How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
Wish I had a mentor and mine was the School of hard knocks. Took my first Spring tom--a small jake near the very end of my 5th Spring. Almost gave up- but up to 113 now and kicking into gear.
- guesswho
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Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
No mentor here. I started the same day My Dad did back in 66 and it was learn as you go. I killed a long beard that year with the help of my Dad and got to see him kill one as well. And I killed one last year so I'm up to 2. 3 if I count my Dads.
Double Naught Spy!
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RCD's Owner----------------Badonka Deke Prostaff
MoHo's Prostaff-------------Lighter Than HTL Shooter
The Storm Whistle Prostaff
Official Member Of The Unofficial Firedup Turkey Calls Prostaff
Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
I never had a mentor ! I hunted 9 years before I killed my first gobbler. It was a double bearded Jake. Since then I killed 2 more gobblers & missed 17. Hope to get in on one this spring ! I got keys to the gate !
- Turkinator
- Gobbler Nation
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Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
Stan, you've killed more birds than avian flu!vaturkey wrote:I never had a mentor ! I hunted 9 years before I killed my first gobbler. It was a double bearded Jake. Since then I killed 2 more gobblers & missed 17. Hope to get in on one this spring ! I got keys to the gate !
- Stinky J Picklestein
- Gobbler Nation
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Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
For hunting other critters, yes...but not for hunting turkeys.
- devastator
- Gobbler Nation
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Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
Yep,only had to hunt 1 year.DID have somewhat of a mentor,but killed my own on my own, have 69 beards and spurs and can't wait to go to Stewart national forest and crush my 70th longbeard with my new whistle,im not that far away from there!!!vaturkey wrote:I never had a mentor ! I hunted 9 years before I killed my first gobbler. It was a double bearded Jake. Since then I killed 2 more gobblers & missed 17. Hope to get in on one this spring ! I got keys to the gate !
Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
No mentor here, I'm like the red headed step child, nobody likes , well I think camoclown kinda does, so I had mentioned to my daughter how I would like to try to call in a turkey and for Christmas one year she bought me a glass/slate call that came with a DVD on how to use it and make the sounds needed and a box call. Went out to where there was some turkeys on a ranch and hid in the trees with camo on and low and behold did like the instructions on the DVD and brought in a 22 lb. Tom and then I was hooked.
I was not his father but he was my son,,MAK IV, 10-15-1993 - 4-22-2007
"Rest in Peace my Little Buddy"
"Rest in Peace my Little Buddy"
- Shooter
- Gobbler Nation
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Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
Yea, and that was just last season!Turkinator wrote:Stan, you've killed more birds than avian flu!vaturkey wrote:I never had a mentor ! I hunted 9 years before I killed my first gobbler. It was a double bearded Jake. Since then I killed 2 more gobblers & missed 17. Hope to get in on one this spring ! I got keys to the gate !
- appalachianassassin
- Gobbler Nation
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Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
no mentor here either. my dad , just like everyone elses dad, was a big time deer hunter. just never cared much for turkey hunting. shame. I just plain don't keep score. I find it a tad rudimentary. but I will say I haven't eaten a turkey tag in over a decade.
El Sicario
Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
No real mentor here, but there were respected people in my life who turkey hunted and that I admired and aspired to follow.
Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
I started when I was 15 years old. The guy I worked for on the farm told me I could turkey hunt it. His nephew took me and showed me a few things but not much. He didn't know how to call. I pretty much learned on my on thru the years. There's been a few years I didn't kill a bird. I haven't kept count of all them nor got a pic of all them, but I'm thinkin it's around 25 gobblers and few jakes and few hens. Quavers 113 birds is a lot of birds but one question We haven't seen a pic of none of them. You have made it well known in other post about 113 birds and yet to post a pic. Not saying you haven't killed that many but we like to see pics here. I've seen the pics of these other guys on here that killed one years ago and last year and awaiting the 3rd one
TURKEYS
COYOTES
DEER
SQUIRRELS
(all in this order)
COYOTES
DEER
SQUIRRELS
(all in this order)
Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
I would say I was fortunate and had several people mentoring me. Some uncles I feel I was doing most of the mentoring. My dad hunted very little and I was obsessed with hunting and had some very good people showing me the ropes ( Good or Bad ) I would like to think I still have a few mentor's left and would be glad to try and learn from them. I thank all the people that took the time to show me what they knew and made the extra effort to take me out hunting.
Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
No mentor for turkey hunting. I started a year before I drug my dad and brother into it. Over the next 4 or 5 years I got another half dozen buddies into it. Killed my first bird, a Jake, on year 2. I killed my first tom on year 3.
Don't let some of these guys fool you, they just can't count past fingers and toes.
Don't let some of these guys fool you, they just can't count past fingers and toes.
