The Contemporary Turkey Hunter

hambone44

Senior Member
I tell ya, this thing sure is rapidly gettin' out of hand.
Sure, to most it's nice having all these new, modern amenities for turkey huntin', (super guns, vests, robotic decoys, computer generated camo, inner tube seats, etc., etc.), but I often wonder what ever happened to the ideal of the ol' tradition of goin' into the woods with one, maybe two calls, (maybe a Lynch slate and foolproof box), and wearing camo pants and shirt with no facemask, no vest full of gadgets, no decoys, no special padded seat, and a non camo finish gun, and dealing with a wise ol' tom while minimally equipped.

Realistically, everything is becoming so extreme in turkey and deer hunting, as well. Is the point of all these modern
luxuries to help the hunter as much as it is to make the inventor/manufacturer more money?

Does the hunter really need all these accessories to kill a turkey, or is it overkill? There is no doubt that to utilize all of today's turkey hunting maximizes one's chances at closing the hunt with a dead bird in hand, but is further maximizing these chances what the hunt is ALL about, or are there folks out there who still adhere to simplicity, and in maximizing the CHALLENGE before being so concerned with the final outcome?

Granted, killing a wary old tom can be a very daunting task, even with the most technologically advanced calls and accessories, but it can be really fun to go in scantily equipped, and try to beat the ol' boy as such.

There was a time before all the new toys, and I wonder how many more turkeys are killed per hunter now, compared to then.

P.S. (The contents of this post are not intended for BOWHUNTERS of turkeys! :clap: )
 

dutchman

Senior Member
First, I'd like to refer you to a post in the Open Forum by Huntin Tom regarding hunting purists. It is worth everyone's time to read that post.

In the second place, I firmly believe that if the "turkey hunters of old" had the equipment available to them that we have today, they'd have used it!

We are lucky to live in a time that equipment is changing all the time and keeping up with the new stuff is a chore. Use it if you can afford it and if it's legal. If you choose not to use the gadgetry, that, too, is your business.

As for calls, I'll use what makes 'em gobble.

As for clothing, I want to be comfortable and well hidden.

As for a shotgun, I want to kill him when he gets within range, which for me and my rig is 40 yards.

Just MHO.
 

hambone44

Senior Member
well stated. thanks, dawn2dusk.
Also, dutchman, I fully agree with you about the hunter of old (or not so old) using what we have available today, if it was available then.

I have tried and continue to use every new and beneficial gadget which comes around year after year, but, on many occasions, I take my bow out there and attempt it, (though I have not succeeded YET) :cry: , and I go out with a call or two and my gun, and light camo, and give it a whirl. Just for the heck of it.

It is one thing to speculate on a hunter of old to use what he once did not have available, but another to have always had it all available and choose to not use it from time to time. What d'ya think?

As Dawn2 Dusk stated: "to each his own"

I , quite frankly, am very extreme. Loaded to the hilt one day, 2 calls the next. :)
 
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dutchman

Senior Member
hambone44 said:
I , quite frankly, am very extreme. Loaded to the hilt one day, 2 calls the next. :)

I am a gadget knid of guy. I carry at least one of every type call known to man (or so it seems). I'd scared that if I don't have them, the one I'm missing would be the one he'd gobble at.

My vest weighs 78.35 pounds. :(
 

GAGE

GONetwork Member
I am just trying to keep up with the Joneses!

Aint't it fun! :clap:

Gage

I have to plug my new slate pot from Andy Kaiser that came in the mail today, this thing is AWESOME! :yeah:
 

Junebug

Senior Member
I had to respond to this one!

I called my first gobbler to the gun when I was 15 with a hand-me-down Penn's Woods box and a set of the least-faded camo I could find at the Army-Navy store. I'm 30-something now, have killed my fair share of longbeards over the years, and have come full-circle.

Over the years I found I was actually LESS successful with all the gear and learned that all the gizmos often caused me to slack on the most important aspects of turkey hunting: Patience and Woodsmanship. I now count on more tools in my "Experience Toolbelt" than my turkey vest.
 

