Dumb things you hear about hunting.

[Patocazador]

That is kind of surprising.
I've never turkey hunted, but have always heard the first time you call one in and shoot it, you're hooked.

That's probably true if you have tried and failed many times before. However, I had never failed; I was one for one. It just seemed too easy and I like a challenge. It took me 3 years to kill my first deer and 55 years later, I'm still deer hunting.

I have turkey hunted since quite a few times and realized that I had beginner's luck. But, even though I have killed a few turkeys since, I can't get very excited about it.

 

[Captcurt]

This reminds me of when I took my wife hunting. She decided she wanted to kill a deer and me being excited that she wants to go, I trade for a Ruger M77 .243 and put a Leupold VX2 on it for her.
We go, get in the stand, and 20 minutes later a doe walks out.
She shoots it. It drops in its tracks. She looks at me and says, "What do y'all do all weekend?"
If only that's how it went all the time.

Funny thing, she hasn't wanted to go since.
Good news, I've got a pretty nice rifle to shoot whitetails and yotes with.

If it happened like that every time, it wouldn't be any fun. My wife asked why I abused my body during turkey season. I get up at 4:00, hunt till noon, come home and nap, work second shift until midnight and do it again. I invited her to go the last weekend of Missouri's season. We set up on a bird first hour. He came in on a leash in a bunch of blackberry briars. The very place that I had told Gin was too thick, "Turkeys don't like thick stuff". I eased around left handed and touched of a 2 /14 oz load of 5's. That shotgun kicked me hard enough to bloody my nose and loosen 3 teeth. Here I am standing on the the bird and Gin says, "I don't see anything so hard about turkey hunting." That was the first bird that had worked good in 3 seasons. Cost me 3 teeth and fortune in dental bills, but I got the bird.

 

[Patocazador]

Cost me 3 teeth and fortune in dental bills, but I got the bird.

OUCH! AFAIC, no turkey is worth losing a tooth much less three of them.

Hold it tighter to your shoulder next time. (Of course you knew that but a reminder may save more teeth down the road.)

 

[cooch]

I do like those fools who like to claim “just get a thrill from killing innocent creatures”.

First answer I give is that, No, I only kill the guilty ones.
Which usually takes the wind out of their sails because they’ve never thought the issue through.

Then I get to ask why I travel thousands of miles, spend more than half my weekends sleeping in the open all through winter, and my days standing in winter weather........ when I could kill a sheep in my own front paddock for less money and be back in the kitchen before the coffee is cold.
If I really do get my “thrill” out of killing, why don’t I do it that way?

 

[wankerjake]

I’m the only hunter at work. An interaction I’ve had more than once:

Coworker: oh I was at the Grand Canyon (or wherever) and saw some elk. They were so neat! I thought about you.

Me: yeah elk are neat. I love them.

Coworker: But when you see them do you just want to shoot them all?

Me (after staring at them for a minute): uhhh, no... why, do you?

Coworkers (stammering): well, no. But you hunt.

Me: So you think I want to kill every animal I see?

Coworker: Well no I suppose not. That would be weird.

Me (nodding): Sure would.


Usually makes for a good conversation starter. Most people aren’t against hunting, they are just completely ignorant about it. For example, they assume I want to gun down every animal I ever see

Drives me nuts

 

[redneck2]

This past spring I took one of my friend’s sons turkey hunting first time. Called in a bird 20 minutes into season. His dad has been going five years and nevet got one.