Turkey vs Big Game

[Short Track]

How do you guys rank Turkey hunting against big game, like Elk or Moose ?

If you had a choice, which would you do ?

 

[Btaylor]

One is spring and one is fall, I'm not choosing

 

[Bearlodge10]

Turkey hunting is a good challenge after a break from chasing game during the winter. It is a good time for me to look for sheds and shed some pounds. I would always rank it second to big game hunting no matter the species. I like fresh giblets and the smoked turkey but it doesn't last long compared to even a small deer. I suppose if I had to choose, I would choose big game but I would miss it come spring and heard a gobbler sound off in the twilight of morning.

 

[hobbes]

I have no intention of choosing between the two. I love to hunt elk in September, muleys in the badlands in November, bowhunt whitetails from a tree stand in November, and chase rooster pheasants from Oct through December. I manage to juggle all of that around in the fall/winter, minus bowhunting whitetails (I still love it). I do one thing in the spring and let little get in the way..... I chase gobbling turkeys. There are really only two other options, bear and fishing. I made my choice over fishing years ago and have experienced nothing in spring bear hug that gives me any desire to skip out on turkeys.

Turkeys absolutely are not as tough as elk. Not even in the same ballpark. They have no ability to reason, they are just scared of everything. Give them a nose and that may be different. An elk may not reason like we do, but he's ability to think is at a higher level than a turkey.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I will deer and elk hunt every chance I get. If I could only hunt one species, it would be turkeys. It's not even a close race, either.

 

[Thunder head]

Depends on where you live.
Like anything else the more pressure they receive the smarter they are.

Here in Georgia, Id chose turkeys.

 

[morgan1h]

I got one bird this spring, and had a great time doing it, but since then I've given up days when I could have been turkey hunting so that I can get far enough ahead at work that I can be gone for 14 days on an idaho bear hunt. Don't get me wrong, I love turkey hunting, but for me its not even close to being in the same ballpark as any big-game species.

 

[slick]

Turkeys meh. I’ve shot 3 (so not a large sample size) and while it’s enjoyable to get out it just doesn’t do it for me. It’s also hard for me to stomach the price as it’s the nearly the same as a deer tag (25.50 vs 27.50) but 1/4 of the meat? Just can’t add it up when I can chase bears for cheaper. I do enjoy calling them in and messing with getting them to shock gobble. Mostly laugh at them.

 

[Jimss]

My all-time favorite species to hunt are sheep and mtn goats....but those tags don't come along to often. I would likely choose trophy elk over turkeys but those tags are becoming just as tough as sheep and goat tags to draw! I live in Colo where I could hunt OTC elk every year. I would choose turkeys over OTC elk any time. I've harvested so many bulls over the years that I'm somewhat burned out with all the work involved with packing bulls out of ungodly places!

I'm relatively new to the turkey scene....hunted them hard the past 8 years. I don't know what it is with turkeys but I get "buck fever" just about every time I hunt them and a tom gobbles!

I mostly spot and stalk turkeys so it's very similar to elk hunting with bugling bulls. I don't hunt back-yard turkeys so most of the time they are just as challenging as elk, deer, or any other big game animal I've hunted. The turkeys on public land here in Colo are pretty darn challenging!

 

[brknarrow1970]

Turkeys got in my blood. Especially bowhunting them

 

[[email protected]]

I can hunt big game every year close to home turkeys are an every 3 or 4 year draw close to home no question between the 2

 

[87TT]

After hunting Elk, turkeys are like kissing your cousin. Fun but...…..

 

[Pursuer]

Turkey hunting is a great way to get some exercise, enjoy the outdoors and nice weather, and look for morels.

 

[NoWiser]

I’d take turkeys over white tails any day, but I’d rather hunt mulies or elk than turkeys. There is no more fun animal to hunt than a turkey, but the feeling of accomplishment after a grueling western hunt is hard to beat. Even among turkey hunts it varies for me. Run and gun shotgun is a freaking blast. Sitting in a blind with a bow or shotgun can get old in a hurry.

 

[Oregon]

I’m a waterfowler. 107 days a year, 7 bird limit.
My absolute favorite thing on the planet.
I love mule deer hunting. Love.

Now if duck season was 14 days and same time as a mule deer hunt with same length, I’d literally be whacked out.

Turkeys and bear in Spring. Ducks and deer in fall.
Having too choose sucks donkey balls.

 

[deerhunt1988]

I'm obsessed with turkey and chased them all across the US every spring.. Absolutely love the communication aspect of the hunt, the activeness, and chasing them on foreign ground. The only thing that can even come remotely close to giving me the same rush is bow hunting deer.Never been elk hunting but I have my first hunt coming up this fall in a top tier NM unit. I could see myself getting as addicted to elk as turkey. I used to call myself a white-tail deer hunter but now all it does is pass time til turkey season.

 

[Jimss]

If you've packed many bull elk out of hell holes....it may change your mind about which one is your favorite! I've packed several toms out of bighorn sheep country (literally) and it still was fun!

 

[Poser]

Used to turkey hunt pretty hard back in TN, but since moving to CO, it has to compete with spring snowboarding and Mtn biking

 

[Mjw195]

Hard to beat a good turkey hunt

 

[Huey]

Turkey hunting is a great way to enjoy the spring. I love hearing the gobbles almost as much as the bugles. It is a lot easier packing out a turkey than an elk for sure. I love hunting both. I am glad turkeys can't smell and elk are taller than turkeys otherwise each might be impossible to hunt. Great way to pass a month and a half along with getting some exercise.