Spring Turkey Hunting in the South

Dive into the heart of spring with this exhilarating journey into southern turkey hunting - a unique tradition that transcends sport, uniting families and defining identities, all against the vibrant backdrop of blooming dogwoods and the symphony of songbirds.

Spring turkey hunting…a phrase that means a lot to many across the country, but in the south, the best way to describe it is “different”. It’s a different feeling, a different meaning, a different mindset. It’s more than what many describe as fun, entertainment, or a hobby. It’s family. It’s a way of life. It’s your identity.

A closer view of the spurs and feet of a tom turkey

Spring in the south has a little different feeling than most areas where turkeys thrive…the smells, the sounds, the environment. It may be warm and humid but when the dogwoods are blooming, whippoorwills are singing, and pollen is consuming everything in its path you know turkey season has arrived.

Most of us turkey hunters in the south wait through what seems like eternity to wake up the first morning to call a friend and say, “It feels like spring this morning”. Often times, this is a different weight to the air or maybe a songbird that has been holding back for the same day you are longing for. Though fire burns in us all year, spring seems to ignite it to a whole new level.

You know, we all seem to have our reasoning for why we love what we love. It may be a specific memory from the past or instant adrenaline from the first gobble of the year, but for me, its family. Growing up, it’s all we seemed to ever talk about. Turkeys were a topic of discussion at dinner, ball games, and even across church rows. It seems as though any time a group of men joined in fellowship turkeys were eventually discussed. In every discussion you could look around the room and see the fire light in the eyes of story tellers as they shared their mornings experience, even if the truth may have been slightly altered.

From the middle school “sick” days to a middle-aged adult the feeling remains the same. Maybe it’s the excitement in my dad’s voice hearing my mornings story or my grandfather knowing the meaning of a phone call in the spring starting a conversation with “Tell me a turkey tale!” Whatever it is, I don’t ever want it to change.

Turkeys have shaped a lot of my most fond memories to date and as we grow older it seems to be a little more difficult to squeeze in the amount of time we would all like in the woods, but we try to make the best of the time we have. We share as many trees as we can with friends and family. We may drive through the night, get little to no sleep, and our diet for a few short months may consistent of gas station food and overheated coffee, but we make the best of it. We know it will eventually come to an end and the sacrifices we make to soak up the little time we have are endless.

Some say it’s a passion or an addiction. As for me, I am not sure exactly what it is, but I love it. I love the memories it provided me with at this point in my life. I love the idea of future memories I hope to share with me daughters in the future. I love everything about it, the good and the bad. Maybe I am addicted, and I may dance on the fringe of crazy at times, but I accept it for what it’s worth. It’s just something different.

I don’t expect anyone to ever understand it, never have and never will, and trying to explain it would be a waste of time and energy, but I can only hope that it will one day mean as much to everyone that experiences it as it does me, even if the feeling is different in its own way.

Spring turkey hunting…it’s just something different!

Andrew with a beautiful Eastern turkey

Andrew Parten is a full time Environmental Specialist by day and turkey enthusiast by weekend. His roots are in South Alabama and he still currently resides in his home state. He is passionate about chasing turkeys nationwide though his heart always leads him back to the southeast Eastern turkeys. When not in the turkey woods he is chasing ducks in the off season with his right hand man Cy and spending every spare moment with his growing family. Since the diaper days and his passion has only grown stronger over the years. His goal is to continue chasing what he loves to hopefully one day share his passion of the outdoors with his daughters.