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You get 25 points just for taking the time to read this post when you could be out setting trail cams for whitetails.

You know there’s a difference between a hen yelp and a gobbler yelp. Add 5 points. You regard opportunities for all the other upland birds as secondary when compared to running your canine hunting partner on fall flocks where legal. Add 10 bonus points. Five more if you own more than one dog and hunt multiple fall turkey states.

Take 1 point for each extra 1,000 road miles you put on your truck in autumn looking for turkeys, which is only rivaled by the month(s) you hunt spring gobblers.

You happily take a fall bird of the year, preferably a pink-faced jake, and declare it equal to a springtime longbeard. Add 5 points. You bow hunt but only for wild turkeys during extended archery-only opportunities. Add 5 points.

You started out cutting your teeth first on fall turkeys decades ago before the modern tradition shifted to the spring. Zero points but we've got your back.

You have never hunted fall turkeys. Subtract 10 points. Subtract 5 points if it's not legal in your state (maybe consider a road trip?). You think fall turkey hunting should be outlawed. Subtract 20 and read a little more on the subject.

You know that fighting purrs will sometimes bring male turkeys in for a look, expecting a gobbler fight. Add 5 points.You had your taxidermist mount a bearded adult hen your son or daughter tagged one frosty fall morning their first turkey season. Add 15 points.

You once passed on filling your tag on opening day fall birds in range just to savor the moment and make it last, only to eat it that last day of turkey season when time ran out; a season you consider a success for all the action you had. Add 15 points.

Take another 3 points if when you fill your last deer tag you start to look around for neighboring states where a fall (or winter) turkey season is still open. Take 5 points if you routinely argue with “beards in the spring, antlers in the fall” buddies who don’t believe male birds gobble (or sometimes strut) in autumn.

Add 10 points if you turned down a college pal’s bachelor party in Vegas because it conflicted with the opening weekend of autumn turkey season.

Scoring:

75+ points: You're a fall turkey hunting superhero.

50+ points: You're welcome to share my turkey camp anytime.

0-49 points: You're still a brother (or sister!) since you hunt, but . . .

Comments (4)

from Levi Banks wrote 4 weeks 5 days ago

Steve, this can't be fair, I only got 47. I have missed some awesome deer hunting opportunities to hunt birds the last two years and so far have nothing to show for it (in the freezer, plenty in the mind and graying in the beard). If I had the money and time I would consider traveling for hunting opportunities, and I guess I'm new enough to the sport that I haven't had the opportunities to gain some of these points. Maybe in a few years I can get up there.

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from Steve Hickoff wrote 4 weeks 5 days ago

Hey Levi! Sorry man . . .

To me, turkey hunting is one long sweet experience, informed by misses, near deal closers, and amazing come-from-behind victories with tagged birds. Happy to spot you 3 pts. just to get you to 50 pts. Close!

I first fall turkey hunted in 1971, a long, long time ago. Different world really. I'm 50 now, and as any veteran of the autumn and spring woods will tell you, you learn from the mistakes. In my case, I routinely repeat half of them again on a regular basis but that's part of the fun. It's. All. Good.

Blustery but sunny forecast tomorrow for the Maine fall turkey (shotgun) opener. SZer James will be out somewhere in Maine (right man?), and my buddy Marc & I will try our best with some of the local flocks. "Local" being between 10 minutes to an hour away!

Stay tuned, and keep us posted on how you do.

Thanks,
Steve

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from james7xchamp3 wrote 4 weeks 4 days ago

63 points Steve. Hope the grub is good in your turkey camp!

Yep, I'll be out there tomorrow.......shot gun in hand. Been tough with the bow the few times I was able to get out this week. Looks like it will be windy, but I'll take that minus the rain/snow that was previously predicted!

Good luck to you and Marc and all the other SZers looking for that fall bird!

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from L. Case wrote 4 weeks 4 days ago

Steve, Hmmmmmm... I had to get my calculator out, can't seem to figure this out, I either got 127 or 14, O well, so I inserted a few of my own scoring scenarios;
1. Have been hunting fall turkeys most of your natural life, add 37 points.
2. If you have more than five turkey dawgs add 25 points, if you are really not sure how many dogs you do have, 50 points. If you have been close to divorce at least three times in reference to the aforementioned dogs,add 20.
3.If you have considered applying a ball bat to the next spring hunter "expert" who tells you it is just too easy in the fall,25 points. Hope this helps, Larry

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from Levi Banks wrote 4 weeks 5 days ago

Steve, this can't be fair, I only got 47. I have missed some awesome deer hunting opportunities to hunt birds the last two years and so far have nothing to show for it (in the freezer, plenty in the mind and graying in the beard). If I had the money and time I would consider traveling for hunting opportunities, and I guess I'm new enough to the sport that I haven't had the opportunities to gain some of these points. Maybe in a few years I can get up there.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Steve Hickoff wrote 4 weeks 5 days ago

Hey Levi! Sorry man . . .

To me, turkey hunting is one long sweet experience, informed by misses, near deal closers, and amazing come-from-behind victories with tagged birds. Happy to spot you 3 pts. just to get you to 50 pts. Close!

I first fall turkey hunted in 1971, a long, long time ago. Different world really. I'm 50 now, and as any veteran of the autumn and spring woods will tell you, you learn from the mistakes. In my case, I routinely repeat half of them again on a regular basis but that's part of the fun. It's. All. Good.

Blustery but sunny forecast tomorrow for the Maine fall turkey (shotgun) opener. SZer James will be out somewhere in Maine (right man?), and my buddy Marc & I will try our best with some of the local flocks. "Local" being between 10 minutes to an hour away!

Stay tuned, and keep us posted on how you do.

Thanks,
Steve

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from james7xchamp3 wrote 4 weeks 4 days ago

63 points Steve. Hope the grub is good in your turkey camp!

Yep, I'll be out there tomorrow.......shot gun in hand. Been tough with the bow the few times I was able to get out this week. Looks like it will be windy, but I'll take that minus the rain/snow that was previously predicted!

Good luck to you and Marc and all the other SZers looking for that fall bird!

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from L. Case wrote 4 weeks 4 days ago

Steve, Hmmmmmm... I had to get my calculator out, can't seem to figure this out, I either got 127 or 14, O well, so I inserted a few of my own scoring scenarios;
1. Have been hunting fall turkeys most of your natural life, add 37 points.
2. If you have more than five turkey dawgs add 25 points, if you are really not sure how many dogs you do have, 50 points. If you have been close to divorce at least three times in reference to the aforementioned dogs,add 20.
3.If you have considered applying a ball bat to the next spring hunter "expert" who tells you it is just too easy in the fall,25 points. Hope this helps, Larry

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment (200 characters or less)

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.