Why DON'T You Turkey Hunt?

[Five Seasons]

Only one of my uncles turkey hunts. My whole family fishes and deer hunts. I picked it up as an excuse to get into the woods. I'll admit my least favorite part is the bugs or the 4am wakeup calls. To all the members here who DON'T hunt wood chickens.

 

Why not?

[diplomat019]

I didn't start till this spring season. Been deer and small game hunting my whole life. I guess since nobody in my family or any of my friends turkey hunted I just didnt think about it much. But im happy i did it this year.

Duck hunting is next!

[BKhunter]

I use it as an excuse to get into the woods and see whats going on.......

 

Diplomat.... I went duck hunting the past two years....be warned it is very very addicting.

[BizCT]

Rather play golf or go fishing.

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[NYBowhunter]

I would love to turkey hunt the spring and have done it sporadically thru the years. Go one time, skip 2 years...lol..My cabin/property is in some of the best counties for hunting turkeys that the state has to offer, but with family obligations my spring hunting is on the back burner. With 2 boys in travel baseball and a daughter in dance competion, my time is very limited. Maybe when i retire...lol

[Merlot]

Rather play golf.

[phade]

Casual turkey hunting is the name of the game for me - that and mediocre turkey populations usually lead to me hunting 3-4x a season. This year, two hunts and that is it for me.

 

It's more an excuse to get out to the woods at that point.

[Paula]

I have tried it a couple times, i felt like it wasn't for me

[fasteddie]

I had gone out and tried it a few times over the years . Never got a shot . I found Turkey Season to be a bad time in the woods as I would get eaten up by the Black Flies . Those little buggers would feast on me . I would rather save my energy for Deer Season . 

[philoshop]

Quite simply, there weren't any turkeys in my area when I was growing up. It never became part of my life.

[ApexerER]

I have tried it a few times with a buddy of mine. I did have a gobbler come in one time. I didn't get that feeling I get when I see a deer. (you know the feeling) Getting up at 4am to get eaten by bugs when there are so many other things to get done this time of year and not get a huge thrill out of it when I do actually see one. I guess it just isn't for me.

[turkeyfeathers]

Rather play golf or go fishing.

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There's more than ample time to do both turkey hunt and golf. Hunt in morning and golf in afternoon. In '09 I hunted a hot bird (didn't kill him that day) in the morning and played Niagara Falls CC in WNY Open .First round of the year. 3 whacked first hole and thought "what am I doing" Preceded to shoot 70 and beat 60 club pros and 30 amateurs . Perfect day of hunting and then golf. I don't bow hunt but have had many say " if you like turkey hunting that I'd love bow hunting" So if you like bow hunting you should love turkey hunting. Nothing better than listening to the woods wake up in the spring. Seeing nature at its finest, the songbirds, perhaps fox pups, fawns etc. I coined the phrase years ago. " Deer hunting fills my freezer but turkey hunting fills my heart " As far as bugs this year, it's been TOO cold for them. Thermacells could easily fix that problem for you guys/gals as well.

[BizCT]

There's more than ample time to do both turkey hunt and golf. Hunt in morning and golf in afternoon. In '09 I hunted a hot bird (didn't kill him that day) in the morning and played Niagara Falls CC in WNY Open .First round of the year. 3 whacked first hole and thought "what am I doing" Preceded to shoot 70 and beat 60 club pros and 30 amateurs . Perfect day of hunting and then golf. I don't bow hunt but have had many say " if you like turkey hunting that I'd love bow hunting" So if you like bow hunting you should love turkey hunting. Nothing better than listening to the woods wake up in the spring. Seeing nature at its finest, the songbirds, perhaps fox pups, fawns etc. I coined the phrase years ago. " Deer hunting fills my freezer but turkey hunting fills my heart " As far as bugs this year, it's been TOO cold for them. Thermacells could easily fix that problem for you guys/gals as well.

Saturday is yardwork and pool.

Sunday is golf, sometimes fishing sprinkled in beforehand. I'm not waking up before 7am on a weekend.

[chas0218]

The last time I was turkey hunting I had 2 ticks get embedded and the bird had some sort of lice. That was the last time I hunted turkey and took up walleye fishing. I would rather be on the boat catching fish than sitting in the tick infested woods calling for turkey that may or may not come in. Not to mention they stink and really don't taste great. If I were to hunt any birds I prefer geese, get a bunch of them in short time and make a great BBQ pulled goose.

[turkeyfeathers]

I'm aghast you'd rather eat goose than wild turkey.

