Fan Mail
Land Lubber
I love the magazine and the organization. Being a newbie to turkey hunting I have learned a lot from the articles and have already joined the local NWTF chapter in my hometown, the Wilson County Spurs.
Professionally, I am in real estate, and my company specializes in land and rural property sales in North Carolina. In your January/February issue, the article titled “This is Your Land” was a great read.
Graham Whitehead, Fleming Properties, Inc.
Calling all Canadians
Love the new format as I get to pick and choose what I want to read from the other sections. But how about more Canadian content for the members north of the border? One of the things we hear while trying to sell Hunting Heritage Banquet tickets is how the NWTF is an American-only conservation group and that all the money we raise goes back to the United States, which is not true. But when we get them to buy a ticket, and they get the magazine and there is barely a mention of Canada in it, they give us the “I told you so!”
I’m sure the Regional Directors could provide you with the names of some of our fine writers up here to do articles for you, or if you provide information to the local chapters on what exactly you are looking for, then we could submit items as well for the Caller section.
Keep up the good work.
Chad Crawford
Frankford, Ont.
We’d love to hear more news from north of the border. See page 121 for how to submit. — Eds.
Questions of etiquette
I am a 54-year-old NWTF member, artist, hunter, photographer and conservationist who has been involved with wild turkeys since I was 15.
I enjoyed reading “A Question of Hunting Etiquette” by David Hart, in the March/April 2010 issue. Other “run and gun” turkey hunters over eager to kill a gobbler have frequently messed up hunts for me.
In 2005, while hunting the spring season in Florida, hunters who came running in on gobblers I was calling interfered with me on four occasions. On one occasion, two hunters emptied their shotguns at a bird that was not close enough for me to take a shot at. Both hunters missed the bird, but it ruined my day.
While most of my encounters with hunters tend to be on public land — as the four hunts I mentioned were — there are also hunters who will mess you up on private property. But, it’s much easier to remove hunters on private lands.
Jim Turlington
Deltona, Fla.
David Hart’s hunting etiquette article in your March/April issue hits the nail on the head, but the problem is probably more serious than he suspects.
Hunting public land — in Florida and Georgia, for sure — can be risky business. It is sad to say that hunting in general, and spring turkey hunting in particular, is not the honorable sport that our fathers and grandfathers enjoyed.
Be careful out there!
Tony Brock
Ochopee, Fla.
It’s all about the kids
After reading the responses on “What is the most exciting thing about turkey hunting” (March/April), I agree with the majority of responses that the first dawn breaking minutes are magical in the turkey woods. But nothing is better than the look in a child’s eyes, the smile on his or her face, the quivering of their hands and the shaking voice that follows the boom of a gun with a turkey successfully harvested!
That is the most exciting thing about turkey hunting.
Jonathan Burt
via e-mail