]

My opinion, and that's all it is, one guy's opinion, is that using the term bird is acceptable. What I've noticed by reading comments in many forums is that some guys are old school, and some guys are just what I call purists.
They seem to think that you have to hunt a certain way, or use certain terms, and expect that all turkey hunters should do as they do.
No blinds, no decoys, no crawling after a gobbler, no ambushing a gobbler, use certain terms, etc. Well, who's to say that their way is the right way?
I personally live by the motto, if it's legal and it makes you happy, go for it. And note that legal is different than ethical. That's a whole other can of worms.

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[davisd9]

Goodness! What will people cry over next?

[Brad_Colvin]

I'd rather they be called a bird than anything with the word chicken in it. After all they are a bird, they ain't a chicken.

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[guesswho]

I've probably turkey hunted as long, or close to as long as your Gandpa, and see it no more disrespectful than shooting them in the face with a shotgun. 

[TonyTurk]

When I was growing up in Oklahoma, the word "bird" meant bobwhite quail, and nothing else.  Turkeys - what few of them there were at the time - were always called "turkeys".  Shows how old I am.   It no, calling them birds is not disrespectful

[ManfromGreenSwamp]

Lol


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[Tomfoolery]

Well...after all, they are birds...

[Spitten and drummen]

I'd rather they be called a bird than anything with the word chicken in it. After all they are a bird, they ain't a chicken.

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Exactly!!

[davisd9]

I'd rather they be called a bird than anything with the word chicken in it. After all they are a bird, they ain't a chicken.

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This!

[Robasse]

My opinion, and that's all it is, one guy's opinion, is that using the term bird is acceptable. What I've noticed by reading comments in many forums is that some guys are old school, and some guys are just what I call purists.
They seem to think that you have to hunt a certain way, or use certain terms, and expect that all turkey hunters should do as they do.
No blinds, no decoys, no crawling after a gobbler, no ambushing a gobbler, use certain terms, etc. Well, who's to say that their way is the right way?
I personally live by the motto, if it's legal and it makes you happy, go for it. And note that legal is different than ethical. That's a whole other can of worms.

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Makes sense to me man!  Good point. I expected most of the responses I've seen so far because I totally get my grandpa has more of a radical stance. I'm likely more purist in my turkey terminology because of who taught and scolded me as a kid but at the same time, I'll do what it takes to kill a stubborn gobbler...I personally though, just won't call him a bird. Southern stubbornness I guess. Thanks for your comment!


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[TravisB]

I usually call them a lot worse than that. Most of the time calling them a bird would actually be a compliment. Especially this year.


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[Cut N Run]

because dinosaur was already taken?

Jim

[Sir-diealot]

I'd rather they be called a bird than anything with the word chicken in it. After all they are a bird, they ain't a chicken.

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I was going to say the exact same thing, that term just bugs me and bugs me more now that I have gotten one. Just seems disrespectful to make him a dumb barnyard chicken.