[rbernie]

I have a friend who's threatening to drag me off for a spring turkey hunt. I've hunted hogs and deer, but I've never hunted turkey.

So how does one hunt turkey, and what implements are needed for such a hunt?

[Vern Humphrey]

You need a good full-choke shotgun, and camouflage clothing (many turkey hunters wear a face veil and gloves, too.) A turkey call is good to have, but if you're going with a friend, the best thing for a newbie is to sit with the experienced hunter, and cover some area he can't cover.

Something to sit on -- a pad or a folding stool -- is nice. A set of garden scissors, to cut a few branches and make a quick blind is a good idea, too.

[Matt G]

You need a good full-choke shotgun, and camouflage clothing (many turkey hunters wear a face veil and gloves, too.)

Orrrrrr... you can take the scoped small-caliber rifle route...

There's also the spot-n-stalk method, which is actually feasible at times.

[belton-deer-hunter]

or you do like we do drive around until you see the turkeys stop the truck get out of the truck (this is for legal reasons) then shoot the turkey head shot with a shot gun. then again we can get within a few yards of them the are almost domistic

[Vern Humphrey]

Orrrrrr... you can take the scoped small-caliber rifle route...

There's also the spot-n-stalk method, which is actually feasible at times.

I used to hunt an area in Virginia where the law was "rimfire rifles only during hunting season." (Virginia adheres to the crazy-quilt principle in hunting laws, with emphasis on the "crazy.") Since one of the guys in the hunt club was a game warden, I checked with him. "Yep, you can use a rimfire to hunt turkey."

My turkey rifle is a Ruger 77/22M, stainless steel (with camouflage tape on the shiny parts) and a Burris 3X9 mini-scope.

Many a wise old tom, who knew the limits of a shotgun to the inch got a rude surprise.

I also shot turkeys who came into feeding areas (like harvested cornfields) or who simply flushed and ran at my approach.

[shermacman]

Here in Southeastern Massachusetts, they have become like the deer, geese and coyotes. Hunt them like this: wait till they flock into your backyard, walk out with a baseball bat and bean them in the head. Bleed them out upside down, par boil and pluck. Gut 'em and cook 'em!

These animals have figured out that suburban America is the greatest feeding grounds on the planet!

[rbernie]

I have both a very accurate rimfire and a Rem1100 - which should I use? In either case, should I presume that a head shot is called for?

[Larry Ashcraft]

Check the game laws. In Colorado, we can only use a rifle in the fall season. Spring is shotgun only. .22WMR is the minimum caliber allowed in the fall.

[Vern Humphrey]

I have both a very accurate rimfire and a Rem1100 - which should I use? In either case, should I presume that a head shot is called for?

Your choice -- I prefer the .22, because I've never been able to warm up to shotguns, and have a super .22 -- a Ruger 77/22M.

As I said, the people who take only headshots are kin to the people who kill deer at a thousand yards, running.:p

My advice is, take the shot he offers. Sometimes you can make a head shot, but don't be ashamed of a body shot.

[~z]

Check page 67 of TPWD Outdoor Annual. Special regulations for EASTERN spring turkey in certain EAST TX counties: shotgun, and archery only. If you are not going east TX, check with your buddy. Left to my own devices, I use a .22 Hornet, and yes...head shots.
~z

[AnthonyRSS]

or you do like we do drive around until you see the turkeys stop the truck get out of the truck (this is for legal reasons) then shoot the turkey head shot with a shot gun. then again we can get within a few yards of them the are almost domistic


I LOVE road hunters.....:banghead:

[Lennyjoe]

Not me! I ran into a couple in Washington state with loaded rifles in the front and a loaded hand with a 12 oz Bud:banghead:

Kinda takes the fun out of hunting if you know what I mean.

But, to each his own.

I learned how to turkey hunt in Georgia and now I'm hooked. Got drawn for a spring turkey hunt up in the White Mountains here in Arizona. :D

Get some good camo to include gloves and face mask. Pattern your shottie with a full or extra full turkey choke and different ammo. Find the one that groups the best. Slate calls are easiest to learn to use with box calls next. If you go to mouth calls it will take a bit of practice. Watch hunting shows or get a tape to hear what turkey calls sound like. Learn them.

