Something to consider.

In the short time I've been here, I've noticed one thing. I know I'm going to open a can of cobras with this but here goes.

A lot of you boys are having a hard time even hearing a workable bird. It sounds to me like you have tons of land but lots of preasure. Some do clubs some don't. Some post 5-9 or 10 kills. I know those guys are dedicated and travel, I'm talking home state hunters here. You have a month and half to harvest 5 birds. Ones that talk about " it's more to a hunt than a kill are the hammers or the nots out there.
Please hear me out. I know some properties are the have's some some are the have not, some travel some don't. We have 5 days to hunt with a 1 bird limit. And I roll the dice on where I'm going to hunt. Meaning. I have no less than 15 birds that I can go in on and expect to kill.
For you guys that kill your 5 birds in state. Your not starving do I know you don't need 5 in the freezer. Why do you kill every full fan that comes into range? It seams like the great hunters/ great area hunters would be very happy with finding the biggest bird in the area and hunting "him". After you put yours on the ground, why do you feel like you have to go out and shoot 4 more?
Seams to me that if most chased birds just got the hunt and not the kill there would be more birds.

Here there is no motorized vehicles allowed on WMA's. But our WMA's are small compared to the clubs "I think" you hunt. I have no clue on clubs, they don't exist here all state lands and timber contracts are open to anyone. No signin no restrictions no joy riders. And I'm covered up with birds with only a 5 day season and a 1 bird limit on state land.

Do you boys think your killing to many birds? Why am I hearing a lot of post about no birds when a lot of you have private clubs?
The "Explain to me hunting clubs will be in the deer hunting section"
I'm not being a azz, I'm just looking for people around the US that are willing to compromise between available tags and quality of turkey hunting.
For me it's all about putting the bird on the ground. I don't grab my rod just to cast it, I expect to put fish in the boat. If I don't harvest my turkey, duck, goose, deer, squirrel, what ever it may be. "I" "didnt do my job in the pre season" Every time I grab a gun I feel 200% sure that my pre season work will pay off.

Explain please??

Many on here are really good at sand bagging too

I guess I don't know what sand bag means.

Saying it's tough not hearing much and their really covered up with them and killing them.

Really, really good.

Les, to some turkey hunters it's about the thrill and rush of calling in a bird. How big he is don't matter. It's a unique experience on each hunt, and some people can't get enough of that. It's like an addiction. I believe the reason AL has so many hunters in this category is because we are allowed to kill more birds. More birds=more time in the woods=stone cold killers.

I know when I go hunting turkeys I could care less about killing the biggest or oldest. A strutting turkey is a strutting turkey, and provides the same thrill regardless of age or size.

Let's put it in perspective. Your state allows hens to be killed, ours doesn't. A springtime gobbler has little to no effect on the population. The terrain and hunting pressure is so much different here I really don't believe you can even relate

And I also think AL hunters as a whole, are spoiled slap rotten, because they have it so good.

For deer and turkey, we are among the most liberal in season lengths, bag limits, and regulations in the world.

It seems to me like you prefer the chance to pattern a bird and kill him as soon as he hits the ground on the first day you can hunt. Then turkey season is over for you until next year.

For most of us that post on here, its a marathon that can last 6 weeks. Nearly all the turkeys are indeed pressured, and I would suspect they are miles harder to kill than the average turkey in MN. I much prefer the AL way. I get to hunt much more than you do, and turkey hunting is part of my lifestyle. It wouldn't be with a 1 bird limit. And if I do kill a turkey here, I feel like I've accomplished something.

5 turkeys don't have as much meat on them as one deer, so I don't quite follow that line of reasoning. We eat turkey a lot in my house, but of course we could come out cheaper buying it at the store. I suspect you could say that about any kind of hunting anywhere.

To each his own. It seems like the hunters in MN are happy with a heavily regulated system that gives everyone a good chance to kill one turkey. I don't think the majority of AL hunters would vote for that.

A lot of hunters are struggling this year because bad weather is leading to very little gobbling. Other years it seems like everyone is killing a bunch of turkeys. But there is no doubt in my mind that our turkeys are much more difficult to kill than those in most states, and I suspect MN falls into that group.

