Turkey fitness...

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
Last year my time for Turkey season was limited. It was also right on time with the shutdowns. I’ve never seen so many recreational hikers out and about during a hunting season, and on the designated hunting days (3 days a week at local game land). Every pull off had 5-10 vehicles , a few had more than that. Saw everything from families of 6 with 2 dogs busting right thru someone’s setup, to guys with out of state plates hunting in more orange than you’d need to do road work on the interstate. Had multiple groups tell me they were so glad the gamelands was there since the state parks were closed. Hoping it’s not like that this year but I’ll make the best of whatever happens. Also getting in the woods with someone more experienced will def help me with those “wonder what that means” type questions
 

Firedog

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Let me hear one gobble there ain't a mountain east of Mississippi this ol fat out shape boy won't climb not saying I'll come back down 19ish pounds heavier but dang if I won't be on top with him😁

I agree but there are some west of that river that have kicked my tail a time or 3... but come spring I will be heading that way if they will sell me a tag.
 

wolfman

Old Mossy Horns
Let me hear one gobble there ain't a mountain east of Mississippi this ol fat out shape boy won't climb not saying I'll come back down 19ish pounds heavier but dang if I won't be on top with him😁 really though I agree with oldest school you gotta have your mind right. How many hunters we all know are back at truck couple hours into the morning saying didn't hear thing or no birds left here. I will say I do see more people parked after 10 than I ever have before in last 5 years or so. Even see some evening hunters when 15 years ago was very rare
One of my favorite hunts I waded through a public land swamp to get to a bird. It wasn't until I had him over my shoulder that I thought about the cottonmouths and gators and how foolish I may have been. That gobble can be a shot of adrenaline. Feels good to be sore and sleep in the next day if you got a bird in hand. Had more mornings of being sore, red eyed, empty handed and headed right back out though.
 

Ho ace

Ten Pointer
Contributor
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Gonna be ready for turkey season. A lot of work gonna need to happen. Stopped riding last summer due to schedule etc.... and gained 15lbs since and out of shape for sure.


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ncstatehunter

Twelve Pointer
Let me hear one gobble there ain't a mountain east of Mississippi this ol fat out shape boy won't climb not saying I'll come back down 19ish pounds heavier but dang if I won't be on top with him😁 really though I agree with oldest school you gotta have your mind right. How many hunters we all know are back at truck couple hours into the morning saying didn't hear thing or no birds left here. I will say I do see more people parked after 10 than I ever have before in last 5 years or so. Even see some evening hunters when 15 years ago was very rare
Guilty about back at truck sooner than I like but if they aren't gobbling I'm not staying out and playing, there are fish to be caught that time of year :LOL:
 

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
Guilty about back at truck sooner than I like but if they aren't gobbling I'm not staying out and playing, there are fish to be caught that time of year :LOL:
Talk about a morale booster after getting skunked on public. “Man I can’t believe I just spent all that time and didn’t hear a gobb- aw heck! I bet the trout will be biting in the river by the time I get back to the house!”
 

TravisLH

Old Mossy Horns
Let me hear one gobble there ain't a mountain east of Mississippi this ol fat out shape boy won't climb not saying I'll come back down 19ish pounds heavier but dang if I won't be on top with him[emoji16] really though I agree with oldest school you gotta have your mind right. How many hunters we all know are back at truck couple hours into the morning saying didn't hear thing or no birds left here. I will say I do see more people parked after 10 than I ever have before in last 5 years or so. Even see some evening hunters when 15 years ago was very rare

Some of the best action I’ve had was around 2pm..... if I don’t strike one from the roost I’ll work a 2 mile bottom then set up in an area I know they travel through, bird I killed last year was at that spot and never made a sound.


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YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
Wife takes care of the mother of one of the main guys we bear hunt with. She has been seeing a group of turkeys behind the house there for several weeks. She’s counted 4 decent Toms. He was over at his mother’s the other day and she asked permission to hunt come April. He laughed and said “first she kills a bear with a pistol, now she wants to be a Turkey hunter too. I like it.” So if they’re still around then, it’ll be fun for me and my wife to have a chunk of private to hunt close to the house. Don’t get it twisted though, I can’t wait to hunt em on public and get out there with someone more experienced. Going out Saturday really reminded me how much I enjoy putting on some miles in Pisgah.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
Wife takes care of the mother of one of the main guys we bear hunt with. She has been seeing a group of turkeys behind the house there for several weeks. She’s counted 4 decent Toms. He was over at his mother’s the other day and she asked permission to hunt come April. He laughed and said “first she kills a bear with a pistol, now she wants to be a Turkey hunter too. I like it.” So if they’re still around then, it’ll be fun for me and my wife to have a chunk of private to hunt close to the house. Don’t get it twisted though, I can’t wait to hunt em on public and get out there with someone more experienced. Going out Saturday really reminded me how much I enjoy putting on some miles in Pisgah.
well it sounds like pisgah will just be for exercise. :)
you know where 4 are. two for you two for your wife. Long trekking not required.
Good Luck!
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
Wife takes care of the mother of one of the main guys we bear hunt with. She has been seeing a group of turkeys behind the house there for several weeks. She’s counted 4 decent Toms. He was over at his mother’s the other day and she asked permission to hunt come April. He laughed and said “first she kills a bear with a pistol, now she wants to be a Turkey hunter too. I like it.” So if they’re still around then, it’ll be fun for me and my wife to have a chunk of private to hunt close to the house. Don’t get it twisted though, I can’t wait to hunt em on public and get out there with someone more experienced. Going out Saturday really reminded me how much I enjoy putting on some miles in Pisgah.
Hopefully gobblers will hang around. Never turn down a bird easy or hard ones. they hard come by some years
 

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
well it sounds like pisgah will just be for exercise. :)
you know where 4 are. two for you two for your wife. Long trekking not required.
Good Luck!
If that’s how it works out I’ll take it!
Hopefully gobblers will hang around. Never turn down a bird easy or hard ones. they hard come by some years
Fingers crossed! It’s 131 acres. Flat open fields with timber going up the mountain. Need to go out there and walk around . We bear hunted that spot during training season but we had us 3 outta shape hunters trying to catch up with some dogs that had been treed for awhile .

