Turkey Hunting

Well deer season 2023 was a wash (again) although I did find a new spot on the public land I hunt that is easy to get into and I was actually visited by a few deer. Better luck next year. Time now to prepare for what I discovered a few years ago, is actually a much more fun hunting experience. In a little over a month, it will be spring turkey season!

I started hunting turkey while stationed in New York around 2004 and was immediately hooked. The major difference between turkey and hunting other game such as deer is that turkey hunting is interactive! There is nothing more satisfying than making that first hen call in the morning and hearing a gobbler maybe a half mile away answering back.

Then comes the cat and mouse game. While the tom is interested to meet this apparent new hen in his neck of the woods, by instinct he is incredibly wily. The hunter must quickly close the distance with the tom, while stopping periodically to call in order to keep his interest. The hunter must stop before getting too close, but also ensure he/she sets up in a spot that offers some natural concealment, such as near a big tree, and also with clear lanes of fire. If there is time, the hunter can emplace hen decoys to further entice the tom as he approaches. All of this is accomplished while the hunter is camouflaged head to toe, including the firearm!

Turkeys are incredibly instinctual and will use tactics such as flanking a position in order to get eyes on where they think a hen (you) might be hiding. They also will send out scouts, usually other hens to observe your position. They have incredible eyesight and will bolt as soon as they identify that big, camouflaged blob is a human and not an outgrowth from a tree. They also can hear up to a mile away and will take off if they hear the metallic click of a safety being switched off.

In my humble opinion, this is hunting at its finest! There are more and more turkey out in the wild these days, you may have seen several leisurely hanging out in a field while driving down the road. But trust me, if you stop to take a picture, they will be gone in an instant. Turkeys can run up to 25mph in short bursts and if you are near a hill side, they will take flight, flapping their huge wings furiously to propel their 20-pound bodies through the air and away from you. 

No wonder Benjamin Franklin suggested the turkey as the national bird! Maybe not the prettiest, but truly a fascinating creature. Another added bonus about spring turkey hunting is the April weather is much more tolerable than freezing in a deer stand during the winter! While I hope to bag a turkey this season, just being out in God’s creation in early spring when everything seems to be coming back to life is enjoyment enough for me. Enough typing, I’ve got to go verify the pattern on my turkey gun!

Looking for a good how-to on wealth building? Check out my book, Millionaire on a Worker’s Budget: Five Financial Truth’s to Build Wealth on sale now at Amazon!

Interested in rental property investing? Look for Collect Rent, Don’t Pay It: A Beginner’s Guide to Rental Property Investing on Amazon to learn how our family turned rental property investing into a successful side hustle!

Use the links in the about section below to follow on social media or subscribe for emails to receive updates on the latest weekly blog at www.normspivey.com!