Since turkeys are birds, hunting them must qualify as “bird hunting” but if you ask me its much more like hunting big game. Head-to-toe in camo you sneak into the woods, sit perfectly still and then when you get a tom in range you shoot him in the face with a shotgun. No flushing coveys, no dogs, no talking. Just like deer hunting except the spring weather is beautiful and later you get to de-tick your balls.
Joking aside, hunting turkeys is a blast. Being in the woods at day break holds its own magic – song birds erupt, a distant maniacal yelping of a coyote pack, the ungraceful crashing of a turkey flock coming off the roost and then the stirring, booming gobble of a courting tom. Exciting stuff.
Here is a Texas Rio Grande Tom, bizarre but beautifully iridescent. Talk to Mike Wyatt at First Shot Outfitters for a terrific Texas turkey hunt.
Wow – gorgeous pics!
And I couldn’t agree more – turkeys are a unique pursuit that are really addictive (though it kills me to leave the dog at home).
Thanks! That turkey hunting gets in your blood. Love your Lee Marvin moniker. That looks like a pic from The Comancheros. Wasn’t he great in The Professionals, The Big Red One, The Dirty Dozen . . . . . !