Hunting Blogs > American Hunter's Journal

Quest for 450: Turkey Camp

May 01, 2012

Each season, Woodhaven Custom Calls’ Mike Pentecost takes time out of his travels to stay right at home and hunt for several weeks. Besides just hitting some public land not far from his home in Heflin, Ala., he joins up with a group of hardcore turkey hunters who camp out in the national forest for up to two weeks each spring. Here is Mike’s thoughts on the experience in his own words:

Turkey camp runs anywhere from a week to two weeks a year. It is a time of year that I like to camp and hunt turkeys as much as possible in the Alabama public woods. It all started when a group of turkey hunters from Florida began coming up here and camping more than 30 years ago. I became friends with the group in the 1980s and they have graciously included me in their camp every year since then.

They come and go, but because I live a lot closer, I usually just stay until I’m done. It’s a special time that’s hard to put into words.

To me, turkey camp is more than the hunt.

It’s more than the campfire.
It’s more than the camraderie.
It’s more than friends.
It’s more than the lies and tall tales.
It’s more than the traditions.
It’s more than the time spent reflecting and talking about the ones that are no longer able to come to camp, and some that were dear to us but who have gone gobbler hunting in Heaven now.
It’s more than the food and the camp kitchen.
It’s more than the alarm clocks going off in tents and campers at 3:30 every morning.
It’s more than the lack of sleep.
It’s more than the aches and pains.
It’s more than the hunts that ended in "dadgumit."
It’s more than those that ended in jubilation.

It’s CAMP, and until you live it and experience it firsthand, you can never really understand how it makes a person feel to be part of it. But it’s always there for those who choose to participate in the experience and live the life of a turkey hunter.

Tags: alabama turkey hunting, blogs, grand slam, mike pentecost, quest for 450, spring turkey hunting, turkey calls, turkey camp, turkey hunting tips, woodhaven custom calls

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Ronald Smith wrote:
May 02, 2012

Well put, our hunt in Alabama is one of the highlights of the year. We are really fortunate to have such an unselfish group who make turkey camp be what it is.