Harvested my first Turkey today!

BamaMac54 · April 22, 2013, 09:05 AM

Beautiful day here in middle Tennessee, and after only a half hour we called in four jakes. Mine (left) was shot at 40 yards with 3" 1&7/8 #5 and my partner's at 25.

I'm totally addicted!

hooligan1 · April 22, 2013, 05:08 PM

CONGRATS!!!! men... It's totally addictive, and adrenaline( misspelled) runs through something fierce when they come in struttin and gobblin doesn't it?

BIGR · April 22, 2013, 05:49 PM

Congrats to you. You are hooked now for sure.....

bswiv · April 23, 2013, 12:30 PM

I don't shake when I shoot a deer any more......and I'm not a "real" turkey hunter but when I do manage to get one coming I SHAKE!!!!!

Nice going...........got to wonder......how high do you think your blood pressure was???

Super Sneaky Steve · April 23, 2013, 12:36 PM

Welcome to the club! I fixed my first wild turkey dinner last night and it was good eatin.

globemaster3 · April 23, 2013, 08:51 PM

Congrats!

I'm seeing 10-15 turkeys a day right now on the way to work and back, but I can't call worth a hoot. Next season maybe!

shortwave · April 23, 2013, 09:08 PM

Congrats to the both of ya.

Garycw · April 23, 2013, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Super Sneaky Steve

Welcome to the club! I fixed my first wild turkey dinner last night and it was good eatin.

Nice looking birds there. I'm in east tn (Greeneville) and SE Kentucky alot and see them everywhere, but haven't shot or ate one yet. I've heard most just eat the breast and it was dark not white meat? Any truth to that?

shortwave · April 24, 2013, 08:56 AM

Garycw,

Many do just eat the breast as the legs are much leaner and stringy'er(tendons,etc) then a tame bird.

But there are use's for the legs as well as much of the rest of the carcass.

Boiling them and making stock for noodles/dumplings is just one.

Too, making use of the leg meat and tendons by grinding and mixing it into the grinds of deer,chicken etc. is great food for the dogs.

BamaMac54 · April 24, 2013, 03:56 PM

Bswiv my blood pressure was jacked! It's normally very low haha. My partner and I were on the same tree and he said he could feel my heartbeat through the tree lol.

Amazing first kill. Called in four jakes all at once, and got to pick which we wanted. Eating half mine tonight

Hillshooter · April 24, 2013, 09:19 PM

Congratulations on your first turkey! I like turkey hunting 10x more than deer hunting personally. It's just a better time to be in the woods with all the lively sounds of spring, better weather, all the plants blooming, and the "thunder" of hearing one of those gobblers approach. You not only hear it, but you also feel it.

bamaranger · May 16, 2013, 02:14 PM

Good for you BamaMac.

Be advised that you are now, however ruined for life. Spring gobbler hunting is addicting, and now that you have tasted the drug, you have the disease.

If I had to only choose one hunting sport, it would be spring gobbler.

The old turkey master, Ben Rogers Lee, claimed a man that became a turkey hunter would need a good job and a good wife, cause you were gonna loose both if you didn't have a boss and wife that understood you.

As an example, and not a boast, I hunted 21 out of 30 mornings this season. About 2/3rds of those, I went to work that PM. I lost 6 mornings to work, assigned details that required travel or an early morning shift. I took 3 AM's off, horrid weather. I loved every minute. Last day I heard at least 3 and maybe as many as 6, and worked one.

Now just hot weather and grass cutting till we get to deer hunt.

April 22, 2013, 09:05 AM	#1
BamaMac54 Senior Member Join Date: September 22, 2005 Location: Middle Tennessee Posts: 273	Harvested my first Turkey today! Beautiful day here in middle Tennessee, and after only a half hour we called in four jakes. Mine (left) was shot at 40 yards with 3" 1&7/8 #5 and my partner's at 25. I'm totally addicted! Last edited by BamaMac54; April 22, 2013 at 09:38 AM.

April 22, 2013, 05:08 PM	#2
hooligan1 Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2010 Location: Independence Missouri Posts: 4,587	CONGRATS!!!! men... It's totally addictive, and adrenaline( misspelled) runs through something fierce when they come in struttin and gobblin doesn't it? __________________ Keep your Axe sharp and your powder dry.

April 23, 2013, 08:51 PM	#6
globemaster3 Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2006 Posts: 1,482	Congrats! I'm seeing 10-15 turkeys a day right now on the way to work and back, but I can't call worth a hoot. Next season maybe! __________________ NRA Life Member "We have enough gun control. What we need is idiot control."

May 16, 2013, 02:14 PM	#12
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,318	atta boy Good for you BamaMac. Be advised that you are now, however ruined for life. Spring gobbler hunting is addicting, and now that you have tasted the drug, you have the disease. If I had to only choose one hunting sport, it would be spring gobbler. The old turkey master, Ben Rogers Lee, claimed a man that became a turkey hunter would need a good job and a good wife, cause you were gonna loose both if you didn't have a boss and wife that understood you. As an example, and not a boast, I hunted 21 out of 30 mornings this season. About 2/3rds of those, I went to work that PM. I lost 6 mornings to work, assigned details that required travel or an early morning shift. I took 3 AM's off, horrid weather. I loved every minute. Last day I heard at least 3 and maybe as many as 6, and worked one. Now just hot weather and grass cutting till we get to deer hunt.

April 22, 2013, 05:49 PM	#3
BIGR Senior Member Join Date: June 13, 2000 Location: Mountains Posts: 1,385	Congrats to you. You are hooked now for sure.....

April 23, 2013, 12:30 PM	#4
bswiv Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2006 Location: NE FL....... Posts: 1,081	I don't shake when I shoot a deer any more......and I'm not a "real" turkey hunter but when I do manage to get one coming I SHAKE!!!!! Nice going...........got to wonder......how high do you think your blood pressure was???

April 23, 2013, 12:36 PM	#5
Super Sneaky Steve Senior Member Join Date: August 9, 2011 Posts: 1,250	Welcome to the club! I fixed my first wild turkey dinner last night and it was good eatin.

April 23, 2013, 09:08 PM	#7
shortwave Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2007 Location: SOUTHEAST, OHIO Posts: 5,970	Congrats to the both of ya.

April 24, 2013, 08:56 AM	#9
shortwave Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2007 Location: SOUTHEAST, OHIO Posts: 5,970	Garycw, Many do just eat the breast as the legs are much leaner and stringy'er(tendons,etc) then a tame bird. But there are use's for the legs as well as much of the rest of the carcass. Boiling them and making stock for noodles/dumplings is just one. Too, making use of the leg meat and tendons by grinding and mixing it into the grinds of deer,chicken etc. is great food for the dogs.

April 24, 2013, 03:56 PM	#10
BamaMac54 Senior Member Join Date: September 22, 2005 Location: Middle Tennessee Posts: 273	Bswiv my blood pressure was jacked! It's normally very low haha. My partner and I were on the same tree and he said he could feel my heartbeat through the tree lol. Amazing first kill. Called in four jakes all at once, and got to pick which we wanted. Eating half mine tonight

April 24, 2013, 09:19 PM	#11
Hillshooter Member Join Date: February 14, 2009 Posts: 24	Congratulations on your first turkey! I like turkey hunting 10x more than deer hunting personally. It's just a better time to be in the woods with all the lively sounds of spring, better weather, all the plants blooming, and the "thunder" of hearing one of those gobblers approach. You not only hear it, but you also feel it.