Customer Reviews

Wild Turkeys: Hunting and Watching

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
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I was amazed by this book; it was a real page turner. I could not put it down and read straight though it in a few days. The author (John Mettler) combines great information and anecdotes to apply what he describes. Mr. Mettler is a veterinarian so he is able to explain all sorts of reasons behind the behavior of the wild turkey. You'll not only learn where turkeys will be, but why they are there. Great for a begining turkey hunter and the acomplished one who needs a little brush up on stratagies.

Mettler gives a thorough examination of the wild turkey. He covers information about its origins, habitat, calls, and the equipment and skills necessary for a successful and ethical harvest. The illustrations also give clarity to the greenhorn turkey hunter.

I've only beeen hunting twice in my life, once deer hunting with a .30-06 and the other quail hunting with a 12-gauge shotgun, so while hunting is not really an interest of mine, I was still struck by the title of a book devoted exclusively to turkey hunting, so I decided to check it out. (Also, at first blush I thought the title had to do with the managers I've had over the years. On the other hand, they're more like tame or couch turkeys. :-)).

I learned some interesting things about turkeys and turkey hunting from this book. For example, the author makes the interesting statement that turkey hunting is the most dangerous hunting sport in the U.S. Apparently there are more hunting accidents turkey shooting than in any other sport. The author says the reasons involve the need for complete camouflage, the use of new magnum shotgun loads with ranges of over 100 yards, the wariness and difficulty of the quarry, and the fact that people try to actively stalk the turkeys and end up getting in each other's line of fire.

The book discusses many aspects of turkey hunting, and there are chapters on habits and habitat, safety and equipment, field dressing, photography, cooking and recipes, and mounting and preserving your trophy. I was struck by some of the recipes which included grandma's sausage stuffing, Wiener schnitzel, savory turkey pie, Plainville turkey thighs, and turkey parmesan and tettrazini, all of which sounded quite appetizing. That's only a sampler. And for those interested in black powder hunting and shooting there is even a section devoted to the use of those rifles, as well as more typical modern rifles. Finally there are appendices listing state game commissions and a glossary of hunting terms.

I noted that the author is apparently a veterinarian, and he certainly knows a lot about birds and specifically turkeys. The text is well written and there are plenty of illustrations to accompany the text. Although as I said I'm no expert in this area this seemed like an excellent book on the subject which I can highly recommend.

Good tips, hope it will bring success in the Spring. I think it should also help in next falls hunt too.

I have read several turkey hunting books, magazines, and articles. This book does contain some good information, but mainly just touches on the basics. As an experienced hunter, this book didn't really offer me any help I could use in the field. I would only recommend this book for a hunter new to turkey hunting and only wanting brief information.