Tougher than deer hunting.....

[GMMAT]

I hunted deer 46 times in '06. I've now hunted turkeys 11 times in '07.

TO ME.....turkey hunting is tougher than deer hunting. I'm strictly a bow hunter.....and could have tagged out with the gun (on turkeys, so far).....but it's my personal choice as to how to pursue these birds. No excuse....just a reality.

I've had 'em gobbling their heads off EVERY morning hunt......and most every evening hunt......until last night. I never heard or saw a bird....'til I bumped one off the roost on the way out of the timber.

I am also lucky in that I have a WONDERFUL deer population where I hunt. But.....this turkey hunting is tough. I've not had ONE bird come in vocal......and I've only had 1 legal bird in range since I had 8 on opening day.

My hat's off to you guys who are successful. My off-season will be spent (partly) trying to perfect my calls and learn more about why they do what they do when they do it. The "variables" of this pursuit are endless.....because the prey is SO VERY unpredictable (unlike a deer).

Kudos to you guys who are successful. I'll keep trying.

[YooperMike]

Good points Jeff. This was my first year turkey hunting and I had a lotof fun, but those damn birds are frustrating. We had so many different when the birds would gobble far off, then never gobble again until they were in close, but usually from a different direction. At least with a deer, they don't call, so you don't knowyou've just been screwed! Turkeys have no real pattern as to where they go in the woods, which also is tough I found, because there is kind of no rhyme or reason to where they are gobbling and when. But, I will definitely be back out nextyear, probably in a couple states. I may even try to get one with the bow.

[zmschillin]

Turkey hunting is the hardest hunting I have ever done. It took me 7 seasons and 6 hours on my 8th season to get my first bird, but it was wirth it 21 lbs and a 10 inch beard( this was last year). Yet I got a deer on only my second year bow hunting.

[mauser06]

it can definetly be tougher...even with a gun in your hand. all about finding the bird that wants to play the game..so much has to go right to get that shot...but its still exciting when they atleast talk to ya a little bit...

[RDHunter]

GMMAT
Your right .. turkey hunting is alot harder than deer hunting , I've been hunting birds for seven years now and I managed to get one hen in a fall hunt.
Took her head off with a muzzey broadhead at 15 yards when I was deer hunting up north in Michigan.
Those toms are hard to hunt in the spring time but with alot of practice and time a hunter can be successful.

[BuckRogers]

Up until last year I was in a race between my turkey and deer seasons. I had a streak of six years in a row going for turkeys up until last year when I got skunked, whereas I have had 9 deer licenses and have tagged 9 deer. So now I have started all over again on the turkeys but no longer can I say that I have had a perfect streak. My favorite quote that I made about turkeys is "They may be stupid, but they aren't dumb". Good luck GMMAT if your still out in those woods!

[TeeJay]

Took me 3hrs and I was tagged out.

[GMMAT]

Took me 3hrs and I was tagged out.

With a bow?

[TeeJay]

Do I use anything but?

[TeeJay]

I might add, I dont use a blind and I had a 9 yr old calling for me.