Turkey season for Salt River Outfitters was successful this year in Kentucky. The year was also a reminder to me that some things will always be out of the control of the hunter. What separates good hunters from the great is how adequately unforeseen setbacks are met. From weather conditions, a wide variance of bird behavior, to more bizarre occurrences, this year won’t soon be forgotten.
My most memorable moment of the turkey season turned out to be quite an ordeal. I was with several outdoor writers in the field. We were successfully calling in two quality birds that were gobbling their heads off. At that moment, a massive tree (over a hundred feet tall) came crashing down between us and the gobblers. It scared the heck out of us and the gobblers. The craziest thing is that it was a beautiful sunny day with no wind!
Another noteworthy occurrence in this year’s turkey hunt was that Salt River Outfitters saw a man come all the way from Hamburg, Germany to hunt. It was rewarding to see him succeed and enjoy his time. Salt River Outfitters looks forward to continually drawing interest in the US and around the world. This was the eighth year for turkey hunting at the Kentucky.
Kentucky wasere unique this year. In Kentucky, the birds constantly gobbled in the roost and for the first few hours on the ground. They were shy around decoys tending to skirt around the edges. Typically, when birds are gobbling they are relatively easy to harvest. That wasn’t the case this year for most of the birds. Most wouldn’t come in but some were cooperative. In all, 24 birds were taken at the Kentucky location. A likely reason for the added difficulty was that the breeding season was earlier than normal this year. As the season went on, hunting got increasingly better.
It’s estimated that there are presently 225,000 turkeys in Kentucky. Kentucky’s natural resource program requires that hunters report their harvests. This is a valuable tool in managing resources, gauging hunter interest and planning for successful turkey hunting for generations to come. 31,047 birds were taken this year in total. Kentucky even breaks down the turkey harvests by county. Here are the Kentucky counties Salt River Outfitters hunts in and the total number of birds taken for each this year.
- Anderson (250)
- Nelson (333)
- Washington (283)
- Shelby (318)
The most rewarding aspect of what I do is to see the thrill and joy of my hunters after a successful hunt. Unlike deer hunting where we drop hunters off at a tree, I’m with turkey hunters all the way. I enjoy seeing how they react to harvesting a bird. Some are all smiles, others are calm with little emotion, while still others get the shakes to the point that they hardly can stand up. It really is great to be a part of something like that.
We’re looking forward to a new season and hoping for less obstacles in 2017 even though 2016 was a great season. With fantastic turkey populations holding steady in both states and localities, there are sure to be plenty of new adventures unfolding for many years to come. We want to extend a special thank you to all of our customers who participated in hunts this year. We look forward to seeing you next year and to meeting some new faces as well!
– George Cummins, Salt River Outfitters
This past turkey season was an absolute blast! You guys know how to put a hunt on, and I know that I will be back again! Thanks for the good laughs, and we all know there there was no shortage of good times from start to finish. George, the only hard part for you is that you’ll have to put up with us again! LOL
Thanks, Josh. I appreciate the partnership between Salt River Outfitters and Worldwide Trophy Adventures and the great people I’ve gotten to know in the process. You guys were great to have in camp this year and I look forward to the adventures we’ll share in the future. It’s been a blast!