Center Feature:

There is Something About Turkeys

By Craig Dougherty

Something’s been bothering me for the last 10 years or so that I need to deal with. It’s got hold of me and I can’t seem to shake it. It comes and goes and, well, I’m not so sure it ‘s all that healthy, at least in a psychological kind of way. 

You see, I’m a deer guy. I write books and articles on whitetails. I do a column in this magazine on deer. I teach seminars, serve on boards, produce TV and videos, and hunt deer every day of the season. I hang around with deer biologists, work on deer issues with state agencies, have hunted deer everywhere and have been a part of the deer hunting industry for almost 30 years. To make matters worse, my son and partner, Neil, is one of the top whitetail guys in the country.

So what’s the big deal? All that deer stuff sounds pretty good, right? Wrong! I’m a mess. I can’t look my deer buddies in the eye. I wear disguises in places where hunters gather and I watch hunting TV in secret. I’m conflicted and I’m in the closet because – well, because – I would RATHER HUNT TURKEYS THAN DEER. 

There, I’ve said it. I’m out, and strangely, I’m starting to feel better already. But I can’t let go of this yet. How could this be?

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