The normalization of modern turkey hunting.

[megalomaniac]

Richard I hope you didn't pick the photo for this article. But if not I'm almost even more saddened by what has become 'normal' or 'standard' turkey hunting in the eyes of the general public. Traditional turkey hunters are doomed.

I hate to keep being the old guy screaming 'kids, get off my lawn!'.. but I hope to have a few more springs left in me, and I don't want what my spring encompasses defined by pictures like this.

 

[Setterman]

That picture is disgustingly sad. However, it's those hunters right there and their mentality directly to blame.

 

[poorhunter]

The "As long as it's legal, who cares" crowd will be just fine with this.

#Istandwithsettermanandmega

 

[Setterman]

The "As long as it's legal, who cares" crowd will be just fine with this.

#Istandwithsettermanandmega

That phrase is one that has brought this entire thing down on top of the rest of us.

 

[MickThompson]

The "As long as it's legal, who cares" crowd will be just fine with this.

#Istandwithsettermanandmega

"As long as it's legal, who cares?"
Immediately precedes
"Make (fill in the blank) legal. That's what limits are for."

 

[chrmayo]

Should be another hunter in the pic in treeline behind turkeys with gun pointed towards them to be more accurate.

 

[TheLBLman]

Should be another hunter in the pic in treeline behind turkeys with gun pointed towards them to be more accurate.

And just to make the field scene a bit more realistic,
maybe another person with a rifle poked out his truck window aiming towards those behind their fans.

 

[drake799]

The "As long as it's legal, who cares" crowd will be just fine with this.

#Istandwithsettermanandmega

I hate that statement so much lol. Those are what I call the liberal hunters Along with "I'm gonna eat"and "killers gonna kill". Selfishness and greed is what's got us to where we're at

 

[Gravey]

"As long as it's legal, who cares?"
Immediately precedes
"Make (fill in the blank) legal. That's what limits are for."

I hate that statement so much lol. Those are what I call the liberal hunters Along with "I'm gonna eat"and "killers gonna kill". Selfishness and greed is what's got us to where we're at

Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's ethical.

 

[tickweed]

As l have said many times, the true sport of Turkey hunting, as l learned in the early seventies, is long gone. Kill, Kill, Kill. Anyway, anyhow, do what ever. Kill him at 70 yards, reap him. The younger generation will probably never know or understand the real sport of turkey hunting.

 

[woodsman04]

I've heard somewhere that when we check our turkeys in on the app, it's going to have like a few questions afterwards.
I wonder if those questions afterwards will ask about decoys??

I've said this a lot, I don't have a problem with decoys or people that use them. I have a problem with how easy they are for lazy folks or the folks that think just because they are legal do it.

It is unsporting. No other way around it.

 

[paboom]

A couple thoughts.

1 - I'm guessing that picture was chosen for the article because one of the changes was for banning the act of fanning turkeys. So they chose a picture of fanning to display. I don't see the author saying this is a representation of all turkey hunting.

2 - "Modernization" is happening everywhere. It's a product of advancement and life in general. Agreed, it's not always good. I think we can all agree that the advent of social media has created some significant negative impacts. But turkey hunting isn't isolated. We have inline muzzleloaders that are extremely accurate out to 300 yards now. Compounds that you can hold forever with crazy accuracy. Is it having an negative effect on turkeys? I'd say you can make that argument pretty easily. But you could also make that argument about a lot of other modernization movements in the world.

I'm not against any of the changes that TN made. But every generation thinks the one before it was best and we need to go 'back'. I honestly think our best days are behind us (in turkey hunting and in several other areas of life). I guess my point is, pushing back against modernization of turkey hunting is going to be a very difficult, uphill battle with little opportunity for gain. I think we are much better off focusing on areas where we can make a difference. Mentoring new hunters, habitat improvement, predator control etc.

 

[BigRod]

I wouldn't risk/teach my kid that dangerous way of huntin!!! KILL EM RIGHT

 

[NChunt1]

Can't say I don't enjoy reaping a turkey or two. I would rather call them in but if conditions are right the ole tail fan comes out on occasion.

 

[Setterman]

Can't say I don't enjoy reaping a turkey or two. I would rather call them in but if conditions are right the ole tail fan comes out on occasion.

I'm going to call you out, and apologize in advance. Your statement is the kill at all costs mentality personified.


How long have you hunted turkeys?

 

[Bone Collector]

I wouldn't risk/teach my kid that dangerous way of huntin!!! KILL EM RIGHT

you can do that to an extent, but eventually kids get older and start hunting with their friends more than they hunt with you and if their friends do it.... you can bet they will be swayed.

 

[woodsman04]

I'm going to call you out, and apologize in advance. Your statement is the kill at all costs mentality personified.


How long have you hunted turkeys?

"Conditions are right, use the ole fan"….

