# How will it change how you hunt?



## ryan-b (Sep 18, 2009)

With the cost of fuel going through the roof (3.79 in my area)how will it effect how you turkey hunt? 
I’m a run and gun public land hunter. With turkeys these days being much fewer and far between these days finding them has required more and more driving. Normally when working birds I can figure if they are going to cooperate in the first 10-15 min. Figure if they are henned up, if I can challenge the hen, call shy etc… if it’s not going to work I typically won’t give a bird more then 30-40 min before I move on. Will definitely be giving each one found a lot more time this year cause I simply can’t afford to just be driving around.


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## augustus0603 (Oct 24, 2005)

What area do you hunt? 

I have never seen the number of turkeys the last few years. I have a group of 15-20 on my property that I can't get rid of. They roost every night in a giant maple tree and make a mess of our yard. So bad that it's like stepping in dog poop in the spring. Every night they set my cameras off going to roost. We also have 2 bearded hens.

As a grouse hunter, I've never seen as many as I have the last 3 years. 

If you hunt my area, I would be happy to point out some state land that I know has some decent Toms.


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## aacosta (Dec 18, 2015)

Well im not going to give up doing what i enjoy because of gas prices, they have been higher in the past. I also see more turkeys then i ever have


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## MIfishslayer91 (Dec 24, 2013)

augustus0603 said:


> What area do you hunt?
> 
> I have never seen the number of turkeys the last few years. I have a group of 15-20 on my property that I can't get rid of. They roost every night in a giant maple tree and make a mess of our yard. So bad that it's like stepping in dog poop in the spring. Every night they set my cameras off going to roost. We also have 2 bearded hens.
> 
> ...


I didn’t even know there was any state land around Madison heights?


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## augustus0603 (Oct 24, 2005)

MIfishslayer91 said:


> I didn’t even know there was any state land around Madison heights?


I spend every weekend in Missaukee from March to December. Do a lot of grouse hunting/training in Spring and late summer/fall. I have cameras at my place that are motion activated. I watch birds go to roost every night and come down every morning on my cameras.

But I will admit, gas prices have kept me home this winter. That and lack of snow for snowmobiling at my place. I don't think they've had more than 8" at one time and that's certainly not the case right now. Plus, I'm in the process of moving from Madison Heights to Berkley. Getting my house ready to sell and getting the house I moved into ready has been a long process when you can only work a few hours each night and weekends.


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## thill (Aug 23, 2006)

It won't, not a bit. Time turkey hunting is so precious to me, especially when I'm taking a nephew, dad, fiancée, cousin or brother. I'll pay up with a smile on my face and continue creating memories.


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## d_rek (Nov 6, 2013)

Yeah...No. A little bit more money in the gas tank isn't a deterrent at all. I just wont eat out that week, or cut some other extraneous expense.


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## Yankee#1 (Jun 3, 2015)

TheHighLIfe said:


> if you voted for the guy who every now and then thinks harris is the president, you deserve to suffer - and you should pay me $2/gallon for what your stupidity caused me. if you did vote that way, just keep it up and someday you won't have to spend any money at all to drive to hunt.


I’m sorry, but I’m going to take a moment and respond to this - I read an economic impact report this morning indicating major oil companies profit rose to $175 billion for 2021 and they are NOT reinvesting into R&D. Instead, they are keeping the profits to make up for ‘lower profit margins’ experienced in 2020.

Robber baron oil tycoons have always controlled the prices of crude and gas by controlling production, refinement and release. These filthy rich SOBs own estates the size of small cities, private security forces, private jets and large luxury yachts. The war in Ukraine has highlighted how rich the Russian oligarchs are and their lifestyle - and most of them became rich on oil and natural gas.

Please stop buying into the political rhetoric and blaming the executive office - this capitalistic greed has been around since before the Industrial Revolution. Gas prices fluctuate under any President, just look at the history of gas prices since 1960.

As for the OPs question - gas prices have no impact for me and my hunting. Due to Covid in 2020, I banged on neighbor’s doors until I had multiple properties to hunt less than 10 min from my house. I’m also lucky living in SW MI where there’s tons of big birds. 


Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman


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## ART (Jul 7, 2004)

I hunt behind my house- I spend exactly $$0 on gas.


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

What has me concerned is how much the rain on top of the snow has limited the turkey's ability to scratch through the ice that formed to get to feed. Especially those that do not have farm fields to feed in that the sun can soften the snow/ice cover to give them the ability to scratch through it.

