Re: Head Steppin !
Posted: June 4th, 2016, 6:26 am
Pete, boot + shiv. Gil
In loving memory of all the gobblers we've killed
https://www.gobblernation.com/phpBB3/
Nothing wrong with the way you show respect to a great bird. Your points are well taken. Gilhookspur wrote:I used to danged-near beat the shot charge to the turkey's head and get a boot on 'em asap, but over the years you might say that I've "mellowed." Either that, or I'm getting old and slow, with knees that hurt just standing up.
Anyhoo, these days I usually either sit still, or walk out to the bird....in either case, ready to shoot again if need be. If the head's up and his neck ain't flopping out of control, then that changes everything and a boot-stomp is coming. Also, in hilly country I might head-step just to keep from having to walk downhill to retrieve him (there's those achy knees, again), and when guiding kids I like to encourage them to "go get a boot on his neck" for the comedy that usually produces, but other than those examples I generally let 'em finish dying in peace. I don't want their last vision of the world to be some giant camo-clad spook mashing their face into the dirt.
I can't really say why, but the actual pictures of boots on heads don't do much for me. I'm not offended to the point of calling anyone out on it, but it just ain't something I'm gonna do myself. It's certainly not as bad in my eyes as grabbing turkeys by the neck before they finish dying and racing up to the camera with the bird still flopping, or over-emphatic and over-the-top celebration when you've finally succeeded in putting one on the ground. Yes, that's a great success to feel good about, but as my Grandfather used to say, "act like you've been here before."
I learned long ago to avoid hand to hand combat with a turkey. If the head is still up, I have a radical solution - I shoot him again. Very seldom have to do that since I left lead behind, but I have a few times. I carry a dove load instead of a prison shiv.hobbes wrote:I used to run like a fool toward them. At some point I finally figured out that was more dangerous than it was worth and I was more likely to get a second shot, if necessary, if I was either still sitting or up and standing still. The majority of flopping is a turkey that is already dead. If his head is up that's a different story, but there has only been a few occasions where a boot on the head was necessary. If I'm worried about condition of the bird, and I usually am, I'll use both hands and grab him by both feet and hang him there while he does his flopping. This can be rough on your hands if he's got good spurs and I've found that out the hard way more than once, usually by grabbing both legs with one hand.
Steve, do you have room in your cart for a guillotine or in your vest for a stainless steel wire garrote? Either is quieter than a dove load. Gilpoorcountrypreacher wrote:hobbes wrote: I carry a dove load instead of a prison shiv.
I don't carry either Gil, but those are great ideas.GLS wrote:Steve, do you have room in your cart for a guillotine or in your vest for a stainless steel wire garrote? Either is quieter than a dove load. Gilpoorcountrypreacher wrote:hobbes wrote: I carry a dove load instead of a prison shiv.
Not weird at all - you make good points. And you sure make a lot of good turkey pics.Cove wrote:I agree with several on here, boot/ head pictures just don't do it for me. Never liked it. I let them die in peace while standing nearby. If he's flopping, I pick him up by his head. It seems to accelerate the process, possibly because his body weight is pulling down on the neck further separating the crushed bones and such. I like good pictures so I try to keep him "put together." I also hate tailgate pictures, pictures of gobblers that were obviously not well taken care of after the shot, overly smashed heads, pictures of gobbler parts (just the beard/spurs/ fans), gobblers on driveways/ pavement or in the garage. I've been told I'm weird but I'm okay with that.
I agree with Preacher. If that makes you weird, then I am weird as well (but that's a forgone conclusion anyway .) I have stepped on a few heads but haven't/won't take any pics. Something else that irks me is those that "decorate" their mounts, usually deer, with Christmas lights & such. To me, that's disrespectful to the animal.poorcountrypreacher wrote:Not weird at all - you make good points. And you sure make a lot of good turkey pics.Cove wrote:I agree with several on here, boot/ head pictures just don't do it for me. Never liked it. I let them die in peace while standing nearby. If he's flopping, I pick him up by his head. It seems to accelerate the process, possibly because his body weight is pulling down on the neck further separating the crushed bones and such. I like good pictures so I try to keep him "put together." I also hate tailgate pictures, pictures of gobblers that were obviously not well taken care of after the shot, overly smashed heads, pictures of gobbler parts (just the beard/spurs/ fans), gobblers on driveways/ pavement or in the garage. I've been told I'm weird but I'm okay with that.
I assume you are referring to my picture showing my living arrangements while on the road. If you found that distasteful, my apologies. I did it more to illustrate the way I do things which I am often asked about. If you view that photo the same as a gobbler laying across a tailgate then we would just have to agree to disagree.timbrhuntr wrote:I personally hate pictures of a dead gobbler laying on a cooler next to my truck tailgate ! LOL
I think he was just pokin' a little. Check out the emoticons (or what ever the hell they're called) at the end of his statement.Cove wrote:I assume you are referring to my picture showing my living arrangements while on the road. If you found that distasteful, my apologies. I did it more to illustrate the way I do things which I am often asked about. If you view that photo the same as a gobbler laying across a tailgate then we would just have to agree to disagree.timbrhuntr wrote:I personally hate pictures of a dead gobbler laying on a cooler next to my truck tailgate ! LOL
Sorry I couldn't help it I guess if I put a bed in my pick up I can take a pic of a dead gobbler there ! I just don't follow sometimes what is ok and what isn't and what excuse I need to justify it .Cove wrote:I assume you are referring to my picture showing my living arrangements while on the road. If you found that distasteful, my apologies. I did it more to illustrate the way I do things which I am often asked about. If you view that photo the same as a gobbler laying across a tailgate then we would just have to agree to disagree.timbrhuntr wrote:I personally hate pictures of a dead gobbler laying on a cooler next to my truck tailgate ! LOL
The beauty of the whole thing is you can do it your way, I can do it my way. I don' t think anyone ever said you were not allowed to take pictures how you liked or do whatever you liked after the shot. So have at it, your way. If I don't like them, very well, if you don't like mine, very well. I for one, wouldn't leave my gobbler in the bed of my truck to get rained on. . . but here again, another difference in the way we handle our business.timbrhuntr wrote:Sorry I couldn't help it I guess if I put a bed in my pick up I can take a pic of a dead gobbler there ! I just don't follow sometimes what is ok and what isn't and what excuse I need to justify it .Cove wrote:I assume you are referring to my picture showing my living arrangements while on the road. If you found that distasteful, my apologies. I did it more to illustrate the way I do things which I am often asked about. If you view that photo the same as a gobbler laying across a tailgate then we would just have to agree to disagree.timbrhuntr wrote:I personally hate pictures of a dead gobbler laying on a cooler next to my truck tailgate ! LOL
I started to take a pic of the gobbler I killed on the back of my pick up tail gate years ago after a great hunt as it was about to start raining hard and a tornado was approaching and I wanted to take a quick pic before I closed the tailgate in case it got wet and I couldn't get any good pics later ! It showed up the birds colours, spurs and beard as well as the size of the bird with the size of tailgate plus for some reason I just liked it. Now I find out its distatefull and this is another reason I post very few stories and pics anymore I would hate to inadvertently offend someone !!!
As far as head steppin I was told that is a turkey hunting tradition and the thing to do after the shot. But I guess it is distasteful too ! Thats why I deleted my pic I'm just out of the loop with the new politically correct way of doing things in most of life and now even in hunting I guess !