What year did you start Turkey hunting? Where???

Thomas270

Ten Pointer
2015 seriously, didn’t draw blood until 2017 in Greene County with a Jake. Was not raised in a turkey hunting family, in fact I’m the only one in my whole extended family that has ever been turkey hunting. In the spring time growing up we were on the Roanoke rock fishing, and from 2007 - 2015 I worked for a fertilizer/seed dealer so I didn’t do anything but spread fertilizer and deliver chemicals that time of the year.
 

hunthard2

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Started in 2006, took until 2018 to draw blood. Yes, I’m that bad at hunting [emoji2357][emoji16]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

bowhuntingrook

Old Mossy Horns
2012 in Granville County. I think my biggest mistake back then was being afraid to make one. Especially when calling. I went home and learned to cut on a box call and used it late season just blind calling, fired up a hen and we had a conversation, then big boy gobbled to the left, ended up a very mature bird.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
 

smilliganqb

Eight Pointer
Been turkey hunting since 2016, killed my first and only bird opening day 2017 in Halifax Co. Called birds in since then but all have hung up on me. Hope to change that in a couple weeks!
 

grim reaper

Ten Pointer
Me and Dad got into it around 97' I didn't get my first until 99'...didn't know a thing about it, one of his high school buddys that was a big time turkey hunter put me on my first. Used to hunt person county a lot before we got a good population around our area
 

dlbaile

Ten Pointer
First attempt was in chatham county private property 2001, played with it a little through the years but really go into it in 2010 ,have been hooked ever since . killed my first bird in 2013 no end it sight for me unless the birds all die off, good luck to everyone this season and stay safe with that social distancing 🦃🦃
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
It was in the Rural Retreat area. Wythe county. My dads brother had a dairy farm there. I spent most of my summers there as a kid.

that area is IMHO , one of the most beautiful areas around.
That is fine area for sure for hunting and trout fishing. Mine was further west Dickinson co
 

shotgunner

Ten Pointer
I think it was '02 and was in Columbus county. We never had birds in that area when I was growing up. I went into it blind and with NO guidance or tutelage. I guess that is why I love it so much. I truly learned what little I know the hard way, trial and error. The conditions were perfect for a fledgling turkey hunter. The birds were relatively dumb as they had never been hunted. Me and the birds were educated at about the same pace. So I was able to learn a lot while still experiencing some success. Birds in that same area are really educated now. It is really tough on a new hunter to go after educated or pressured birds. Killed my first 2 gobblers on back to back days in '03. Absolutely love it.
 

BigBow

Ten Pointer
Contributor
Killed my 1st & best Gobbler my 1st year in 1991 near Ridgeway, SC. on a 3000 acre lease that I pretty much was the only one that Turkey hunted then. I have kept a detailed journal of all of my 30 Turkey kills & a couple of misses. I vividly remember every detail when I read it. I have not hunted about 6 or 7 Springs for various reasons...no place to hunt, didnt get drawn for permit hunts, etc. I didnt have a mentor so I learned from reading everything I could get my hands on & Primos VHS tapes. Now that I am 65, overweight, and diabetic I realize that my Turkey days may be getting shorter & then along comes this China Virus. I am going to try & make the best of it & hopefully hunt the Pee Dee NWR permit hunt & maybe Uwharrie N.F. Not too sure about this "stay @ home & essential travel" mess, but I plan on going anyway. Dont see how being in the woods & bringing my own lunch could cause risk to me or anyone else. Good luck everyone!
 

hawglips

Old Mossy Horns
First time hunting in 1984. Saw my first wild turkey ever, and heard my first wild turkey gobble that day. Got serious about it in 1999 after killing the first. Finished a grand slam in 2002.
 

Aaron H

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I think that I first tried turkey hunting in 1981.... with a bow. I did not have a good place to see a turkey and after 2 or 3 seasons I gave it up. The bow was no handicap at all since there weren't any birds. I started again in 2007- with a shotgun, and took a fine mature gobbler that year in Ashe County. I've hunted every season since except for one year and absolutely love it.
 

