Nostalgia

gstoneberg · 03-05-2009, 05:41 AM

I've been loving Texas, but I left a pretty sweet 21 acre place in Nebraska that had both deer and turkeys on it. I ran across a couple pics that made me nostalgic. These were taken in the spring of 2007 out of the family room windows just before we listed the house:

Tough place to leave.

George

Fishing Dude · 03-05-2009, 05:50 AM

Looks like a good TG dinner.

gstoneberg · 03-05-2009, 06:34 AM

Yea, I was working from home and season was open, so I stepped out the door with my bow but they took off running and my arrow didn't catch up. When you see them almost every day the drive to shoot one isn't as strong. I did shoot a nice tom a year or 2 earlier than that with the recurve. I have pictures somewhere, yea here it is:

I found it interesting that we were right on the line between the Eastern and Merriams varieties. The birds out the window were Merriams but this one is an Eastern.

I raised tame turkeys for TG, they ranged from 25 to 41lbs depending on the year.

George

buckmanmike · 03-05-2009, 12:41 PM

Last deer season we were sitting in the cook shack and watched some turkeys walk right through the middle of camp. I wish we had a camera with us. I thought turkeys were alittle more aware of their surroundings. One of the kids came out of the camper and turkeys just walked away. They didn't run, just a quick walk.

LongbeardExpress · 03-05-2009, 09:31 PM

They are very aware of their surroundings. They even know when they are out of season it seems.

buckmanmike · 03-06-2009, 12:15 AM

Kinda like the big bucks.

gstoneberg · 03-07-2009, 04:43 AM

I don't know about that. I'm sorry, but comparing a turkey to a deer is to insult deer everywhere.

I raised wild turkeys for 10 years and tame ones for about 5. They are definitely the stupidest bird I ever raised, much dumber than chickens. I've watched totally wild turkeys walk into a chain link fenced back yard and spend the entire day trying to get out, even though the gate they walked through to come in was wide open AND it was only a 5' fence they could have easily flown over.

Having said that there are 4 things that keep them alive and make them challenging to hunt:

They run in flocks so you normally have many sets of eyes to defeat. A lone tom is often an easy kill. Late in the season when most of the hens are setting the hunting can get very easy.
They are afraid of everything. When they sense danger they assume the worst always. A spooked turkey almost never gives you a shot.
They detect movement extremely well and their defense mechanism is to run like the wind at the first sign of trouble. I've watched a turkey run for 100 yards after stepping on a stick and having it move the grass near them.
Calling toms in the spring is making them go against their instinct. In the wild, once the breeding begins and the flocks start to disperse, the hens fly to the toms to be bred about every other day. I've watched wild hens fly several hundred yards to land in my back yard next to the fence and the gobbling wild toms inside. Then they paced back and forth on the outside of the fence trying to get inside.

I'm sure they are exciting to call in, but after having raised them so long I don't actively hunt them much. However, since spring and fall seasons coincide with when I'm hunting hogs and deer down here I shoot them from time to time. They taste really good.

George

03-05-2009, 05:41 AM	#1
gstoneberg Gone Wild Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 251	Nostalgia I've been loving Texas, but I left a pretty sweet 21 acre place in Nebraska that had both deer and turkeys on it. I ran across a couple pics that made me nostalgic. These were taken in the spring of 2007 out of the family room windows just before we listed the house: Tough place to leave. George

03-05-2009, 05:50 AM	#2
Fishing Dude Gone Wild Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Slums of Lake Erie Posts: 3,721	Re: Nostalgia Looks like a good TG dinner.

03-05-2009, 06:34 AM	#3
gstoneberg Gone Wild Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 251	Re: Nostalgia Yea, I was working from home and season was open, so I stepped out the door with my bow but they took off running and my arrow didn't catch up. When you see them almost every day the drive to shoot one isn't as strong. I did shoot a nice tom a year or 2 earlier than that with the recurve. I have pictures somewhere, yea here it is: I found it interesting that we were right on the line between the Eastern and Merriams varieties. The birds out the window were Merriams but this one is an Eastern. I raised tame turkeys for TG, they ranged from 25 to 41lbs depending on the year. George

03-05-2009, 12:41 PM	#4
buckmanmike Gone Wild Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Snellville, Ga. Posts: 1,304	Re: Nostalgia Last deer season we were sitting in the cook shack and watched some turkeys walk right through the middle of camp. I wish we had a camera with us. I thought turkeys were alittle more aware of their surroundings. One of the kids came out of the camper and turkeys just walked away. They didn't run, just a quick walk.

03-05-2009, 09:31 PM	#5
LongbeardExpress Getting Wild Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Lexington, SC Posts: 140	Re: Nostalgia They are very aware of their surroundings. They even know when they are out of season it seems.

Today
BGW	Sponsored Links __________________ This advertising will not be shown in this way to registered members. Register your free account today and become a member on Buggies Gone Wild Golf Cart Forum

03-06-2009, 12:15 AM	#6
buckmanmike Gone Wild Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Snellville, Ga. Posts: 1,304	Re: Nostalgia Kinda like the big bucks.

03-07-2009, 04:43 AM	#7
gstoneberg Gone Wild Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 251	Re: Nostalgia I don't know about that. I'm sorry, but comparing a turkey to a deer is to insult deer everywhere. I raised wild turkeys for 10 years and tame ones for about 5. They are definitely the stupidest bird I ever raised, much dumber than chickens. I've watched totally wild turkeys walk into a chain link fenced back yard and spend the entire day trying to get out, even though the gate they walked through to come in was wide open AND it was only a 5' fence they could have easily flown over. Having said that there are 4 things that keep them alive and make them challenging to hunt: They run in flocks so you normally have many sets of eyes to defeat. A lone tom is often an easy kill. Late in the season when most of the hens are setting the hunting can get very easy. They are afraid of everything. When they sense danger they assume the worst always. A spooked turkey almost never gives you a shot. They detect movement extremely well and their defense mechanism is to run like the wind at the first sign of trouble. I've watched a turkey run for 100 yards after stepping on a stick and having it move the grass near them. Calling toms in the spring is making them go against their instinct. In the wild, once the breeding begins and the flocks start to disperse, the hens fly to the toms to be bred about every other day. I've watched wild hens fly several hundred yards to land in my back yard next to the fence and the gobbling wild toms inside. Then they paced back and forth on the outside of the fence trying to get inside. I'm sure they are exciting to call in, but after having raised them so long I don't actively hunt them much. However, since spring and fall seasons coincide with when I'm hunting hogs and deer down here I shoot them from time to time. They taste really good. George