You do realize that killing mature gobblers after then hens are bred as no effect on the overall population? Once the hens are bred, then the spring gobbler becomes a surplus bird. This 5 bird spring limit with very limited fall hunting and full protection of hens has been in effect since the 60s, and the result is that we still have more turkeys than just about anyone. More than that, turkeys are regarded as a precious resource. In states I've hunted with low limits, I've met many that regarded them as a nuisance. The fact that a landowner knows he can hunt his turkeys gives him a lot of incentive to manage his land for turkeys, resulting in even more turkeys.

Just some random thoughts; hope I answered some of your questions. Good hunting to you!

A great post, Matt! I was typing when you posted it. Les seems to put a great deal of importance on killing the biggest turkey in the woods. To me, a longbeard is a longbeard. Its all about the quality of the hunt, not the size of the turkey. Some of my most memorable hunts were 2 yr olds. Didn't make a bit of difference in the world.

There is no doubt AL has some of the worst pressure on turkeys. They're hunted 45 days in most of the state with a liberal limit, and more hunters than at any time in history. They get harassed, hooted at, and called to from January through June.

You hunt your state and I will hunt mine according to the laws and rules .
Just because some of don't hear any doesn't mean we don't have birds on the property.

Tell me more about this. I'm all ears.

If you insist, I will try and work MN into my schedule soon.

By the way, Matt; when are you gonna tell us how many limits are taken statewide?

They wouldn't tell you, would they?



Thanks for trying!

Les, all you are doing is going after other hunters from different states because their states’ allow them more time and more turkeys to harvest each year. Because you are not satisfied with your one turkey a year season (I would be unhappy, too), you are criticizing other hunters in other states for not killing as many turkeys as you think they should be killing.

Since you joined this site a few days ago you have been bragging about all of the scouting you do, how quickly you can kill turkeys, and the amount of turkeys you COULD kill if not for your state’s law.

I honestly can’t tell if what your posting is serious or if you are just trolling.

Either way, you are probably doing a good job at having everybody on this site NOT like you.

I wish I were sand bagging. I have heard a gobble 6 total days of our season. been awful

I dont think we can explain it to you because the way you turkey hunt is so different than what we do in the south. You think you are a great turkey hunter because you can kill an unpressured bird on opening morning right after fly down. Come on down to Alabama and I think the turkeys down here will humble you a little bit.

I know for a fact you've had a good season

If they aren't gobbling they are strutting

Sounds like another deer hunter trying to integrate deer hunting and scouting Into turkeys. I hate whitetail deer and deer hunting.

Turkey hunting Is about the game, not the size. 2 year olds play the same as 5 year olds. Any longbeard is fair game to me. Hell, jakes can play every once in a while.

Glad I am from the south.

never once said I haven't. but I haven't heard many gobble: FACT

I always considered myself a good hunter and woodsman and when we decided to start turkey hunting, I thought it would be no problem to kill a turkey on our place in Alabama. We saw lots of turkeys the first deer season we were on this place. Well come that first hunt we made we had birds gobbling all over the place and they made total fools of my brother and I. They ran us in the ground. We had no clue turkeys were so hard to hunt. Fast farward to the second year. We had birds but they were logging on our place so we were limited on areas we could hunt. Got my arse kicked again. My brother was able to finally kill his 1st bird on the 3rd day of the hunt. After learning from the many many mistakes we made and lots of reading on this site and advice from the sure nuff killers in here, our 1st trip this year my brother and I killed 3 birds in a 2 day hunt. We were about as proud as 2 men could be,because we actually was able to play the whole game. It took me 3 years to kill a bird that I had originally thought I was just gonna walk in the woods and kill. I have never hunted turkeys in any other state so I can't say it's easier but as been said many times before" if you can kill a turkey in Alabama you can kill one anywhere" and I believe this to be true.

I love how he posts all this stuff and then goes into hiding. We all tried to be nice and respectful in the last thread you posted, but now after all this arrogance and pretty much sayn we don't do it right down here, please stop the trollin man. It's one thing to come down, compare, and have a legit discussion about the differences between our birds and yalls, but when you come down here like an arrogant yankee, we don't want your kind on our boards. Please just move on and troll some other state such as california or wisconsin boards.