[rbernie]

We should be going for Rio Grande turkey - I can use either shotgun or rifle without restrictions. I currently have several (bunches, actually) of 22LR bolties, a couple of 223s, and the Remington 1100. Of these three choices, I'm guessing that the 1100 would be the most appropriate...

What is the normal engagement distance? 20 yards, 40 yards, or more?

[Vern Humphrey]

Not me! I ran into a couple in Washington state with loaded rifles in the front and a loaded hand with a 12 oz Bud:banghead:

Kinda takes the fun out of hunting if you know what I mean.

But, to each his own.

I learned how to turkey hunt in Georgia and now I'm hooked. Got drawn for a spring turkey hunt up in the White Mountains here in Arizona. :D

Get some good camo to include gloves and face mask. Pattern your shottie with a full or extra full turkey choke and different ammo. Find the one that groups the best. Slate calls are easiest to learn to use with box calls next. If you go to mouth calls it will take a bit of practice. Watch hunting shows or get a tape to hear what turkey calls sound like. Learn them.

Couple of points here -- you can restrict yourself to a shotgun, but that has no effect on the guys you ran into.

Secondly, carry a cell phone, and if you find someone like that, call the turn-in-a-poacher number and turn them in. Game wardens love to find and arrest people like this.

[Vern Humphrey]

We should be going for Rio Grande turkey - I can use either shotgun or rifle without restrictions. I currently have several (bunches, actually) of 22LR bolties, a couple of 223s, and the Remington 1100. Of these three choices, I'm guessing that the 1100 would be the most appropriate...

What is the normal engagement distance? 20 yards, 40 yards, or more?

Try the .223 with FMJs -- you really can't predict the engagement range, and a lot of old toms are pretty savvy about how far your shotgun can reach. That's why I liked the .22 Magnum -- I ran into more than one old tom who wouldn't come in, but kept peering around to see who was calling -- and if he could see me . . . :p

[Rembrandt]

So how does one hunt turkey, and what implements are needed for such a hunt?

Never hunted them, but they seem easy enough to get close to. Sure are a nuisance when deer hunting....just like a bunch of chickens milling around, almost as bad as squirrels.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v405/Rembrandt51/Turkeys1.jpg

[Steve499]

In Missouri we have to use only shotguns for turkeys. Even though it costs waaaaay too much, hevi-shot works noticeably better than lead. With a shotgun, you need to use the head/neck as your aiming point. I have killed turkeys from body hits but almost always it's pellets in the neck and head that put the bird on your table. I wish we could use rifles here. I think all our gobblers have a built in laser range finder set at about 75 yards!
Steve

[Guyon]

Never hunted them, but they seem easy enough to get close to. Sure are a nuisance when deer hunting....just like a bunch of chickens milling around, almost as bad as squirrels.Not quite. Old toms can be downright wary, and their eyesight is so good they can pick up a blink at 40 yards. In deer season, I've seen the same flocks of hens milling about, but when spring comes, the radars seem to turn on, especially for toms.

Here's the equipment I'd pick:

Gun - Non-glare 12 gauge (matte or camo). Chambering for 3" shells is a plus.

Ammo - Any high-speed turkey load will suffice and get you a little extra distance. Pattern your gun with the load you plan to shoot !!

Calls - Box call for beginners. Slate call next. Diaphragm last after some practice. You might try a tape or CD to learn some of the basic calls. A crow/owl/hawk call can be invaluable as a locator early in the morning.

Camo - A face net is handy, especially when you need to blink. A decent vest to hold calls and other gear helps a lot.

Seat - Cushion or seat is invaluable when you're waiting for that tom to finally wander into range.

Other stuff - bug spray, a lot of patience.