Wren and I just got back from a little Pisgah jaunt where we found some turk tracks in the snow
nice!
 

Randy

Ten Pointer
Good luck to everyone this spring. Right now I’m just hoping to be able to participate this spring. I’m still recovering from surgery on January 12 to remove a cancerous prostate. One of things they told me to do is walk as much as I can so I’ve been logging up to 6 miles a day the last week and hope to continue.
 

slugoo

Eight Pointer
I'm actually taking my mom out this spring. She has surgery in a week or two for a new pacemaker which will give her plenty of time to take online hunter ed while she recovers. None of my family hunts except for me so I am very pumped for her to join me. Hopefully she enjoys it. She has always had an interest in hiking and has been scouting for deer a couple times with me.
 

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
Good luck to everyone this spring. Right now I’m just hoping to be able to participate this spring. I’m still recovering from surgery on January 12 to remove a cancerous prostate. One of things they told me to do is walk as much as I can so I’ve been logging up to 6 miles a day the last week and hope to continue.
Prayers Randy keep up the good fight. Hope ya bounce back in time for April!
I'm actually taking my mom out this spring. She has surgery in a week or two for a new pacemaker which will give her plenty of time to take online hunter ed while she recovers. None of my family hunts except for me so I am very pumped for her to join me. Hopefully she enjoys it. She has always had an interest in hiking and has been scouting for deer a couple times with me.
That’s awesome. I’m the only hunter in mine too. Well, I had an uncle out west who was an avid elk hunter and fished Alaska a lot but those days are long gone. I took mom and dad on my trapline last year and they loved it. Look forward to hearing your stories come Turkey season
 

SnowMaker

Eight Pointer
Good luck to everyone this spring. Right now I’m just hoping to be able to participate this spring. I’m still recovering from surgery on January 12 to remove a cancerous prostate. One of things they told me to do is walk as much as I can so I’ve been logging up to 6 miles a day the last week and hope to continue.
Keep your head up and get through it bud. All the best for you on recovery.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
I'm actually taking my mom out this spring. She has surgery in a week or two for a new pacemaker which will give her plenty of time to take online hunter ed while she recovers. None of my family hunts except for me so I am very pumped for her to join me. Hopefully she enjoys it. She has always had an interest in hiking and has been scouting for deer a couple times with me.
I took my Mom for many years on opening day. she was far better in the woods than i was once we got situated. Could sit for hrs and was very quiet walking.
She stopped for awhile taking care of Dad. I want to take her again this year.
Sorry to make your post about myself but it did set off some fine memories.
I wish you both the Best of Luck. You will both enjoy the experience.
 

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
Had dinner with a houndsman friend and his wife. Pulled up by the kennels to holler at him and looked up the ridge to see 8 Toms meandering in and out of the timber. The more I talk and think about Turkey hunting, the more I convince myself it’s already March and season is gonna kick off soon😑 Kinda glad I’m wrong tho. Nice to know I still have time to scout
 

slugoo

Eight Pointer
Had dinner with a houndsman friend and his wife. Pulled up by the kennels to holler at him and looked up the ridge to see 8 Toms meandering in and out of the timber. The more I talk and think about Turkey hunting, the more I convince myself it’s already March and season is gonna kick off soon😑 Kinda glad I’m wrong tho. Nice to know I still have time to scout
I've been convinced its March since January 2nd. Any excuse to be in the woods I guess.
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
Had dinner with a houndsman friend and his wife. Pulled up by the kennels to holler at him and looked up the ridge to see 8 Toms meandering in and out of the timber. The more I talk and think about Turkey hunting, the more I convince myself it’s already March and season is gonna kick off soon😑 Kinda glad I’m wrong tho. Nice to know I still have time to scout
As you age you just might like the scouting as good as toting the gun around its most fun I have all year once he's dead you can't hear him anymore
 

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
As you age you just might like the scouting as good as toting the gun around its most fun I have all year once he's dead you can't hear him anymore
Definitely. In the 4 years I been hunting, fishing, and trapping, my outlook on what constitutes a “successful” day has certainly changed. Now my wife is 7 years younger and she’s just out for blood. One she killed that bear this year, she got this look in her eye I ain’t ever seen before 🤣
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
Definitely. In the 4 years I been hunting, fishing, and trapping, my outlook on what constitutes a “successful” day has certainly changed. Now my wife is 7 years younger and she’s just out for blood. One she killed that bear this year, she got this look in her eye I ain’t ever seen before 🤣
Make you wanna sleep with one eye open huh
 

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
Make you wanna sleep with one eye open huh
Hahah it hasn’t gotten to that point. More like ....I have started to be able to fathom the pressure a paid guide feels like when it comes to getting a client their animal. Unfortunately the pressure I’m referring to is like a $25k guided dall sheep hunt. Lol all jokes aside, it’s been awesome seeing her progress and watch that “light bulb” come on and understand why I spend all my free time chasing critters
 

Helium

Old Mossy Horns
Haven’t totally got over the crud but feeling much much better.

Started my annual “Daniel Fast” detox and diet. Also, started walking and stair etc.

I’m behind by a month BUT Lord willing will be rip raring to go by SC Turkey opener

Ps Looking at plane tickets, got to pull trigger soon for TX and SD/WY/MT plans
 
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