How Long Did It Take You To Kill Your 1st Spring Turkey Without A Mentor?

[Tom007]

Took 2 years to kill my first one. I was a teenager in 1983. Didn't hunt much the first year. Wasn't a big fan of getting up that early. Lol. Boy how things change when you actually do call one in and seal the deal. Killed it with my grandpa's old model 12 Winchester. Pure luck I'll admit but it started something.

A addiction with no cure for me.
Absolutely love it.

Hope you get a chance to use grandpas Model 12 again. Great gun, great memory....

[Jmloch]

I hunted 7 seasons to kill my first gobbler. Tagged out that year (last year). Other than a few hunts with my older brothers I was solo. My list of things of not to do kept getting longer. I made some resolutions and tried to educate myself as much as possible and listened to my brothers advice. It paid off. Still, luck played a huge part. This year the i'm hunting a new area and a new state, it's gonna be tough to find birds to hunt being public land..


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[WAGinVA]

Killed a two year old gobbler with a borrowed call, borrowed gun, and borrowed Camo on my first try.  It did take 4 years to kill the second bird (a jake).

[sasquatch1]

First time out, opening day. Took all of about 30 minutes. Didn't kill the next one for 2 seasons lol


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[deerhunt1988]

About 2 weeks, but my first several birds were bushwhacked private land field birds. Just crawling or ambushing. Anyone with access and patience could have killed them. The first bird I successfully called to gun was near the end of my second season. Mid-day field bird at the same spot. But the fact that one actually came in, looking for ME, changed me for life!

[nebgoosehunter]

Shot my first turkey in 2009 with a college buddy who is the best turkey hunter I personally know.  He pretty much got me into turkey hunting as my dad and I never really did it growing up, except for a couple times.  Dad and I mainly hunted waterfowl and pheasants together.  The birds I shot between 2009-2012 were with other people who I would say were better turkey hunters than I was at the time.  I finally shot my first solo bird in 2012, but it was a spot and stalk.  In 2014 I finally called one in by myself and I can still remember it vividly to this day.  I know I've only been hunting turkeys for a drop in the bucket compared to others, but I am fully addicted! 

[RutnNStrutn]

I spent my first turkey season bumbling around the woods calling. The few turkeys I did see were running the other way.
My second season I managed to call in a jake and shoot him.
My 3rd season I called in and killed my first mature gobbler on a super exciting hunt.
The rest is history.

[redleg06]

Only a few days of hunting I guess... but this was back when I was on a place that was absolutely loaded (miss that place), and no one else even tried to turkey hunt it. 

[Hook hanger]

Well I was mentored from an early age. My dad took me religiously since I was 6yr old. When I had turned 11yrs old dad set me by a tree in the dark and said he would be back later to get me and said that I had practiced enough to call one in by myself. As daylight came birds started to wake up. I heard birds gobbling on roost waited till they flew down then let out a yelp on a slate call. The bird gobbled immediately about 200yds away. Called again and the bird gobbled louder. A few more yelps and gobbles later 2 toms came into 20yds BOOM. I had called in my first long beard by myself (had killed around a half dozen already always with my dad) I ran to that bird and stood on his head like I had been taught to do. Didn't take long for my dad to show up and he seen that me and the gobbler were at the tree he left me. That was over 30 years ago and many dead turkeys later and I still remember like it was yesterday! That hunt alone started my addiction to calling in these birds.

[MS TurkeyHunter]

It was not until my forth season that I called one in on my own. Had 5 gobblers come in to 20 yards and I just picked out the biggest one. Ironically ,it was opening day of Alabamas spring season which was technically my first out of state hunt too.


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[TauntoHawk]

7 years to kill my first one, typically only hunted 1 or 2 days each season and had no idea what I was doing. killed one on my own and was hooked, next season I met a mentor that taught me alot and the passion grew from there.

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[Muzzy61]

4th hunt of my first season hunting on my own.

[stinkpickle]

I think I had five years of glorious screw-ups.

[357MAGNOLE]

I had 3 different mentors and hunted 2 states for 4 years before my first kill. I got busted more times then I can remember.  At least 10 times I had birds within 75 yards, there was even a couple within 25 I didnt even know where there until I stood up. Didnt hear a thing lol.

[3chunter]

It took me a long time to kill a bird.  Years. Started when I was 12 and killed my first at 16 I think.   I hunted most days of the 45 day season and eventually learned how to hunt after 4-5 years of mistakes and learning experiences.   Killing a bird just made me like turkey hunting even more.  I was stoked about it when I wasn't killing squat.  Lol.