I have never gone turkey hunting.  Season is in the spring when fishing is best and I never had time while working to do both.  Talking to friends that are as fanatical about turkey hunting almost makes me think I am missing something.

    A few years ago I started seeing turkey on my farm, and bought a call.  It scared them pretty bad.  And they disappeared after a few weeks. I have no idea where they went, maybe I said something I should not have with that call.

    I did get excited about going turkey hunting a few year ago.  An activity at the Georgia Outdoor Writers Association spring conference was going turkey hunting with some local “guides.”  I bought a used shotgun to hunt with and shot it enough times to pattern the loads.

At our spring conferences activities are set up with local folks and we do not know them.  My hunt was scheduled for the second morning of the conference, another group of three were to go the first day.

At lunch that first day the guys came back wide-eyed. Seems they were taken to deer stands scattered in the woods on somebody’s hunting area before daylight and told to stay and watch for turkey. They were to meet back at the truck at 11:00.

As it got light, all three started seeing yellow stuff on the ground. One by one they got down and found piles of corn scattered around the stands!  All three were back at the truck before the sun rose!

This was back before baiting for deer was legalized, and it has never been legal to bait turkey.  Getting a ticket for hunting over bait could ruin the career of an outdoor writer, destroying their credibility. 

As soon as the three of us scheduled to hunt the second day heard the tale, we canceled the hunt!

    Several members of the Big Horn Hunting Club hunt turkey in the spring. Their excitement was somewhat contagious, making me want to try.  Several members said they would take me and call a turkey in for me to shoot and promised I would be hooked on turkey hunting the rest of my life.

    There were two things wrong with that for me.  Mainly, I am too hooked on fishing to need another addiction!  Also, having someone call in a bird for me to shoot seemed a lot like someone hooking a bass then handing the rod to me.  There would be no challenge or reward to that. So I never went.

    Turkey hunting season is open for several more week. I hope everyone that loves it has a great season.  I will be fishing.