Just for this I'm going to MN next season and gonna try to make them tame birds extinct. I need 25 volunteers to split a room and gas. I have some family up there but I don't like them because they are Yankees that we could probably stay with while we chirp us some birds up.

We kill every full fan gobbler that gets into range because we have too. It's an addictions with no cure. We are so mad at the turkeys that we need to kill them all. We kill 5 birds a year because they won't allow us to kill 6.

I dont even turkey hunt, but count me and the 1100 in.. Yea Cmon..

Hell, I bet even I could kill one of them MN birds

There's your answer.

Let's not get carried away now.

Gobbler4me. I didn't go into hiding. I went to bed, I work nights. 7pm to 7am this week. And I'm not trolling or internet scouting what ever that means. I'm just trying to understand your management practices. I've said for years that MN birds are far easier to harvest that the WV birds that schooled me browning up. I'm just trying to figure out if its because we have such a restricted hunt compared to you. I know that killing a tom has very little impact on the overall population. It just seams that if you killed less gobblers that you would have more gobblers to hunt.
As muck as some think. I'm not butt hurt that you van kill 5 and I only get 1. Truth is, I have 5 tags myself this year. My 1 tag. 1 for a first time turkey hunter that I'm getting hooked. 1 for a first time hunter. 1 for a avid bow hunter that's never hunted turkeys. And 1 for a coworkers son. I hope to give each and every one the best hunting experience of there lifetimes.

Sorry if I hurt anyone's feelings. That was not my intention.

Your state lets folks shoot hens? And you are trying to understand our management practices? Oh.......ok.......I get it now. You want to learn how Minnesota can help increase their turkey population. Stop shooting hens would be step number one............then maybe we won't have to ship you guys any more birds to restock.

I'd have to put MN on my places I would never live if you can only kill one turkey.

Yep my thoughts too

Yes Minnesota does allow you to shoot hens in the fall but no one really does. I don't know anyone that buys a fall tag and actually turkey hunts. Everyone that I know that buys a fall licence just do it to have the tag in there pocket while bow hunting for deer. Just incase your able o get to full draw on one out of a tree stand.

With 5 tags you should be done in about 5 hours right?

Fall 2014........ 8,193 hunters harvested 1,078 birds.

I just pulled the most current results that I can find on fall permits and harvest. Sorry it doesn't break down hens verses gobblers. In 2011 almost 5400 fall permits were issued. Total harvest that was reported was 953 state wide. We as a state really don't shoot that many birds in the fall even though any bird is legal.

Your good yekrut. All I could find was 2011 and back. Looks like a avg of 1000 birds state wide for the fall. To bad they don't break it down to male or female.

From Minnesotas DNR website.......lol. Stay bold........


Aggressive Turkeys
Remember that wild turkeys have a "pecking order" and that habituated birds may respond to you as they do to another turkey. The best defense against aggressive or persistent turkeys is to prevent the birds from becoming habituated in the first place by being bold to them. Everyone in the neighborhood must do the same; it will be ineffective if you do so only on your property. Each and every turkey must view all humans as dominant in the pecking order and respond to them as superiors rather than subjects. Habituated turkeys may attempt to dominate or attack people that the birds view as subordinates.
Adult humans may drive off or deter these aggressive birds with bold action by forcefully fending them off with brooms or other non-injurious implements. However, the turkey may then recognize that individual as dominant but continue to respond to other people as subordinates.
Turkeys which repeatedly challenge or attack children or elderly persons or otherwise threaten public safety may ultimately have to be destroyed. Keep turkeys wild to avoid these consequences.
Trapping and relocating "nuisance" turkeys is not an option. The methods used to trap turkeys in remote areas are often impractical or ineffective in urban or suburban areas due to safety or disturbance. Released turkeys may also continue their inappropriate actions where they are released or may move substantial distances to other suburban sites.

Might take a little longer. The 9 year old and the bow hunter are throwing a wrench in the gears.

Can you tell if a bird is a two year old or an old bird when he comes into range?i sure can't and don't know anybody that can unless they are real close where you can see their spurs,if he has a full fan he gets shot,part of the excitement of turkey hunting is running to your bird to see how big his hooks are

Google and I are tight....