I do not run and gun as much as I used to so the gas prices are not that much of a concern.


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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

Yankee#1 said:


> I’m sorry, but I’m going to take a moment and respond to this - I read an economic impact report this morning indicating major oil companies profit rose to $175 billion for 2021 and they are NOT reinvesting into R&D. Instead, they are keeping the profits to make up for ‘lower profit margins’ experienced in 2020.
> 
> Robber baron oil tycoons have always controlled the prices of crude and gas by controlling production, refinement and release. These filthy rich SOBs own estates the size of small cities, private security forces, private jets and large luxury yachts. The war in Ukraine has highlighted how rich the Russian oligarchs are and their lifestyle - and most of them became rich on oil and natural gas.
> 
> ...


I have never understood why people think that ANY President has ANY say in gas prices, Dubya aside since he is an oil man. The titans of industry have always been exponentially more powerful and influential than a president in regards to the business world. 

Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## scubajay (Jun 9, 2003)

How will it change how you hunt? ...it won't


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## ryan-b (Sep 18, 2009)

scubajay said:


> How will it change how you hunt? ...it won't


Birds aren’t as plentiful up here as they used to. Definitely requires more driving around these days then it used to. 
I won’t be offering to call for others and take others out like I used to. Will be hunting over in F this year. Decent numbers over there. Normally I hunt GT, benzie, kalkaska co. 
1700 miles logs last season hunting K, J, and F( not just on me) 
1500 year before again not only on my own bird. 
Just won’t be driving around as much looking for different birds.
13.4 average mpg and 36 gallon take will do that.


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## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

ryan-b said:


> .........
> 1700 miles logs last season hunting K, J, and F( not just on me)
> 1500 year before again not only on my own bird.
> Just won’t be driving around as much looking for different birds.
> 13.4 average mpg and 36 gallon take will do that.


That is a lot of driving. You must really enjoy the challenge of calling in birds for other hunters. How much is that worth to you ?
If you drove what you averaged the past 2 years.......1600 miles and paid 3.70 a gallon that comes to $442. Or $120 more than when you were paying $1 less per gallon. If you pick up 3 returnable cans a day for a year you can cover that cost and not give up anything or spend money more wiser to cover the costs.

L & O


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

As with anything you just budget more. If I want to go out west I budget more. If I want to go to Alaska I budget more. Simple.


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

Throw a bike in the truck.


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## syonker (May 7, 2004)

No change here as the travel/scout time to my area is under 15 minutes (the luck of having permission to hunt private property outside the city limits that boarders a wooded subdivision & ag land.)


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## Yankee#1 (Jun 3, 2015)

brushbuster said:


> As with anything you just budget more. If I want to go out west I budget more. If I want to go to Alaska I budget more. Simple.


That is easier for some than others - if hunting is at the bottom of the budget list then one cannot simply ‘budget more’. Budgeting more for one line item requires reducing another line item or increasing income. Easier said than done right now for most…

I know in my past, when gas was approaching $4/gal on the west coast and I lived in OR, I had to balance buying new shoes for my kid or hunting properties 200 miles from home. The kid got shoes and I ended up tinkering around home…

Since March 2020, I think more people than we know face those $ choices on a daily…


Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman


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## SpartySturg (Nov 18, 2018)

Yankee#1 said:


> I’m sorry, but I’m going to take a moment and respond to this - I read an economic impact report this morning indicating major oil companies profit rose to $175 billion for 2021 and they are NOT reinvesting into R&D. Instead, they are keeping the profits to make up for ‘lower profit margins’ experienced in 2020.
> 
> Robber baron oil tycoons have always controlled the prices of crude and gas by controlling production, refinement and release. These filthy rich SOBs own estates the size of small cities, private security forces, private jets and large luxury yachts. The war in Ukraine has highlighted how rich the Russian oligarchs are and their lifestyle - and most of them became rich on oil and natural gas.
> 
> ...


Why would they put money into R&D for extracting more oil?
You do know who is in charge of the Federal government and the extraordinary abused power of the EPA don't you?
They'd be wasting that money.


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## SpartySturg (Nov 18, 2018)

There would have to be no gas in order for me to not go hunt turkeys!
I love chasing those birds
IF there wasn't gas I'd hunt behind my house as there is a nice bachelor group hanging around this late winter.


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