[belton-deer-hunter]

AnthonyRSS
Quote:
Originally Posted by belton-deer-hunter
or you do like we do drive around until you see the turkeys stop the truck get out of the truck (this is for legal reasons) then shoot the turkey head shot with a shot gun. then again we can get within a few yards of them the are almost domistic


I LOVE road hunters.....
Yesterday 04:44 PM

i think we have a misunderstanding. i am not road hunting this is all on private land the turkey are just that used to seeing us around there that they really dont care.

[Guyon]

or you do like we do drive around until you see the turkeys stop the truck get out of the truck (this is for legal reasons) then shoot the turkey head shot with a shot gun. then again we can get within a few yards of them the are almost domistic
As long as you're eating them, then no problem. No different than going outside and wringing a chicken's neck.

If this is your idea of sport, however, then indeed... :banghead:

[Matt G]

Okay, I find myself having to defend belton-deer-hunter a tad, here. (Which kind of surprises me.)

I have used his technique, after a fashion. While driving across a larger (4 or 5 section) ranch on private ranch roads in a pickup (en route from hunting camp to deer hunting area, my father and our hunting partner Doug and I spotted a flock of turkey crossing a field and heading into the creek bottom. We exited the truck, loaded up two shotguns and a rifle, and set off stalking them into the creekbed before finding them, stalking up, and shooting. Elapsed time: 5-10 minutes. Distance from truck at shot: hundreds of yards.

Nothing unsporting about it at all, really. Actually, barreling through the creek bottoms with a shotgun full of BB and my friend, in search of a turkey, was a pretty exhilerating piece of Fair Chase.

[~z]

Done it that way myself. Seems to be a Texas thing.
~z

[Lennyjoe]

Nobody is saying hunting from a truck is a bad thing. I frown on shooting game from the truck. If you drive down a road and see game, feel free to exit the vehicle, load up and hunt. Just don't stick the barrel out the window and start blasting.

Thats not hunting, its a drive by.;)

[Larry Ashcraft]

Done it that way myself. Seems to be a Texas thing.
Colorado too.

When we hunt antelope, we are hunting about 20 sections of land on three parcels scattered five miles apart. Sometimes the only way to hunt is to locate the animals from the road or farm paths, and then dump the hunters out, go back to the farm house, and wait for shots to be heard.

[KriegHund]

Never hunted turkey, but i hear if you grill wild turkey it is delicious!

And im pretty sure you can use .22 calibers, as they arent big game?

[Larry Ashcraft]

they arent big game
True, but they aren't exactly small game either (at least in this state), they have their own rules. For one, they require a separate license.

I think the minimum caliber in Colorado is .22WMR, but I would check the regs before I used one. Seems my son and I had this conversation before about using my .17 HMR on turkey, and decided it wouldn't meet the required energy minimums.

[Matt G]

I watched my friend pop a couple of turkeys with body shots from a 10-.22, rolling them, only to have them get up and fly off. I would NOT say that a .22 LR is generally enough for turkey, as a rule.

[Vern Humphrey]

I watched my friend pop a couple of turkeys with body shots from a 10-.22, rolling them, only to have them get up and fly off. I would NOT say that a .22 LR is generally enough for turkey, as a rule.

Nor would I. A .22 Magnum is about minimum. A .22 centerfire is better, with a proper bullet (FMJ) and shot that breaks the wings.

[~z]

If you are confident enough to take a wing breaker shot, why not just take the CNS shot? Both are relatively small targets, I find the head to be more well defined and therefore an easier shot than picking out a spot on the "shoulder" that holds bone below. Just curious.
~z

[Matt G]

Wing-breaker gives the spine and the lungs as extra insurance. I think my friend just shot for the middle of the turkey. :mad: Sad thing was, I had a shotgun full of BB, but it was open choke and we were 60 to 80 yards off. If he'd just held off for a few more yards, I could have helped him out.

[Vern Humphrey]

Wing-breaker gives the spine and the lungs as extra insurance. I think my friend just shot for the middle of the turkey. :mad: Sad thing was, I had a shotgun full of BB, but it was open choke and we were 60 to 80 yards off. If he'd just held off for a few more yards, I could have helped him out.