Pretty easy if you have them named. After all they are tame.

Les, you are entertaining but I think we have all figured out that you are not serious.

A little off topic, I do not turkey hunt much but would like to add something. I have fished with my father as well as a friend several times in Mn. We would take a week off, rent a canoe from an outfitter, and camp in the Boundary Waters National Park. A true wilderness experience with unbelievable fishing. Smallmouth bass, walleye, pike, even huge crappie caught all day long for a solid week. Although there are bound to be some great fishermen in that state, I have not met one yet. When showing others pictures, or stringers of fish we kept for supper, no one could believe they were not caught on leaches. We had a bait shop owner all but call us liars when we stopped to weigh a smallmouth or two. He could not believe we caught them in a small spill way right down from his shop with plastic slider worms of all things. He still believes at they were caught on leaches in a larger lake I am sure. We have never fished live bait up there and I dont want to even think about handling a damn bloodsucking leach. We pretty much use what we fish wheeler, guntersville, and any other alabama impoundments with. We have been there plenty when the locals complain that the fishing is slow and we have no problem catching till we are tired of it. The only thing I can figure is that the water is in liquid form maybe 4 or 5 months of the year, with good fishing maybe 3 of those months. The locals probably never really have enough experience to learn to fish! (ice fishing excluded) My father and I fish more in a year in Alabama than most would in a decade in that state. Long story short, you really cant compare states with such differences in climate, game and fish laws, and cultures. That goes for the wildlife as well as those that pursue them.

I'm just trying to point out that if you kill less gobblers you have more gobblers to hunt.
It sounds like you guys manage you properties very well for the birds. Yet people complain that there no birds.
Here is my point.
You have 2 identical clubs with the same amount of birds. 1000 acres each. 5 hunters each. 1 club harvests 25 birds. 1 club harvests 10 birds. Which club would you want to hunt next year. Remember, both clubs had the same amount of birds starting out.

I'm in if you could put up with a preacher for that long. I don't figure that killing Yankee turkeys is a real crime anyway. Count it as Reparations.

For sure the one that killed 25. They've obviously got far better habitat than the other club, and when you have the habitat you will have the turkeys. Your example is impossible; there is no way to ever know that both had the same number at the beginning of the season.

We do a lot more down here than scout for turkeys and then kill them. Many of us spend the rest of the year managing the land for turkeys. We don't see that as the government's job; its our job to do stuff like this:



And this:


And this:



When you spend much of the year giving back to the land, then you can do some of this and still have plenty the next season:

Nobody here cares how y'all do it up north and don't owe y'all an explanation for how we do it here.

Heck all I have to say is if we could kill 10,then 10 is what I'm after,11 if I come to your state!!!!!!

...times how ever many turkeys those hens would have produced, then you have some exponential numbers




Says what data? Hasn't turkey hunting been shown to be the least impact to a turkey population overall?

I shod have said that the club that only killed 10 had a self imposed rule of 2 birds each.

Sorry I ruffeled your all's feathers. I just thought you could have better hunting statewide if you were not killing every bird that walks by. It all boils down to being about the kill.
Well I'm tired of wearing my finger out. Kill them all.

I'd say you don't know what the hell you're talking about. You admittedly are all about the kill. You pattern birds just like a deer and it doesn't take a lick of skill. Hell, if your success rate is what you say it is, I've probably done more turkey hunting this year than you have in your whole life. Fact of the matter is, most of us down here cherish the chase. We enjoy playing chess with those birds, and tricking a hard gobbling bird into reversing nature and coming to my calling. That is a whole lot less about the kill than you ambushing a bird onoce a year.

What? You are just gonna walk away and not even respond to my post about habitat management? You don't do any of that kind of work, do you?

Thanks for posting. It gives us a great picture of the current divide in our nation. MN voted for Obama and the people there apparently want a very socialistic state. That desire is reflected in the way they handle their turkeys - draconian government regulation that gives almost everyone a chance to kill one stupid turkey. Meanwhile, the landowner has absolutely no incentive to manage his land for turkeys and the number of turkeys you have will always be greatly limited by that fact.

