Lessons learned during the 2012 turkey season

[HartClemson99]

2012 has been my 18th serious season (I had a few before '95 hunting turkeyless properties). Reflecting back on a long season (I started March 3rd) these are some things I have learned.

#1. Don't stand up to shoot a turkey with a foot asleep (TX)
#2. Don't let anyone in a turkey camp know that you have a fear of snakes (TX and FL)
#3. Don't drink too much 101 the night before a hunt can keep turkeys from getting shot (SC, GA, TN, KY and NE)
#4. Buy Permitherin and a tick key and use them (TX, TN, WY, MT and WI)
#5. When hunting late season in the midwest bring rubber boots or your pants will stay wet all day (WI)
#6. A 10 ga with Nitros that patterns at 70 yards is NOT a 70 yard gun. (NE)
#7. No matter how much you walk, if you eat turkey camp food for 10 weeks your pants will fit tight at the end of the season.
#8. Bring Goldbond on a Texas hunting trip.
#9. Buy 5 Hour Energy Drinks, Aspirin and heart burn medicine in bulk.
#10. Carry your bino in you carry on luggage.
#11. If you cell/Blackberry service is AT&T, buy a Verizon HotSpot.
#12. If you eat Mexican, don't leave the truck without aloe Wetwipes.
#13. No hunt is a slam dunk and roosted is not roasted (SC and NE)
#14. Don't back up your first Nitro load with $10 Nitro loads as that will be $20 wasted (NE)
#15. Don't shoot 3.5" Nitro loads oit of a pop-up blind if you like your hearing (TN)
#16. Don't let anyone in turkey camp let their white lab spend the day in your rental car as the rental car companies don't like that (NE)
#17. Single girls don't hang out in turkey camps.
#18. If you plan to attend country music concerts and have back stage passes don't plan on hunting the next day (KY, TN)
#19. If you miss 3 turkeys in one day, keep your chin up, your luck can change in 24 hours! (NE, WY, MT)
#20. If you fly out of the Denver airport, arrive 2 hours early as the TSA their isn't speedy (WY, NE, MT)

and finally

If you haven't started a Grand Slam, don't start or you will be addicted and spend more time and money than a sane man should chasing these damn birds!

[redhead25]

Glad you had a memorable season but Rule # 6 disturbs me.

[PharmHunter]

Good Post!

[trkykilr]

Hart, I told you what should have been rule #1 sitting at a table in Colleton County the night before the season. It would have solved a lot of your problems.

#1. I've seen a lot of people shoot over em, but it's hard as hell to shoot under em. Sweep the leg!!

[arleen1013]

Good post

[MC]

If it took you 18 years to learn roosted aint roasted you're doing much better than most.

While you're filing away tidbits for the memory bank, remember this one too...shooting a turkey while in the act of resolving acute gastrointestinal duress is a bad idea.
Running to a flopping turkey before SECURING your turkey hunting pants around your waist is a really bad idea.
Attempting to continue running after your turkey hunting pants have fallen back around your ankles is a really really bad idea.