QuackAddict

Senior Member
I usually end up buying new gear every year and I don't use half of it. I wind up using the proven gear that has worked for me in the past. But half the fun is looking through the catalogs or going to BP and getting prepared for the hunt. When I am not hunting I am thinking about it. I guess buying gear is just part of the process for me.
 

dutchman

Senior Member
I guess that a big part of the fun (anticipation) of the upcoming season is the looking at the new stuff on the market. I mean why have the Turkeyrama if we ain't gonna look, right? I really don't buy that much anymore, though I once felt like I had to buy at least some of the new stuff coming out each year. I finally decided it wasn't necessary for me to kill a turkey or two, so I quit doing it. But I still like to look.

And my vest really doesn't weigh 78.35 pounds. It only weighs about 73.5. :D
 

Carp

Senior Member
"I have seen the enemy, and he is us"

I agree with what you're saying. I've been lead down the path of bigger and better, and it dawned on me that it was a bunch of cow manure. I own a couple of high dollar calls, but I hunt with them. If they get a scratch on them, I consider it a battle scar. I think if a turkey call can't be hunted with it has led a wasted life. I now try to cull out useless junk and will buy something if I need it or think it makes a whole lot of sense. I really enjoy reading about the good old days, but really we are living them right now. I am trying to simplify my turkey hunting a little bit but I don't think I want to give up my headnet and gloves! Sorry for rambling on. :D
 

hambone44

Senior Member
Carp, enjoy ramblin' on. I am the world's worst at that.
You are right. We are living the good ole days. Where I live, and I'm sure where most of us live, I am seeing recently lots of real pretty land go up for sale zoned "commercial" and development is coming in and pushing our wildlife into ever smaller spaces. I told a friend that the day we all have to hunt in management areas, and so much of our resources are gone such as habitat for wildlife, I will consider myself very fortunate for having been able to participate in experiencing hunting and being out there away from the sound of highways and noise pollution, but I probably will not enjoy living as much, for sure.
 

Thunder Head

Gone but not forgotten
Sometimes I wonder about how far will things go. I prefer to use my muzzle loader without a scope because i think muzzle loading should be a close range sport. My friend who is in his late 50s cannot shoot much past 40 or 50 yards because he cannot see both sights and the target clearly. So to shot the 80 to100 yards i like to limit myself to he needs a scope. I also had i guy tell me that my CVA optima was not a true muzzle loader like his side lock. Then there the whole debate about the amount of let off on your bow. I can go on and on the important thing to remeber is the that everyone has the right to hunt the way they want with as much or as little gear weapon or what ever. (as long as it is legal) The antis love to see us fighting among ourselves so rember to be tolerant of other hunters because we are all on the same side.
 

gobblergitter

Senior Member
This would be a good opportunity for me to talk a little about my "hunting idol", for lack of a better word. He is my uncle. I usually turkey hunt with him once or twice a season. He has had much success with the company he works for and makes a VERY good living. He could easily have any hunting toy he wants. However, he is a simple man who is not easily impressed with gadgets. He is fortunate enough to hunt on some of the most prime river swamp land in south GA (owned by a dear friend of his). He will leave the club house, on foot, before daylight to get to the area he wants to listen from. It is not unusual for him to cover 2-3 miles up and down the swamp and high ground in a morning's hunt. All he carries is his Lynch Foolproof (not even the Deluxe, the $20 one), his $60 pawn shop single shot 12 guage, full choke shotgun that he took some leaves and a can of olive drab spray paint and stenciled some camo onto the stock, and his Bug Tamer. The most sophisticated part of his arsenal is the Bug Tamer. He may have bought a Thermacell because he started taking his granddaughter hunting. He is pushing 60 but will out walk, out hunt, or out work anyone half his age. He doesn't say much or brag about what he's accomplished. If a gobbler gives him the slip one morning, he will probably ride out on his shoulder the next morning. When I first started turkey hunting, I had to have all the stuff I could possibly tote. The first time we hunted together, he didn't condemn me for it, we just hunted. I guess what I'm getting at is he relies on woodmanship and an understanding of the critter he's after to whip him. I wish I could spend more time hunting with him as he has taught me more than I could ever hope to learn. Simplicity at it's best. Sorry for the long post. I just had this on my mind and it seemed like the perfect place to share it with ya'll.
 

Thunder Head

Gone but not forgotten
I had to teach myself to deer hunt and me and my kid brother learned to turkey hunt together. I would love to have someone like that to share a campfire with. He could teach me more about turkey hunting in one bull sessioin than i have learned in the past 4 seasons.
 
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