Alabama much prefers the free-enterprise system instead of government socialism. We have a long turkey season with a generous limit, and the landowner has tremendous incentive to manage his land for turkeys. Even if he doesn't hunt himself, he knows he can get a good price for a lease to someone who does. The result? We have an abundance of turkeys and they are indeed a renewable resource. Sure, they are smart and tough to kill, but that makes the hunting of them far more interesting than blasting one the moment his feet hit the ground on opening day.

Its also created what I call a turkey hunting culture. Our state is filled with nuts like me who regard turkey management and hunting as our primary hobby. Some even make a living from it. This benefits the people as well as the turkeys. Our turkeys are a precious resource. In states with low limits, they are often hated. You won't find that here.

I'm glad you posted, not only here, but in the deer forum as well. IT gives us a good look into the mindset of those who expect the government to do everything for them. And I hope it also gives some of those hunters in our state who want more government regulation of hunting a better picture of where this leads.

You guys that want more rules - this is where you eventually end up. You end up with Les. I'd rather not myself.

Good hunting to all!

No, please don't stop. I enjoy reading the nonsense you post, it's entertaining.

For you guys that kill your 5 birds in state. Your not starving do I know you don't need 5 in the freezer. Why do you kill every full fan that comes into range? It seams like the great hunters/ great area hunters would be very happy with finding the biggest bird in the area and hunting "him". After you put yours on the ground, why do you feel like you have to go out and shoot 4 more?
Seams to me that if most chased birds just got the hunt and not the kill there would be more birds.

Wow Les. Im not starving BECAUSE I kill 5 birds a year in Alabama.
I might be if I didnt.
I DO NOT buy meat in a grocery store..EVER.
I even went through college 30 years ago eating venision and turkey.
At my house. We ONLY eat wild game. We had venision burritos last night. Stir fried turkey with peppers and onions over a bed of rice the night before.

Because of that we are very healthly, low chlorestolol and and low fat.

I takes at least 1-2 deer, 3-5 turkeys and hopefully the occasional wild hog to feed my family.
I LIKE shooting 5 birds just for the FOOD.
And I only shoot gobblers..no jakes. But If it has a beard over 8 inches, a full fan and comes in I KILL it.
I age them when I walk up to them usually.

And one thing Im sure of..no matter what their age...mmm..mmm..they are gonna taste GOOD!

Lets go kill them all! Ive killed piles of those easy midwest stupid pigeons, from Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Kentucky and more. PIGEONS..they run to the calls, and there are a ton of them. Theyd be extinct if we sent 25 guys up there trust me.

Heck no Brandon..you didnt go there.

But I have to admit...even he probably could..thats how easy they are.
He could at least spot one in those fields up there and do a mohecan sneak on him and bushwhack him!

Wow.. and now we know why Les shoots them so easy. Its in self defense!~
The turkeys are so tame and plentiful that they get AGGRESSIVE ATTACK folks..in NEIGHBORHOODS!
The dang neighbors have to get on the same page and run them off with pots and pans like in the north with bears!
They probably even have to carry a little can of mace like in the bear woods.
Sounds like they are so aggressive they had to form neighborhood watches!

We all better get up there and kill some..just to save the children up there from those aggressive nuisances!

I'm.... Still laughing on that one........and just in case I may encounter an unruly turkey that is uncertain of the the pecking order, I have my broom handy.



And preacher, AMEN to what you said. Spot on sir, spot on.

Move over, fanning. Its time to do some Mohican Sneakin'!

Isn't minnesota the state that had that wacky asshole governor who is sueing a dead veterans wife?

They probally hunt their Turkey in the snow so they can track them like they deer hunt!

That is the plan, slick


Preach on Preacher!!!!

I'm in for the Yankee Massacre.

And you know, the thing that they ain't considered is the fact that us dumb rednecks can't count...

Les, are you trying to take ol cm and Whild bill's title as most hated on the board???
Best of luck getting yourself a nice Tom this year, preferably the dominant bird in the area. I do the same

Something to consider: Les what football team are you going to pull for if you are going to continue to post on here ? Here are your choices:

A) Auburn

B) Alabama

Depending on your decision, you may be able to dig yourself out of the ditch with 50% of us. Pick your poison !