[Five Seasons]

There's more than ample time to do both turkey hunt and golf. Hunt in morning and golf in afternoon. In '09 I hunted a hot bird (didn't kill him that day) in the morning and played Niagara Falls CC in WNY Open .First round of the year. 3 whacked first hole and thought "what am I doing" Preceded to shoot 70 and beat 60 club pros and 30 amateurs . Perfect day of hunting and then golf. I don't bow hunt but have had many say " if you like turkey hunting that I'd love bow hunting" So if you like bow hunting you should love turkey hunting. Nothing better than listening to the woods wake up in the spring. Seeing nature at its finest, the songbirds, perhaps fox pups, fawns etc. I coined the phrase years ago. " Deer hunting fills my freezer but turkey hunting fills my heart " As far as bugs this year, it's been TOO cold for them. Thermacells could easily fix that problem for you guys/gals as well.

 

even at only 32 I couldn't imagine doing both in the same day. I'll try to get in bed by 9 before a turkey hunt, but if the wife's into the wine I'm staying up. The next morning after 4 hours or so in the woods I need a nap, and the weekend is my "sleep in and recover from 2 kids and hectic work week". That and although a very understanding wife, I can only push so far with 2 little kids.

[Five Seasons]

The last time I was turkey hunting I had 2 ticks get embedded and the bird had some sort of lice. That was the last time I hunted turkey and took up walleye fishing. I would rather be on the boat catching fish than sitting in the tick infested woods calling for turkey that may or may not come in. Not to mention they stink and really don't taste great. If I were to hunt any birds I prefer geese, get a bunch of them in short time and make a great BBQ pulled goose.

 

you just blew my mind. turkey stink so you'd rather eat geese?

[kpkot]

To all that don't like bugs get yourself a thermacell. They are only $30, but I think i would pay $200 if they did cost that much. They work that well in my opinion. As long as your stationary they are awesome, in my personal experiences while walking they aren't as effective.

[fasteddie]

There's more than ample time to do both turkey hunt and golf. Hunt in morning and golf in afternoon. In '09 I hunted a hot bird (didn't kill him that day) in the morning and played Niagara Falls CC in WNY Open .First round of the year. 3 whacked first hole and thought "what am I doing" Preceded to shoot 70 and beat 60 club pros and 30 amateurs . Perfect day of hunting and then golf. I don't bow hunt but have had many say " if you like turkey hunting that I'd love bow hunting" So if you like bow hunting you should love turkey hunting. Nothing better than listening to the woods wake up in the spring. Seeing nature at its finest, the songbirds, perhaps fox pups, fawns etc. I coined the phrase years ago. " Deer hunting fills my freezer but turkey hunting fills my heart " As far as bugs this year, it's been TOO cold for them. Thermacells could easily fix that problem for you guys/gals as well.

 

Tell that to the Black Flies !   

[Fletch]

Never did it as a kid, we had no turkeys. Over the past few years I get out here and there. Never once been before first light though! lol

 

The three biggest issues.

 

1. I don't have access to any woods with fields which seems to be the ticket.

2. I am no good at it.

3. I can't get my ass out of bed at 4 am like I can for 3 months of deer!!

 

[Rattler]

I hunt turkey and always get at least one, but many years I get two.

 

A good friend of mine flat out refuses to hunt turkey at all, even though he hunts almost everything else.  Why?  He won't eat them.  He claims they eat crap and points out they love to follow the manure wagons in the late winter.

[stoneam2006]

I am this year(first time in at least 2) bc my Lil cousin turned 12 and his dad refuses to turkey hunt so I will...

Only reason I never really have is

1) neither my dad or uncle bird Hunted of any kind

2) 4 am suckkkkkkks

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Edited May 16, 2016 by stoneam2006

[Nomad]

I have here and there over the years , and I've nailed some decent Toms. But I have not gone this year and only once last year .in fact I'm selling my Mossberg 835 turkey gun.

Well the woods is often to warm and buggey for me.

There is no way I'm getting up that early to,kill a Turkey no way. The ones I did kill were when I went in around 9 but then it's getting warm out, and I rather be boating or working around the yard.

It seems like a waste of a nice warm spring day.

Wild turkey meat is just ok to me, not going out of my way to get a little bit of it ,

[ATbuckhunter]

I cant imagine not turkey hunting. For the first few years I could never get into the woods at the right time and i would always blow every chance at a turkey I had until this year...my 6th year turkey hunting. For the last 3 years i had given up on turkey hunting and only gone maybe once or twice a season, or not even going at all. I am defiantly hooked now for sure. And for all of you that are complaining about a 4 am wake up call, imagine having to wake up at 2:30 am just to get in the woods by 5. 

[Nomad]

Imagine is all it would ever be my friend .