5 Tips for Hunting Your Own Turkey
By: Kaity Nakagoshi
With November in full-swing, it’s safe to say that most of us cannot get the thought of Thanksgiving out of our heads. After all, this celebrated American tradition brings families together in dedication of gratitude, and allows us to feast on an endless array of delectable dishes.
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday enjoyed by everyone and each family celebrates in their own special way – watching the Macy’s parade, playing sports outside, watching football on TV, baking goodies, going Black Friday door buster shopping, or simply partaking in a food coma-induced nap.
Another popular tradition that Americans partake in over Thanksgiving weekend is hunting. This outdoor sport provides another opportunity for family bonding and is a favorite pastime of both boys and girls young and old. The question is, however, how many folks actually hunt the bird that everyone eats on Turkey Day?
Believe it or not, there are several different reasons why hunting your own turkey is better than buying it frozen from the store, but before you do so, here are some turkey hunting tid-bits to gobble up:
- Spring is actually the mating season for birds, but you can still find wild turkeys in the fall, depending on your geographical location.
- Turkey hunting is not for amateurs because these birds have exceptional eyesight and sound detection.
- As far as scouting is concerned, you will find turkeys in open areas such as fields with long grasses, where turkeys can easily feed on grasshoppers. You can also seek them out in pastures.
- If it’s legal in your state, use a dog to help with busting the flocks.
- Learn how to properly and effectively do a turkey call, or purchase a turkey-calling device.
As mentioned above, turkey hunting is not something that should be done if you are new to the sport. If you are interested in adopting gaming and hunting as a new hobby, try to find a family member or friend that has experience to take you along and teach you the basics (or stop by Tampa Bay’s hidden gem – Bill Jackson’s Shop for Adventure – for some helpful hunting tips). If you start now, then come next year, you can certainly consider the idea of hunting your own turkey for Thanksgiving.
Not only does hunting your own turkey for your family’s Thanksgiving feast provide you with a sense of pride and accomplishment, but also:
- Wild turkeys actually have less fat than the turkeys you purchase from the grocery store, which means it is healthier for your family to eat.
- You can feel good knowing that your turkey was not raised in a harmful environment and was not injected with GMO’s.
- Best of all, hunting your own turkey is a great way to celebrate the origin and history of Thanksgiving because that is how the Pilgrims and Indians would have done it.