Anybody else keep a journal?

I try to force myself to journal regarding my turkey hunting experiences each season. At first, I kept one for each day I went out, but recently have switched to only logging the successful hunts.

It never fails, I learn something new each hunt, often several things.

Also, I find myself awfully rusty at the beginning of every spring season, and reading the previous year’s journal entries helps my mental preparation by jogging my memory. After a few years, it almost becomes a study reference or guide.

Anybody else do the same? Any specific format?

Joel

I always try but then I forget. But I do have topo maps of the areas I hunt and mark where I harvest a turkey, deer, etc. And in a jornal list conditions, weapon used, weight, spur length, etc. Its not so much something to learn from, but its nice to remember details of past hunts.

I also just record the successful hunts. I have a book with every deer i shot in it along with the date, conditons, where, when and with what it was harvested with. With turkeys i just save a document on microsoft word and update it with where and when and the details of the bird harvested.

I do this alot with deer hunting and fishing. Im just getting into turkey hunting and im sure i will be doing it with turkey hunting too.

i started keeping a journal the first season my home county opened for hunting turkeys in ’91.
used to record every hunt, but that didnt last long. now only successful hunts, i record a brief recap of the hunt, calls used and type of calling, weather conditions and anything else unique about the hunt.
its great to flip through the journal every now and then. amazing all the stuff i now forget, but i can go through my turkey journal and see the hunts and recall every detail like watching a video.

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i started keeping a journal the first season my home county opened for hunting turkeys in ’91.

used to record every hunt, but that didnt last long. now only successful hunts, i record a brief recap of the hunt, calls used and type of calling, weather conditions and anything else unique about the hunt.

its great to flip through the journal every now and then. amazing all the stuff i now forget, but i can go through my turkey journal and see the hunts and recall every detail like watching a video.

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That’s awesome. I know just what you mean when you say “like watching a video.” Funny how sometimes we need a little snippet to jog the memory, but after that, it’s like it was yesterday!

You and I have been turkey hunting about the same amount of time, and my only regret is not starting a journal sooner. Mine doesn’t get good until 2000.

Joel

I’ve thought about writing in a journal many times but still have not commited to doing it. I guess I can always go back and read my hunting reports here on IDO.

I videotape my hunts…the best journal I could ever keep!