[The Deer Hunter]

First off, I'm in MA.

So, I plan on going turkey hunting this spring, I have never been before and know very little about the whole thing.


I know that you wear all camo, because birds see color, but thats about it.

-What kind of shotgun load would I use?
-What choke should I use?(I have full, IM, and some other more open ones)
-Does anyone know where exactly I can find maps of public hunting land?
-When the toms aren't puffed up, they look just like hens. How do I tell the difference?
-What distance should I be shooting at max?

What else am I forgetting? I have tried browsing through MASS Wildlife.gov but its so poorly done I cant find a thing.

[Chawbaccer]

What kind of shotgun load would I use? I use regular no 4 shot, there are special turkey loads
-What choke should I use?(I have full, IM, and some other more open ones)The fullest you have, you want a dense pattern to hit the head neck area
-Does anyone know where exactly I can find maps of public hunting land? Check with your state DNR
-When the toms aren't puffed up, they look just like hens. How do I tell the difference? You will see the beard on the front of their breast
-What distance should I be shooting at max?Tr y to get them in the 25 yard range or so, closer is better and part of turkey hunting. use a pattern board and find out how your gun is shooting at different rangesWhat else am I forgetting? I have tried browsing through MASS Wildlife.gov but its so poorly done I cant find a thing. The best advice I can give is to find an experienced hunter to guide you a season or two.

[Kimber1911_06238]

In ct, only bearded birds are legal...shoot the ones with beards, not sure about mass regs. dnr will have maps. use an extra full turkey choke. full choke may be enough but it'll limit your distance. pattern your shotgun...5 or more pellets in spine/brain means it's in your effective range.....it's the only way to tell. Any 3 inch turkey load with copper plated lead shot in 4,5, or 6 shot should do the trick (some states have regs about shot size so check)

[hounddog]

Start off with a box or pump call. They are the easiest to use. Slate calls are not to hard either. If by some missfortune you do hear one gobble, only call sparingly. Do not overcall. If you can find where they are roosting, makes the next mornings hunt that much easier to get started.

Be where you plan to start 1hr before sunrise. Sit, set up and listen. First you will hear the tree frogs, then little song birds will start. Then a crow or two. If any gobblers are around, they should add to the chorus of nature.

I may use a hoot call or screach owl call about the time the song birds start, because sometimes this will bring you a gobble. Do not start any hen calls until after they gobble on their own, or the crows start up. Start out softly at first. Vary your calling sequence. Slowly work up in volume. If one gobbles, figure out if you are close enough or can safely move closer without spooking the bird. If no gobbling, consider moving. Stop and call every 100-200 yards. Once you figure you are close enough, call enough to let him know where you are, but slow it down a great deal. You are trying to make him come look for you. Decoys can help sometimes, but not 100% necessary.

Any heavy load in #4-6 shot works well with turkeys. Just know your and your gun's limits.

Turkey hunting is both different and the same as other hunting. Can be addictive. Learn as you go along, but remember the birds are learing too.

One last word of advice.....Tie strings to all of your calls and then to you. That way you won't lose as many calls in the woods as I have.

Good Luck

[redneck2]

Join NWTF and you'll get their magazine. You'll also get on their mailing list for local banquets.

Buy some videos. Quickest way to learn IMO.

Best turkey areas have a mix of mature trees, grass land, hills, and creeks. During hunting season, toms chase the hens, and the hens are nesting in brushy, grassy areas. Chicks only feed on bugs, so there HAS to be grassy fields close.

Buy a turkey vest. It will hold your calls, and has a fold down seat. Doesn't sound like a big deal until you get in the woods.

Use a camo face net with a cut out for the eyes. Do not get mesh that you (supposedly) see through

As above, shot can be 4,5, or 6. I used Hevi-shot. Lots of turkeys have been killed with plain old 12 gauge 2 3/4's. Super tight chokes and more shot may increase your range. You HAVE to pattern your gun to find out. Two supposedly identical guns may be different. Easiest way I've found are the Shoot-N-See targets shaped like a turkeys head/neck. My 10 gauge with Hevi-Shot is good for 50+ yards, but the furthest I've ever shot is 24 yards.

If you shoot for the head, 1/2 your pattern is over the top. Shoot maybe 1/2 way down the neck.

[Guyon]

-What kind of shotgun load would I use?
-What choke should I use?(I have full, IM, and some other more open ones)
-Does anyone know where exactly I can find maps of public hunting land?
-When the toms aren't puffed up, they look just like hens. How do I tell the difference?
-What distance should I be shooting at max?

In order...

- Load: 4, 5, and 6 shot works best for turkey. You can get 2 3/4", 3", or 3.5" shells. You can also go with traditional lead or some of the newfangled shells with alloys like Hevi-Shot. These latter loads are much more expensive, but they do give you some extra yardage. Whatever you choose, make sure you pattern the gun to see if the spread is hitting where you're aiming. If not, fiber optic sights can be bought, installed, and adjusted for elevation and windage. Depending on your gun and choke, you will likely find some loads pattern better than others. If you have a turkey hunting buddy with several different loads, you might "borrow" several different shells and pattern each one to get a sense of what your gun/choke combo likes.

I'm shooting 3" Hevi-Shot #5's through a Remington 870 Super Magnum and a H.S. Strut Hevi-Shot Undertaker choke (XF). The latter is supposedly built for the higher stresses of Hevi-Shot loads (not as malleable as lead shot, as I understand it).

- Choke: I'd use at least a full but an XF will serve you better. You can buy a good XF for lead loads pretty cheaply, and the above-mentioned H.S. Strut Hevi-Shot choke is only $20 at Bass Pro.

- Maps, Public Land: If your state has a good Wildlife Management organization, you might start there to find public hunting land. As for maps, you can purchase them through a variety of online services once you know the area you want to view. I'd be interested in hearing if there are free map providers.

- Gender: Toms do not look just like hens. The head is quite different on a mature gobbler (bigger, redder and bluer). Toms and jakes have beards. Best idea is to visually confirm the presence of a beard before you shoot.

- Distance: Depends entirely on the load and choke. Pattern! Be sure you know the range of your gun/choke/load. 30 yards used to be a long shot. Newer loads and specially designed XF chokes are putting lethal shot out to 50 or more yards. I personally patterned my load at 40, and it shoots admirably at that range. If you have a laser rangefinder, that can be a useful tool in the turkey woods. When you set up, you might set a few benchmarks so that you know just how close the bird needs to get.

[Guyon]

http://home.earthlink.net/~doodle-bug04/images/Tom.jpg

Bagged this gobbler Tuesday.

[joebogey]

And I bagged this one today.
18 lbs with a 8 1/4" beard

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f135/joebogey/2007%20Turkey/th_2007Turkey010.jpg (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f135/joebogey/2007%20Turkey/2007Turkey010.jpg)

[atek3]

this is my first hunting season too. I've patterned my 870 with rifle sights and a turkey choke... it's good to go. I've got camo, and an egg call and a "hooter".

The woman at the gun store (who knows a lot about hunting) said to go out the night before around sun down and use the hooter. Allegedly the gobblers will respond so I can find their roost. Then next day show up 1 hr before sun up and set up relatively close. around sun rise start to use the egg call. then shoot the turkey with a beard when it gets within 25 yards. is that more or less correct?

thanks,
atek3