-Translation; "He's in a cow pasture with hens, instead of try again another day I'll cheat."

 

[recurve60#]

That phrase is one that has brought this entire thing down on top of the rest of us.

I remember when game laws were put in place to keep things ethicle by the TWRA. Where is that now?

 

[deerhunter10]

Can't say I don't enjoy reaping a turkey or two. I would rather call them in but if conditions are right the ole tail fan comes out on occasion.

Conditions are never right. You just don't like playing the game.

 

[Antler Daddy]

All I hear is elitist telling others how to hunt turkeys.

I just don't get it. It seems to me that hiding behind that fan and killing a turkey would be an exciting hunt!

 

[NChunt1]

Man people like to push there way of hunting on others and say your way isn't hunting. I tagged out this year in two states and killed on in another.The number of birds reaped this year was one and i missed another that charged in to about ten yards I will say I enjoyed them just as much as the others. Next time I fan one in to ten yards I will try to remember that it's the wrong way if hunting and I should be ashamed.

 

[NChunt1]

This is my 16 year turkey hunting, so not as long as some but I will say I am more passionate about it than deer hunting these days.

 

[Flintlocksforme]

Two of the last 3 turkeys I cleaned had shot in them from previous encounters with hunters. One had a healed lower wing bone, the two bone sections had fused together. There were nickel plated 6 s in him. I killed him with a broad head. The other had tss 9s in his body and legs. I don't remember crippling many back in the wait until he's 30 yards and put Winchester 12 gauge magnum load of copper plated 4s in his head and neck. Now it's hey watch this , I can shoot them out to 90 yards with my $12 shells

 

[Setterman]

Man people like to push there way of hunting on others and say your way isn't hunting. I tagged out this year in two states and killed on in another.The number of birds reaped this year was one and i missed another that charged in to about ten yards I will say I enjoyed them just as much as the others. Next time I fan one in to ten yards I will try to remember that it's the wrong way if hunting and I should be ashamed.

Again the above shows that your priority is "tagging out". If it wasn't you wouldn't have mentioned it. But you did, as a way to validate you fanning birds As a means to an end.

What you don't understand is the mentality difference, when you go to the woods your goal is to punch that tag by any legal means necessary. When myself and the others lobbying against fanning, or really decoys as a whole, go to the woods. We obviously want to be successful but the manner in which we find success trumps punching a tag to tag out as fast as possible.

 

[PossumSlayer]

Put a 2 year old deer rack on your head and grunt to attract mature bucks.

 

[NChunt1]

Again the above shows that your priority is "tagging out". If it wasn't you wouldn't have mentioned it. But you did, as a way to validate you fanning birds As a means to an end.

What you don't understand is the mentality difference, when you go to the woods your goal is to punch that tag by any legal means necessary. When myself and the others lobbying against fanning, or really decoys as a whole, go to the woods. We obviously want to be successful but the manner in which we find success trumps punching a tag to tag out as fast as possible

Hey man that's great if that's how you enjoy turkey hunting, I have killed plenty of turkeys that same way and love it. I wish you well in your in your venture to make decoys illegal and what not but I spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of man hours planting food plots just for turkeys, have sections of our land clear cut and doing yearly controlled burns and our turkey population has exploded since starting that three years ago. I can guarantee you I do more work improving my local turkey population than you do,but I am fortunate in owning land and I realize others don't. Also took my little cousin out on youth weekend and he shot his first Tom but I will have to call the young man and tell him he did something wrong because we had a hen and strutter decoy as our setup.

 

[Setterman]

Hey man that's great if that's how you enjoy turkey hunting, I have killed plenty of turkeys that same way and love it. I wish you well in your in your venture to make decoys illegal and what not but I spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of man hours planting food plots just for turkeys, have sections of our land clear cut and doing yearly controlled burns and our turkey population has exploded since starting that three years ago. I can guarantee you I do more work improving my local turkey population than you do,but I am fortunate in owning land and I realize others don't. Also took my little cousin out on youth weekend and he shot his first Tom but I will have to call the young man and tell him he did something wrong because we had a hen and strutter decoy as our setup.

I might suggest you stop assuming you know what I do or don't do. Good for you on managing your land. You aren't alone….

 

[BigRod]

I might suggest you stop assuming you know what I do or don't do. Good for you on managing your land. You aren't alone….

Hey setterman, I mean no hate/bashing torwards you because I'm just messin, but have you ever heard of the sayin," you don't know till you try it?" Maybe consider reaping a Tom and you might be hooked for life

 

[Creek bottoms]

I don't think either one of you can call in a bird. One has to cheat and the other has to complain.

 

[Rebels20]

I might suggest you stop assuming you know what I do or don't do. Good for you on managing your land. You aren't alone….

No offense but isnt that what you just done about his statement of tagging out? It kinda goes both ways. I dont have a dog in the race, but whats good for one is good for both.