Favorite Turkey Book Recommendations

[Phantom Gobbler]

What Turkey Hunting Books are you currently reading (or would you recommend that we read), to get a person pumped up and ready for the spring hunt?

I just finished reading "America's Greatest Game Bird, Archibald Rutledge's Turkey-Hunting Tales" - Edited by Jim Casada.  I ordered this book off the internet and I highly recommend it.  This book decribes hunting elusive Eastern Gobblers, when the bird's were at very low population levels.  Rutledge was a great writer and his stories appeared in Outdoor Life and Field and Stream in 1920's -1950's.  The hunts are primarily in the Fall/Winter before Spring Turkey Seasons became the norm.  Some great stories and tales in this one.

I am now reading "Turkey Hunting with Charlie Elliott, The Old Professor Tells All About Hunting America's Big-Game Bird" - By Charles Elliott.  This book was originally published in 1979 and is loaded with good information and some great tales from the turkey woods!  I am about a third of the way through it and it is very entertaining. I read a good review of this book in a recent issue of Turkey and Turkey Hunting Magazine.

[Diehard0123]

http://www.westernsportshop.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=WSS&Product_Code=Outdoor+Life+-+0865731128&Category_Code=BKNHNTTUR

Awesome Book, Highly recomend it

[Intruder]

- 10th Legion 
- Turkey Hunting... A One Man Game

[fishunt247]

My three favorites are Tenth Legion and The Season by Tom Kelly as well as Illumination in the Flatwoods by Joe Hutto. Tenth Legion should have to be read before buying a turkey tag, The Season makes me feel better about some of my seasons, and Illumination... provides insights that only raising a group of wild turkeys could give. 

[Phantom Gobbler]

Another great read is The Old Pro Turkey Hunter by Gene Nunnery.

This 1980 classic has some great turkey hunting stories.  The book also promotes the harvesting of turkeys in an ethical manner, which can be measured by comparing how you harvested your trophy by scoring it with 21 factors called: "The Turkey Hunter's Score by Degree of Difficulty".

[Tom Tamer]

Also I have a subscription to TurkeyandTurkeyhunting magazine. That as far as periodicals is by far the best for information on actually hunting. Very informative and the articles aren't all about pushing the next hottest product. I recomend it for anyone just getting into turkeys or an Ol' salt for that matter.

[Phantom Gobbler]

My three favorites are Tenth Legion and The Season by Tom Kelly as well as Illumination in the Flatwoods by Joe Hutto. Tenth Legion should have to be read before buying a turkey tag, The Season makes me feel better about some of my seasons, and Illumination... provides insights that only raising a group of wild turkeys could give. 

I just ordered  a copy of "Illumination in the Flatwoods" as a gift for the owner of the property where we stay in Colville every spring.  I agree that it is a great read for anyone that has an interest in turkey's...hunter or not!   

[turkey slayer]

Phantom, Keep sucking up. I no I am a

[Phantom Gobbler]

Slayer, Never hurts to show a little appreciation for a place to stay and a place to hunt!     Turkey hunters do keep mighty strange hours during opening week.     One of my hunting partners and I also give an annual subscription to "Range" magazine to a another property owner where we have permission to hunt.  Just a small token of our appreciation! 

[turkey slayer]

 Phantom, My property owners like whisky ( Crown Royal or Pendleton and 1 farmer likes Scotch) and help fixing fence lines in the summer. Appreciation is the key to keep your hunting grounds.

[Phantom Gobbler]

Slayer, Looks like youv'e covered all the bases.  We have helped with some ranch/farm chores also, but always could do more!!!     

[turkey slayer]

All my farmers and rancher are drunks, that is how I get permission

[MerriamMan]

I basically divide my turkey books into three somewhat overlapping categories: The What,The Why, And the how. "The What" is pretty much owned by Lovett Williams, if you want to know how many feathers a turkey has(3,350) or what a sonogram tape of a kee kee looks like, he's your man. A must have by Lovett would be,Wild Turkey hunting and management,copyright 2006. "The Why" as in "Why do we do this crazy sport called turkey hunting?!" That is handled by "The Old professor" and "The Colonel" These are mostly anecdotal stories of hunting (mostly) in the south,with time tested strategies sprinkled throughout the stories. "Turkey hunting with Charlie Elliot" and of coarse Tom Kellys "Tenth Legion" should be among the first you check out. Now comes "The How" Meaning mostly strategies with a hunt thrown in at either the beginning or the end to show how said strategy should work. These books are seemingly the most common which makes it more difficult to find a truly good one. The problem I see with turkey books is you seem to keep going over the same old ground, so when I start reading good tips that I've never run across before, I get out my yellow highlighter and start highlighting sentences and paragraphs of new to me tips. Some of my favorites in this category are: Innovative turkey hunting by Jim Casanda edited by Brian Lovett. Sample tip:Gobblers roosted at higher elevation on a ridge tend to be more likely to come to the call than the lower roosted birds.Theory:"the lower roosted birds are more likely to be with hens". Now I realize most people know this as it is common sense, but as a self taught turkey hunter it was new to me and a great little tip in a book filled with differant little tips and ideas. I'm sorry I'm running long so I'll just put in a few more in no particular order:"In the turkey woods" by Jerome B. Robinson/1998 ,"Secrets of successful turkey hunting" Put out by Outdoor Classics and John Phillips/2003 and "Strategies of the nations top turkey hunters" put out by Lyons Press with many top hunters as contributers. And if you read real close you might even find mention of the Merriams or Rio, but don't hold your breath.

[Phantom Gobbler]

MerriamMan:  Good summary of the three types of turkey hunting books!

Another good read in the "Why" category is Bobby Dales's, Double Gobble, Reflections of a Turkey Hunter.  If you read this one, you will wish you had a mentor like Woodrow to teach you the skills necessary to become a good turkey hunter and woodsman, with a finely tuned sense of southern humor.

Sample from his book:  "You know Doc, huntin' turkeys is like doctorin' people." ........ "How's that Woodrow?" ........ "You make one mistake and he's gone!"   



And as my wife likes to say when a new brown UPS package mysteriously arrives on our front porch..................not another turkey book!

[MerriamMan]

Phantom Gobbler, I have had Double Gobble in my collection for some time now but have never started it. If you think it's a good read I'll take it up to turkey camp with me. I was'nt sure if it was a kids book or not. Let me know what you thought of it. Thx, MM