They are in fact one and the same -- the wing-breaking shot is at the root of the wings, and usually breaks the spine as well. The advantage (with a projectile with enough energy to do the job) is that you have a bigger target with wing roots, spine and base of the neck all clustered together at that point.

[~z]

Good to know, I may try that shot in the spring. I'm no big time turkey hunter, bagged less than 20 in my life. Found shotguns to be a bit much for me, often shread some breast meat. So I have opted for the Hornet or a bow, usually the Hornet. Next one I may try your advice, thanks for the info.
~z

[Vern Humphrey]

Good to know, I may try that shot in the spring. I'm no big time turkey hunter, bagged less than 20 in my life. Found shotguns to be a bit much for me, often shread some breast meat. So I have opted for the Hornet or a bow, usually the Hornet. Next one I may try your advice, thanks for the info.
~z

I'm tole you about Socastu Teriot, no? Dis Socastu is beeg turkey hunter. He say, "De odder day I'm hunt de Atchafalia an I'm hear dis turkey gobbble.

"I can't get dat turkey, no. He's on de odder side of de Atchafalia. But I talk him, and he talk me. We talk t'ree, two hour.

"Dat turkey, he make t'ree bad call. Me, I doan make any!":p

[Guyon]

Good to know, I may try that shot in the spring. I'm no big time turkey hunter, bagged less than 20 in my life. Found shotguns to be a bit much for me, often shread some breast meat. So I have opted for the Hornet or a bow, usually the Hornet. Next one I may try your advice, thanks for the info.
~zWith a turkey in close (30 yards or so), a head shot with an XF choke does not damage the breast meat in my experience.

[AnthonyRSS]

There are a lot of losers here that shoot from their trucks... Riles me up a bit.

Although, if you are just trying to put meat on the table, does it matter how you shoot anything??? Hmmmmm..

Anyway, turkey hunting has got to be the best, IMO. I love calling turkeys in and watching them RUN towards you. Shooting them is kind of secondary to me, I would probably be content just to watch them, but they sure taste good.

[Guyon]

There are a lot of losers here that shoot from their trucks... Riles me up a bit.
I think there's a difference between shooters and hunters.... at least as I define the terms. Some folks just want to get out and shoot.

Others want to take the time to watch and learn about their prey, and respect it enough to make a clean kill when the time comes. In this vein, hunting teaches a lot about the natural world and about one's place in it. It gives a person time to think and ponder and appreciate. It teaches patience and self control.

Can't say the same for riding around and stopping occasionally to take a shot. Feeding the family is one thing, but in a lot of cases, I don't have much use for the shooters who pretend to be hunters.

[AnthonyRSS]

Most of those aren't true 'shooters' either. They are just looking for something to kill. Killing things without a purpose doesn't do much for me.

[danurve]

First off; Spring Turkey season is my favorite time of the year. I friggin love hearing a nice Tom gobble-up and respond. Even better drawing them into range. I set aside some vacation days and usually go camping. I also enjoy calling birds for other hunters and seeing the look on their face once their bird is down! Belive it or not NY State has one of the best Eastern populations in the US. The season starts in May for NY, seems late compared to the southern states but not when you consider the climate here. Imho the shotgun is the only way to turkey hunt. I don't see any challenge with a rifle, but if your state allows it then thats the way it is.

For your viewing pleasure;
(05) Pre-season Easterns in the snow (http://www.huntny.us/forum/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=36&posts=1#M118)

[Lennyjoe]

I prefer shooting them with a bow instead of a gun. Have taken 2 toms with a bow and let me tell you, its a hoot.

[danurve]

I prefer shooting them with a bow instead of a gun. Have taken 2 toms with a bow and let me tell you, its a hoot.

I sit corrected, took a hen last fall with the bow, while it was a a target of oppertunity while Archery was open, it indeed was a rush.
Congrats btw!

[Lennyjoe]

It's hard enough to keep from moving when your raising the shottie but try it with a bow. Pure heart pumping adrenaline for sure. One wrong move and poof, they are gone. :D