How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

A general discussion area for turkey hunters.
quavers16
Posts: 317
Joined: February 25th, 2016, 10:25 am

How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by quavers16 »

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.
User avatar
guesswho
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 5425
Joined: July 11th, 2011, 7:50 pm
Location: Bumpass VA, moving to Fuget KY

Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by guesswho »

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!
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
User avatar
vaturkey
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 3616
Joined: June 27th, 2011, 10:54 pm

Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by vaturkey »

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 ! :thumbup:
User avatar
Turkinator
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 2988
Joined: May 13th, 2013, 6:25 pm
Location: southern onio

Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by Turkinator »

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 ! :thumbup:
Stan, you've killed more birds than avian flu!
User avatar
Stinky J Picklestein
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 1731
Joined: July 29th, 2011, 1:12 pm

Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by Stinky J Picklestein »

For hunting other critters, yes...but not for hunting turkeys.
User avatar
devastator
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 1580
Joined: July 27th, 2011, 5:46 pm
Location: some where in pa

Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by devastator »

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 ! :thumbup:
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!!!
Image
User avatar
Grumpy
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 4858
Joined: January 22nd, 2012, 12:03 pm
Location: N.C. Montana

Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by Grumpy »

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"
User avatar
Shooter
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 5488
Joined: April 19th, 2012, 1:29 pm
Location: Deep South, Middle, TN

Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by Shooter »

Turkinator wrote:
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 ! :thumbup:
Stan, you've killed more birds than avian flu!
Yea, and that was just last season! :LMAO: :LMAO: :LMAO:
User avatar
appalachianassassin
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 1216
Joined: February 24th, 2014, 1:11 pm
Location: East Tennessee

Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by appalachianassassin »

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
hookspur
Posts: 505
Joined: August 15th, 2011, 6:12 pm

Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by hookspur »

No real mentor here, but there were respected people in my life who turkey hunted and that I admired and aspired to follow.
User avatar
OLE RASPY
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 2958
Joined: July 8th, 2011, 10:06 pm
Location: KENTUCKY

Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by OLE RASPY »

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 :thumbup: :lol:
TURKEYS
COYOTES
DEER
SQUIRRELS
(all in this order)
Fatmo
Posts: 402
Joined: May 3rd, 2015, 6:34 pm

Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by Fatmo »

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.
hobbes

Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by hobbes »

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.
User avatar
appalachianassassin
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 1216
Joined: February 24th, 2014, 1:11 pm
Location: East Tennessee

Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by appalachianassassin »

OLE 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. :thumbup: :lol:
that's because we don't like to see pictures of jakes :lol:
El Sicario
quavers16
Posts: 317
Joined: February 25th, 2016, 10:25 am

Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by quavers16 »

Good replys here. Good luck to all next Spring.
Roy
Posts: 463
Joined: July 20th, 2011, 4:40 pm
Location: Your Mamas

Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by Roy »

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
User avatar
paboxcall
Posts: 492
Joined: February 16th, 2013, 7:16 pm

Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by paboxcall »

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.
User avatar
guesswho
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 5425
Joined: July 11th, 2011, 7:50 pm
Location: Bumpass VA, moving to Fuget KY

Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by guesswho »

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.
Did you start using decoys because your mentor used them, or because you had no mentor?
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
Tail Feathers
Posts: 687
Joined: December 2nd, 2014, 9:27 pm
Location: E. Texas

Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by Tail Feathers »

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. :)
Turkey fanatic :turkeywave:
Roy
Posts: 463
Joined: July 20th, 2011, 4:40 pm
Location: Your Mamas

Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by Roy »

guesswho wrote:
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.
Did you start using decoys because your mentor used them, or because you had no mentor?

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
User avatar
soiltester
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 3708
Joined: March 31st, 2015, 8:04 am
Location: Gaffney SC

Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by soiltester »

Roy wrote:
guesswho wrote:
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.
Did you start using decoys because your mentor used them, or because you had no mentor?

Neither. I'm just lazy and I like to drink beer while I'm in the woods
I'm lazy also, drink beer in the blind and let my decoys do all the work :thumbup:

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 :cheers:
ever wonder where the white goes when the snow melts??
User avatar
Jaybird
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 2103
Joined: June 23rd, 2011, 8:40 pm
Location: Iowa

Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by Jaybird »

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.
ImageImageImage
User avatar
GLS
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 3564
Joined: May 16th, 2012, 11:29 am
Location: Lowcountry, GA

Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by GLS »

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.
User avatar
hawglips
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 3794
Joined: July 7th, 2011, 9:58 pm
Contact:

Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by hawglips »

My older brother got me started. And he's still my favorite hunting partner.
pedro
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 2190
Joined: June 6th, 2012, 9:21 am

Re: How many members here had a mentor to get them started?

Post by pedro »

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.
Post Reply

Return to “Gobbler Talk”