the kill is very non essential in turkey hunting to me. yes. im out there to KILL one. the kill is the ultimate climax. but i remember more hunts that i didnt kill a bird than most. ive let more longbeards walk than ive shot. ill admit in 8 seasons i only rolled 2 longbeards. i could have easily filled my tag EVERY season and thats no joke. i usually get too caught up in the show...by the time i decide to shoot he decides there aint no hen and is scootin outta there. but i love it. ill never forget when i had a jake LITERALLY brush my pants. i could have grabbed him and wrestled him no problem. i had an eye to eye battle for atleast a full minute. i think that hunt was probably more exciting than ANY kill.

alot of the excitement from turkey hunting doesnt come from the kill for me. and i honestly usually get too caught up in the show..ill leave my gun laying on my lap just working the call and watchin the birds..then i kick myself the whole way to the truck...

i love killing them big ole longbeards...thats definently the highlight of it all...but i hunted 4 seasons without firing a shot. i looked forward to my 5th season just as much as i did my first. havent killed one in 2 season now..looking forward to this season just as much.

kinda like running coon hounds. i never had to kill a coon. most of the time we ran without guns. just an exciting hunt where the HUNT is more exciting than the kill pretty similar to turkey hunting in a way..