- appalachianassassin
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Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
that's because we don't like to see pictures of jakesOLE RASPY wrote: Quavers 113 birds is a lot of birds but one question We haven't seen a pic of none of them. You have made it well known in other post about 113 birds and yet to post a pic. Not saying you haven't killed that many but we like to see pics here.
El Sicario
Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
Good replys here. Good luck to all next Spring.
Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
I started about ten years ago using decoys. Now, Im antidecoys and wish they would be abolished because of the bad name they give us experienced turkey hunters.
" Y'all keep discussing it among yourselves...I'm sneakin' in to pop the noisy one. " - Stinky J Picklestein
Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
At first I was on my own, but quickly found a couple mentors, real turkey killers who know the woods, and how all that call the woods home behave.
"Sit down wrong, and you're beat." Jim Spencer
Don't go this year where youtubers went last year.
Don't go this year where youtubers went last year.
- guesswho
- Gobbler Nation
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Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
Did you start using decoys because your mentor used them, or because you had no mentor?Roy wrote:I started about ten years ago using decoys. Now, Im antidecoys and wish they would be abolished because of the bad name they give us experienced turkey hunters.
Double Naught Spy!
RCD's Owner----------------Badonka Deke Prostaff
MoHo's Prostaff-------------Lighter Than HTL Shooter
The Storm Whistle Prostaff
Official Member Of The Unofficial Firedup Turkey Calls Prostaff
RCD's Owner----------------Badonka Deke Prostaff
MoHo's Prostaff-------------Lighter Than HTL Shooter
The Storm Whistle Prostaff
Official Member Of The Unofficial Firedup Turkey Calls Prostaff
-
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- Joined: December 2nd, 2014, 9:27 pm
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Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
I didn't even know anyone who hunted turkeys when I started. There aren't many in these parts my my hunting lease had some stocked years ago and in 2000 or 2001 they allowed turkey hunting for the first time. I bought a mouth call and a foolproof box. My fist turkey came on my second hunt. With a one bird limit, I took one on opening day of season two. I was so pumped I called a buddy and called one up for him the next day.
Early on, I had been on 9 hunts and killed or called 7 birds in for the kill.
My average has dipped quite a bit since those early days.
Early on, I had been on 9 hunts and killed or called 7 birds in for the kill.
My average has dipped quite a bit since those early days.
Turkey fanatic
Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
guesswho wrote:Did you start using decoys because your mentor used them, or because you had no mentor?Roy wrote:I started about ten years ago using decoys. Now, Im antidecoys and wish they would be abolished because of the bad name they give us experienced turkey hunters.
Neither. I'm just lazy and I like to drink beer while I'm in the woods
" Y'all keep discussing it among yourselves...I'm sneakin' in to pop the noisy one. " - Stinky J Picklestein
- soiltester
- Gobbler Nation
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Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
I'm lazy also, drink beer in the blind and let my decoys do all the workRoy wrote:guesswho wrote:Did you start using decoys because your mentor used them, or because you had no mentor?Roy wrote:I started about ten years ago using decoys. Now, Im antidecoys and wish they would be abolished because of the bad name they give us experienced turkey hunters.
Neither. I'm just lazy and I like to drink beer while I'm in the woods
Started back in 75 and been and still am learning on my own, and along the way, with the help of a few accomplished turkey hunter's I've been fortunate to have hunted and still hunt with
ever wonder where the white goes when the snow melts??
Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
Spring was fishing for me, many years. Did a little non serious Turkey fall hunting, but on a very limited basis. I was into Duck/Goose and Pheasant hunting, and really loved hunting with my GSP. My gunsmith got me thinking about Spring Turkey, when he couldn't believe as much as I hunted, I wasn't into Turkey hunting, which was his favorite. So, the seed was planted. Then I met a friend of a friend shortly after that at a breakfast, redneck, BS session. The guys name was Toad Lainson, who lived and died Turkey Hunting. He made calls, especially wing bones, and had hunted Turkeys for 40 years. What a character! Anyone going by Toad, you know what you are going to get. LOL. 1/2 way thru breakfast, I said to him, I am going to get into Turkey Hunting, and you are going to teach me. He looks at me, and responds, yes I am. A friendship was born. We buried Toad, not that long ago, and the only funeral I have ever tended, where more than 1/2 the guys wore camo. I miss him, especially his humor and full of life personality.
Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
There weren't many old timers left over from when we had a turkey season this part of the state. The first season in modern history was 1977. Since there weren't videos then, I read "me and Joe went hunting" books (crappy except for Charlie Elliott for some good advice and Tenth Legion for inspiration), watched turkey hunting puppet shows and stumbled around in the woods (a lot). Worst thing that happened to me was killing one the third time out. You know what happened the next few years.
Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
My older brother got me started. And he's still my favorite hunting partner.
Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?
A friend brought me along with him one spring back in 1999. Then it was on my own until I killed my first bird a few years later. I continue to learn every time out.