Osage Roost
All Hunting => Spring Turkey Hunting => Topic started by: Roy on February 15, 2010, 02:12:12 PM
-
Ive never killed either so I dont know
-
First off it's almost impossible to find a 5 year old of either. Georgia Wildlife stats say average life span of bucks 2.5 years and Toms 3.2. But a 5 year old buck is elusive beyond comprehension.
Mike
-
I'd have to say a 5 year old gobbler only because I've taken a 5 year old buck already. I've been hunting turkeys longer than deer.
-
I have taken several bucks aged 5 1/2 and older. I have only taken a couple Toms that reached that age. With deer it is easier to tell if you are about to harvest an older age class animal and therefore you can pass up the younger ones and hold out for the right one. Many times with turkeys ,you can't really tell enough about them as they approach to age them on the foot. It is usually a surprise as to what size spurs he is carrying until after the shot. If you are like me, you probably reach straight for the legs to see what you got. So I have to say that an old gobbler is the trickier of the two to take home with you.
Bob
-
Most deer hunting now a days , is just waiting on deer . Scout around , pick a spot for the tree stand , climb up and wait . Deer do a lot of cruisin' at night , pickin' up peoples scent . We all agree that older is generally smarter . So the majority of old bucks shy away from any areas of human activity , head for the thickest of cover for bedding, and are rarely seen .
Now them old turkeys , they sleep all night , and cruise around all day lookin' for food , fight , and of course breeding in the spring . But , if they are fortunate enough to reach the third year and beyond , they too are very smart , wary , cagy , elusive , suspicious , stubborn. Their nature is different than deer .
The 5 year bucks and toms are in a class by themselves .
I'm impressed when I see a huge old buck as well as an old longhooked gobbler . But how either was taken is what tells the real quality . Many of the huge old bucks are killed by mistake . I mean , the hunter, usually a waiter , happened to be in the right spot . Few of these giants fall to hunters that are on foot hunting for the brute .
The old longbeard that is fooled with good calling , good set up , and patience is the finest of trophies . The old longbeards that fall to the lifelike decoys , sometimes envolving no calling , is in my opinion a disgrace to the sport and the turkey . I've seen the videos , when the hunters are yelling at the tom that is whipping their decoy , trying to get his head up for the shot ,,,,,,,,,,I like to see the birds in action like this , but would never kill one in such a manner .Why not? Because it requires no skill at all to be able to stick a decoy out in a field . Show me a hunter that can set up on these fields without a deke and a blind , and fool an old longbeard inside 40 yards and I'll take off my hat to the feller .
Don't mis understand my post . I know that I have NOT reached the skill level that I would like to attain concerning any type of game and hunting . It just rubs me wrong that so many folks come on like some super talented hunters in this age of tricky gimmicks and gadgets , decoys , blinds etc , etc . , that are designed to make everything easier , supposedly fool proof . In essence creating a generation of lazy hunters , while relieving the duped of the money and pride .
-
... "both / either" - & there is no vs. IMHO ... ;)
-
I have to agree with Jim, both are more than capable of making you go years before even getting the oppertunity.
Mike
-
not sure what the correct answer here is, or if there is one. i think that both are quite the accomplishment and it also depends on where you hunt and habitat. some state deer seasons (shotgun/rifle) only last a few weeks, while others last a couple of months. you also need to factor in how many bucks one can take, deer density and the number of hunters. just as with turkey, in certain states, you can't hunt past a certain time during the day. as mentioned above, it is easier to judge a buck that is 5+ yrs old, then it is a turkey.
although the vast majority of deer are killed from a treestand, most of the people who repeatedly put down good deer, do a ton of scouting, both during and after the season and only hunt certain stand locations based on the wind. obviously you can throw up a stand and get lucky, but you can also have a hen drag a mature tom right past your setup as well. i really don't know what is a bigger accomplishment, but i'd like to take one of each and let you guys know which was the bigger challenge. *cheers*
-
both are tough in my opinion you have to be in the right place when either one makes that once a year mistake!!! I would tip the scale in favor of the gobbler as being the toughest, only because even when he makes that mistake, you had better be ready to capitalize, the mistake does not last long!!!!!
-
You can age a deer by the teeth..........! How do you age a turkey.....spurs don't mean anything. I know of one individual who killed a gobbler that was seven years old..and the only raeson he knew that was it was tagged when it was a jake by the SC Game Dept. Spurs were only 1 1/4" long.
Bill
-
You can age a deer by the teeth..........! How do you age a turkey.....spurs don't mean anything. I know of one individual who killed a gobbler that was seven years old..and the only raeson he knew that was it was tagged when it was a jake by the SC Game Dept. Spurs were only 1 1/4" long.
Bill
Not sure myself....The old one's that I have killed of course were big bodied and big beards but their heads were "old" long skin past their beak, red was spotted with grey and just looked that way. Have a nephew that works with DNR I will call and check tonight!
Mike
-
I'm gonna go with the whitetail here, my reasoning is if you've got a 5 year old tom you're bound to hear him and probably see him. You may not get a shot on him, but you'll likely spot him.
A 5 year old whitetail on the other hand is likely to never give you the chance for either.
-
I have to agree with Bill and Chad.......
How would ya know, how old a gobbler truly is?
5.5 Y/O bucks are for the most part a nocturnal animal, once the fall seasons start and he gets bumped and pusheded around once or twice....
Zips
-
In my hunting world they are both tremendous trophies. Pressured whitetails become nocturnal at an eraly age and while a 5 1/2 MAY live where you hunt the chances of seeing him in shooting light are very remote. The chances of a gobbler just making it to 5 years old are very slim. I have taken a few of each. They were taken where there is little hunting pressure and game animals have a chance to get old enough to be a trophy.