ORIGINAL: ranchand99
Nice post fullback24.I agree.
95% of my turkeys have come off of public land,and it makes taking a tom from private land so easy,and those video hunters?Most of those birds are 2yr olds,on private or low pressured public land..I have never seen a video with some of todays popular hunting names..where they have taken a tom from a WMA in Georgia.
I have had 3 or 4 Kamakazi birds come to me,and they are fun to hunt.They were all on private land.Personally though I get a better feeling of satisfaction from winning a long hard battle with a wise old tom.It's all abouttrying everything in your book,learning the bird,and finally figuring him out,and seducing him with the right calls(or learning when to shut-up)that makes it more fun in the end.It's a great feeling of knowing
YOU took the tom that half a dozen or more hunters were after.Whether he has 3/4" spurs or 1 3/8" spurs.
Not just to go to the foodplot at the hunting club opening morning.Sticking out a few decoys.Making some sick sounding yelps,and having a Tom or 2 walk right in for you to hammer.(And yes it can be just that easy)
Even though Mr.Longbeard may not be a very popular person I still respect his view.Until you have
only had public land to hunt you won't truly know how easy private land toms can be.
Tho i agree with Mr.Longbeard for the most part,it would be prudent for him to re-read his post and make sure it's worded in such a way as to not become off as arrogantor judgemental. He has very good inputbut some miss his core message due to aforementioned distractions. Now............no matter how hard you try, if u hunt public enuf, your gonna unintentionally intrude on a tom working sequence initiated by someone else. Example: You hear a tom gobble in the distance, so u decide u must get closer, in the meantime another hunter has already been foolin with the bird for 30 minutes to no avail. Other hunter has tried to budge the ole rascal, but he is hung up so other hunter decides to stop all calling in hopes of breakin said tom. In the meantime here u come, completely unaware of prior hunter. So it can & does happen, probally more often than we realize.And in many instances, leaving other hunter to tell all his buddies how some idiot really screwed up his hunt