Does anyone else hunt turkey gobblers with riding mules or horses?Me and my dad started hunting spring gobblers 7-8 years ago with our mules in the north western va mountains where we live. Dad got a mule to use for deer hunting to get way up in on government land in deer season to get away from all the people and to get to where the big old bucks go when pressure gets on. Dad deer hunts the roughest nastiest steepest thickest ground you can hunt for big bucks. But getting off subject. Since he had a mule said he was going to use Jasper our first mule that he got to spring gobbler hunt off of. Let me tell ya you talking about lethal!!! To cover a lot of ground before 12:00 mules are the ticket. We can cover ten miles before lunch time of good government land cutting and running ridges trying to find a hot gobbler that's ready to be worked but with out all the walking. What we do Is start in a good spot at daylight. Ride the Mules in the dark keep them tied up several hundreds away from where we'll be hunting. Hopefully hunt a gobbler first thing but if we don't hear one or we do hear one but he's way off in the distance guess what we just walk a couple hundreds back to the mules get back on em kick in them ribs and slap em on the ass and cruise right through the woods covering ground stopping and making a cut or two on the box trying to strike one up. Sit and listen for a while don't hear nothing get back on and keep riding until we find one ready to be hunted. Killed several birds now because of the ability to cover ground quickly with the mules. Sometimes we won't hear anything and keep covering ground and up later in the morning miles from where we started we'll get one fired up and sometimes seal the deal and get him. And guess what regardless if we kill one or not we don't have to walk back to the truck regardless of how far away we are from the truck. Just climb back on the ole mule and ride em back to the truck. Very lethal style of hunting. Does any one else use mules or horses to cover a lot of ground in the spring to find a hot gobbler?

Here's one of our turkey killing buddies Jasper Bug.






Here is some gobblers I've killed over the years.

WOW you guys hunt some rough terrain i'll stick to the low land. Nice job on your trophies looks like you have great spot.

I'd call that hunting smarter and not harder, smarter fills more tags, as you're already aware of judging by the pictures. Nice job

Thank ya!!! Spring gobblers are my passion. It's what I live for. I killed my first one when I was 8 and called my first one in and killed him by myself no one with me when I was 13.

Nice birds, I like the idea. I use a bike some and a Kayak on occasion, when your on public land it definetly helps to be able to cover some ground.

Out west I did once. (horses) Looks like by the ears you got Jasper trained to listen for turkeys. Nice job on those mouton birds.


Earl

Looks like a great way to enjoy the sport of spring turkey hunting... def beats a bike

That is some great stuff there! Thanks for sharing!

Dad found this dead 18" 8 pt. in the mountains today turkey hunting.

Jasper with his turkey gun on his side.

Love the pictures. Great way to hunt the mountains. Thanks for sharing

Hang on until you find one gobbling.

Great post and neat idea. Thanks for sharing it.

Good Picture of a va bird from last year.