[Sharkhunter]

I have never been turkey hunting, but will this Spring.

I have a black synthetic Benelli Nova. I know the "ideal" finish is to have a camo gun, but will others work, too. In other words, is anybody else out there sucessfully using a black or even traditional black/brown finish?

Also, is there such thing as some kind of sleeve or wrap that could be used on my gun and then removed after turkey season?

Thanks!

[Mr.Brown16]

Black will be fine its not going to really matter that much.

[H&Hhunter]

Color isn't nearly so important as limiting motion.

[308win]

or eliminating anything that glints or shines. Try camo tape on your barrel.

[plexreticle]

Most animals key in on movement not color. So black should be fine.

[Harve Curry]

Like others mentioned movement, then bright shiny reflections.

[jmr40]

Turkey, ducks and all birds see color much better than deer or most other big game. Camo is more important when hunting them, but I don't really think you will be handicapped at all with your gun. I would avoid hunting with a gun with a shiny finish.

[stovepipe699]

I was taught in battle school to put shoe polish on shiny objects. Camo tape is good too. They sell camo socks you can put on the whole gun.

[Lennyjoe]

I'd throw a camo sock over it and tape down the openings with camo tape. Not that its necessary but since you've never hunted turkeys before any little thing will help.

Trust me when I say a turkey can damn near see you blink. Great eyesight and they will haul arse at the sign of movement. Make sure when you set up you have your gun up and ready as can be prior to the bird coming out in the open. If you have to adjust for the shot make sure he's either behind a tree or looking the opposite way.

Turkey hunting is by far my favorite hunting. Enjoy.

[Fumbler]

Like the others said, black is fine, matte black is better, and camo certainly won't hurt.

If you want to camo your gun then they sell vinyl camo "tape" that you can stick to your gun (I've found it at Walmart). It comes off easily and doesnt leave residue.
A camo gun sock held on with camo duct tape or electrical tape will work.
When I first started hunting I went to a fabric store and bought a yard of cotton camo cloth. I cut just enough to cover the gun then held it in place with a little thread tied in a few spots. I never killed a turkey...but that was because I suck at calling.:banghead:

...and if you have a lot of time and want to paint your gun then Krylon works just dandy. Just make sure you clean the surfaces well before applying the paint. You'll have to put a base coat of Krylon Fusion on the plastic parts. Regular paint and primer won't stick to plastic well.

Here's my deer/turkey/home defense shotgun with Krylon:
http://www.thewolfweb.com/photos/00488898.jpg

If you can't keep still then no camo will help you. The birds key in on the movement then will make out your eyes or anything else that isn't covered.
One trick I have to keep my movement down is to get a forked stick and push it into the ground in front of me, then use the stick as a gun rest.
That way you can work your calls and when the time comes you don't have to move far to shoulder it.

[redneck2]

To answer the question...can you see a non-camo gun in the woods? If you can, so can the turkey. It's all about stacking the odds in your favor. It helps eliminate one more thing that can go wrong.

If you use camo tape, be sure to take it off right after the season. I left some on too long. It was like getting lacquer off.

You can get full length socks at Wal-Mart, Meijer, Cabela's. Make sure and try it before you go out. They tend to slide around, especially on a pump gun. You also want to make sure it doesn't bunch up on top (after carrying) and block your sights.

[MCgunner]

Take the tape off when you're done if you don't want your gun to rust. I have a camo Mossberg, but I waterfowl hunt with it. Turkey ain't my thing, too expensive in Texas. Lots of free waterfowling around here. Spring turkey season is also spring squirrel season in east Texas. I'll chase squirrels. Good huntin' up there on public land. No public turkey hunting anywhere in Texas that I know about and I ain't spending a grand to kill a bird.

[ArmedBear]

Turkeys have excellent color vision. Better than ours, AFAIK.

They're dumb, but they see very well.

That said, from a turkey's perspective, the gun above looks just like a black one. The mag cap and the muzzle look the same as any other shotgun. So, unless you can camo your muzzle, I'd be more concerned about glare and not getting shot by another hunter in front of the next tree.

[LAK]

I would avoid all black which will stand out in all but the darkest or under the most shaded backgrounds. The opposite is probably just as bad for similar reasons. I do not think color is an issue, rather shine - reflections from glossy or polished surfaces.

[buck460XVR]

100 years ago turkeys were shot to the brink of extinction with guns that were not camouflaged. I too would avoid the high gloss finish that some clay bird shooters prefer, but the black matte finish on your gun will be just fine....as others have said, movement, or lack of is the key. Ain't met a turkey yet that could tell the difference between a black gun and a black stick. Setting up with a brushy backdrop or the use of a blind(either portable or made on location with natural materials) will help considerably, especially for the new hunter. One word of warning if you decide to camo the gun........make sure remember where you set your gun down. Camo works well on human eyes also.

[30-06 lover]

Even gloss blue and wood is fine provided you stay still and stay in the shadows and use a decoy. I killed my first with a gloss shotgun, but I was in a "doghouse" so he couldn't seen any shine. Matte black will be fine provided you stay still.

[offroaddiver]

are you going to be hunting in a blind or in camo. If in a blind slow and subtle, and forget what color it is. Until you get into a gilly suit and full camo don't sweat the small stuff like what color it is. More should you have stuffing or dressing with that turkey.

BTW if you want an andrenaline rush hunt in a gilly suit and crawl your way to your shot. I did this once and the turkey was the best I've ever had.