PG2

Ten Pointer
1982 in McKean County PA, it was the fall season and we broke up a flock and called in a jake.... my first turkey. We would go up Friday night and hunt 1/2 day and walked a LOT... cutting wood for winter that afternoon and splitting it and stacking it Sunday morning.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Roanoke

Eight Pointer
Got my first bird in my early teens near Palmyra NC. Got my slam in 2001. Have not pulled a trigger or released an arrow on a bird in almost 8 years. For me it is all about taking kids now.
 
Last edited:

np307

Ten Pointer
Technically I turkey hunted in 2017 but I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I think I hunted twice that year. In 2018 I took a lot of time to prepare (partially because I saw a nice gobbler while deer hunting in the fall of 2017). I killed a jake the last week of the season but had lots of encounters throughout that season. I definitely got hooked then. Had lots of fun last season and can't wait for this year and many more.
 

Shockgobbles

Six Pointer
2006 Bennett, NC. I was 11 years old and after hearing birds all morning my dad had set us up in a small pasture that bordered a much larger pasture where we'd been hearing birds and gave me instructions to keep the gun aimed at a big oak tree behind the styrofoam hen that he'd set out in front of us. We ended up hearing some birds and as they got closer and closer I distinctly remember looking through the brush where I had a small window of view into the bigger field and seeing several blue heads darting up and down in our direction. He managed to call up four gobblers and one of them read the script and walked right between that big oak tree and the decoy in full strut. He waited for me to shoot the one out front and as soon as I did he shot one standing further out in the pasture for the double up. The shots were so close together that I hadn't realized he shot one too! I'll never forget running out into that field with tears in my eyes from being so excited. That really was a perfect day
 

ScottyB

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Started hunting them around 1992......a buddy would take me to K block in CASWELL county with all the other guys in the world that didn’t have private birds! Then I met a couple of guys from Bernardsville that were deer hunting Jordan Lake. I put them on some private land and they invited a few of us up for Turkey hunting their places......so we went up there for about 6-7 years in a row.......4 of us.....had a blast......killed one bird and it wasn’t me! Finally we got birds on our club in Halifax county..... missed the trip, but not the mountain climbing! Somewhere around ’99 my brother got permission on some prime land in CASWELL County......we walked in on a logging road about 100 yds from the truck. I called once ....he was inside 30 yds......fell down by a tree .....got gun up and there he was at 10 yds.......first bird took me a long time but the experiences along the way were invaluable! I don’t have a ton of kills under my personal belt........but I got a bunch of “assist” under my belt........I love calling turkeys!
 
  • Like
Reactions: jug

adkarcher

Six Pointer
1992 in Central NY. Not sure when I got my first bird, I think 1996 for a gobbler. We had a fall season too, may have taken a hen before that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jug

johnnyk2000

Eight Pointer
2014 season at Ft. Stewart, GA was the first time that i struck out to kill one myself. Walked this old road bed about 400 yards. Killed my first turkey the same year in area A16 at 8:30am. Sat next to a pine tree on the edge of a swamp and called once and he gobbled. I didnt call again because my calling was horrible. Shortly after he come bobbing up and I shot him at 20 yards. Man I remember it like it was yesterday.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
 

Part-time hunter

Ten Pointer
I can't remember the exact year but I was still working and living in Raleigh so it was more than twenty years ago. He'll probably be mad at me for naming him but LastTombstone let me use his shotgun and took me to some private land he had access to which was near Virgilina. He located a bird, told me when and where to sit and watch for it, then he called in so sweetly that it crossed in front of me at maybe 15 or 20 yards. I probably shot high and the bird was hit but took off running. LT jumped up and took off right behind it. I was slower getting up and he'd already covered some ground when I saw him go down and roll like a gymnast and get back up in full stride as if he had done it dozens of times. As he ran on he yelled,
"Grapevine!!". I picked up his hat which come off and eventually caught up to him where he had caught and finished off the bird. I was laughing so hard at the spectacle of that long legged then red headed guy that I could hardly talk. It was a jake but it was my first hunt and it was made so much better because I was with one of the best friends a man could have and as with many of our adventures while fishing, it was truly memorable. Ask LT about the Devil's Horse sometime if you want to know what I mean.
 
Top