Pucky Freak
Well-known member
This morning's successful hunt got me thinking about years when I didn't even buy a spring turkey tag, and the excuses that followed. In hindsight, these were lame excuses. If you are reading this and are on the fence about turkey hunting this year (or next), maybe take some time to consider your own excuses. Here were mine:
1. Not enough time. I still took time to do other nonessential things those years, or I made myself busy but didn't need to.
2. Don't have the gear. Gear that made today's hunt successful: any legal shotgun, any legal round, diaphragm call, 4x4 pickup. If I didn't have 4WD I still could have walked the last section of road to the hunt area. I had other gear with me, but I didn't need it to take this tom. I could also just as easily have borrowed gear from friends until I was able to invest in my own stuff, or just go with the bare essentials. I have crap camo - as you can see, my daughter's Mickey Mouse shirt provides better break-up than my bleached out hat.
3. Can't call (well). Years ago I bought a cheap ceramic friction call and tried to sound like a turkey. I finally threw that POS away and bought 4 different kinds of calls and experimented with each one. I could produce the best sound with a beginner's diaphragm call. I watched youtube instructional videos, then practiced while driving to/from work. I still don't think I sound quite like a hot hen, but that didn't stop this lonely tom from making a beeline towards those soft sexy clucks.
4. Other obligations. I had kid duty this morning. I called my mother-in-law, and said, "I'd really like to hunt turkey opener. Would you spend the night and watch ____ so I can go hunt?" She was glad to. I used to think I was selfish to ask for something like that. What it really boiled down to was I didn't feel like my pleasure was worth someone else's sacrifice. What a load of garbage. I help my mother-in-law out now and then, and there's nothing wrong with asking her for a favor.
5. Don't have the $. Tag is less than $30. Can't scrape together $30? Really?
6. No good place to hunt. Ha! I predicted I would see about six other hunters at my access point on opening morning; it could have accommodated 12. No one was there but me. I heard zero other gunshots. No one even hunted this place youth season. How is this even possible?! I am not complaining - it made the hunt all that more enjoyable to have had the whole place to myself.
IA public land gobbler
1. Not enough time. I still took time to do other nonessential things those years, or I made myself busy but didn't need to.
2. Don't have the gear. Gear that made today's hunt successful: any legal shotgun, any legal round, diaphragm call, 4x4 pickup. If I didn't have 4WD I still could have walked the last section of road to the hunt area. I had other gear with me, but I didn't need it to take this tom. I could also just as easily have borrowed gear from friends until I was able to invest in my own stuff, or just go with the bare essentials. I have crap camo - as you can see, my daughter's Mickey Mouse shirt provides better break-up than my bleached out hat.
3. Can't call (well). Years ago I bought a cheap ceramic friction call and tried to sound like a turkey. I finally threw that POS away and bought 4 different kinds of calls and experimented with each one. I could produce the best sound with a beginner's diaphragm call. I watched youtube instructional videos, then practiced while driving to/from work. I still don't think I sound quite like a hot hen, but that didn't stop this lonely tom from making a beeline towards those soft sexy clucks.
4. Other obligations. I had kid duty this morning. I called my mother-in-law, and said, "I'd really like to hunt turkey opener. Would you spend the night and watch ____ so I can go hunt?" She was glad to. I used to think I was selfish to ask for something like that. What it really boiled down to was I didn't feel like my pleasure was worth someone else's sacrifice. What a load of garbage. I help my mother-in-law out now and then, and there's nothing wrong with asking her for a favor.
5. Don't have the $. Tag is less than $30. Can't scrape together $30? Really?
6. No good place to hunt. Ha! I predicted I would see about six other hunters at my access point on opening morning; it could have accommodated 12. No one was there but me. I heard zero other gunshots. No one even hunted this place youth season. How is this even possible?! I am not complaining - it made the hunt all that more enjoyable to have had the whole place to myself.
IA public land gobbler
