How do you make a career of hunting turkeys?

[Cut N Run]

As I'm sure most other posters here are, I'm a turkey hunting addict. I think it would be exceptionally cool to get paid to turkey hunt and get to go to many different locations to hunt the different species. Even if I never get to hunt anything but Easterns, that's fine with me, but I would certainly love to try the birds in other parts of the country. From my days of guiding bass fishing, I know that it is not always loads of fun when a hobby becomes a job, but turkey season is nowhere near as long as fishing season can be. I already grind out as much time in the woods as possible while holding down a busy work schedule. I'm pretty drag-@$$ by the end of the season because I go at it so hard.

I'm not a good enough caller to make anybody's Pro Staff, even though I practice year-round. I have a lot of experience turkey hunting (mostly learning from making mistakes) and went through the school of hard knocks to get where I am today. I'm certainly no expert, but I'm a long ways from a beginner.

It seems to me that a lot of turkey hunters are about as good as the places they have to hunt. Lots of unpressured birds = better success ratio. While that's not always true, it seems that way most of the time.

Just curious on your take on the subject. Thank you for taking the time to do this.

Jim

[scott ellis1974]

There are not too many folks getting paid to travel around and harvest turkeys. There are the select few that are on national pro staff levels and are on company payroll. They film hunts during each season, whether it be deer, turkey, duck etc. One thought is to approach landowners about paying a fee to harvest a gobbler on their land and start your own guide service. Although organizing this in other states could be quite challenging. Another angle is to start approaching companies that interest you about pro staffing positions. You have to start somewhere. Keep in mind by NO means do you have to be a competition level caller to be a prostaffer.

Hope this helps,

SE

[turkey junky]

lets not go over board with the asking to pay to harvest game on private land that only makes it more tuff on the average joe hunter to gain permission to hunt turkeys & most of them guys paying to do so are just paying a farmer/land owner so that other hunters can not gain permission to hunt the land & he has sole access to the property!

just call a few guide services & ask them in the down season aka deer/duck/upland game seasons if they would need help guiding turkey hunters next season???

most of the family guys on this web site will not have the time to drop everything for roughly 2-3 months during the spring turkey season & become a turkey guide so that limits your options...

all these young guys you see on the hunting channels that look like they are liveing the life with there full time hunting career's do not last long them shows have a high turnover rate!!! i mean they bust there balls collecting video footage to submit to sponcers & so fourth only to not have enuff footage for a 2nd season or not enuff footage to even get a sponcer interested in sponcering them... also its tuff on a wife/family if you are always away from home laying down footage & or guiding???

[scott ellis1974]

Turkey Junky, I dont think anyone will get to carried away with paying the landowners for "per bird" fees. It's a ton of work and not many will even attempt it. IMO. It was just a suggestion. Your guiding option was good. As for your other opinions, you gave the some good insight but, not not knowing a persons personal or financial status leaves the door open for them to attempt anything they want. Nothing is easy to obtain in the hunting industry. You are correct it takes a ton of time away from the family and a tremendous amount of dedication. There are a few independently wealthy hunters that have gave it a go made a successful show, but they are few and far between. Wish I was one of them!

SE

[eggshell]

What yooo talkin bout willis! Hec it's easy to make a career of turkey hunting, it's just the pay really really sucks! I've done it for 41 years, longer than my paying job. Yet maybe the pay doesn't suck. How much is enjoying God's creation, facing a challenge against a strong foe, listening to all the song birds, seeing tons of wildflowers, young animals, occasionally some morel mushrooms, good friends and time spent with them, the joy of success and agony of defeat, see parts of the inner forest and fields of America that tourist miss......worth. What else could a man do and have such a broad and vast range of experiences?

As a wise old sage would say, if I knew one, "son you be rich and not even know it".

[turkey junky]

we will just assume that independently wealthy hunters can do what they want...

i was more talking about the average joes that are on this forum... its hard enuff for them to get away & hunt all the time... if they were rich it wouldnt be a prob...

mark scrogins & the drury brothers come to mind as a few wealthy guys that have maid turkey hunting well hunting in general a career for them selfs but B4 that they were traveling calling turkey cotestents & or videoing for other TV shows... so not exactly average joes...

& as for the paying of private land owners to obtain permission for them selfs only to hunt & or to guide is the action that makes it harder for all the average joes to pull up to a farmer & gain hunting permission on his land with a hand shake & a hello sir how are you doing today??? witch used to be common but now after yrs of guys being used to leases & paying to hunt farmers are get n used to stick n there hand out & asking for $$$!!!???

[scott ellis1974]

Well this thread has gone off course as they often do on message boards. The gentlemen asked a question and I gave him some legitimate answers. Good luck Cut and Run in whatever you decide to do! Good luck to the rest of you this spring as well!

SE