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Gunrunner
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| Joined: | 3 February 2005 |
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| Posts: | 1469 |
| Photo: | [Download] | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | none |
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Posted: 12 April 2007 04:18 AM |
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Hello all. I'm wondering how many of you are into hunting turkeys.
I recently went on my first hunt and got a jake opening day. That was mostly in part to having a seasoned turkey hunter as my guide. I think I've found a new passion.
Even though we were on BLM public land with a lot of other hunters somewhat close, my hunting pardner was able to call up a double column of 6 jakes. (As in coyote hunting he did very little calling, and mostly we waited.) I saw them as they approached about 40 yards over a hillrise, and they walked right up towards the decoy. At 17 yards the right side lead jake moved from the pack, stuck his head up and I fired. Dropped him with the one shot. (My pard got one too...nice double)
My shot was from a Remington 870 Express Super Magnum camo with super-full choke. Had a Federal 3" shell of 2oz of #4. I'm feeling the need for a new shotgun!
Who else is into finding the elusive bird?
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wolfkill
Handloading Master
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Posted: 12 April 2007 07:09 AM |
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I put in for the late season May 25-31. They'll be plenty wised up here by then.
I have gone about four, maybe five times and have taken feathers off of ole Tom but he's seen sunrise from high up in his fav tree the next day.
I'll use the 870 special purpose with turkey choke. The 3" turkey loads are all I can handle. I suppose that's why I don't go past a 30-06...can't handle the recoil.
The terrain is hilly river valleys in south east Minnesota. Farm land is above the valleys and the turkey usually follow the wood/field line where I'll be waiting in ambush.
Late in the season the Tom's don't seem to respond good and hang 60 yards out all puffed up teasing hunters like me. I remember crawling one time with a slight rise in the land between me and a couple of Toms all puffed up in the sun with a hen or two.
The field was mud as was I. I fired at around 50 yards since it was as close as I could get. Might as well have tossed a roll of toilet paper at them.
Our hunting day ends at noon and I was down by the truck another day with 10 mins to go. I thought what the heck might as well sit over there in that little clearing with my back to the woods. Haaaa...clucked up two hens with a couple big Toms bothering them. The whole tribe started to get nervous at 50 yds so again I blasted with no results.
The best shot I ever had (or could have) was at 35 yards. I had the aimpoint scope on the 870 and had circled 200 yds up above a Tom that had spied me after I successfully called him down out of his tree at sunrise. He was gobbling as he walked along the ridge line into my ambush.
I pulled the gun up and squeezed but nothing happened. When I pulled the gun down to see what was wrong (safety on)  he spied the movement.
I took the aimpoint off after that, too many extra switches to activate, I had forgotten to remove the safety, 1st and last time in my hunting life.
 
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sdb777
Administrator
| Joined: | 16 October 2005 |
| Location: | Cabot, Arkansas USA |
| Posts: | 1264 |
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Posted: 13 April 2007 12:14 PM |
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First day of spring season was last Saturday for the youth, and this coming Saturday for the adults....going to get rained out though. The store has been a turkey calling nightmare(don't mind turkey callin'-just don't like BAD turkey callin'), everyone there is just wishing it'd go away.
Reports for the local area here have been pretty bad. Don't think the Arkansas Game and Fish people actaully want the turkey's killed? Season has been getting later just about every year...seems the turkey's peaked on the gobbling about three weeks ago? Hope some kids got some last weekend-it was cold....
Scott (Kroger has out-standing turkey) B
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The_Mountaineer
Administrator
| Joined: | 4 February 2005 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 715 |
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Posted: 13 April 2007 02:58 PM |
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I'm pretty big on turkey hunting.
I reckon I've taken about 1-2 dozen in my lifetime.
I'm not a good caller but I can hold my own enough to fool a turkey I suppose. The biggest key to my success I believe is two-fold.
1. my hunting grounds (found a lot of mature timber, more or less acting as an island of tall hardwoods in a sea of younger forest)
2. I actually HUNT turkeys, I don't sit in the woods and call, hoping for one to come in. I strongly believe the best advice is to go into the woods and hunt turkeys as if you never even had a call to use. Knowing roosting, dusting, feeding, strutting and nesting areas will allow you to take a turkey without taking the wrapper off that new call. I "stand" hunt turkeys by positioning myself along travel patterns of turkeys where the topography and vegetative cover is going to dictate turkey movement regardless of calling or time of year. Requires a lot of sitting and patience but it has worked too many times just to dismiss it. Calling is of low importance to me as a turkey hunter - essentially a bonus trick to use.
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Montani Semper Liber - Mountaineers are always free
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bea175
Board Founder
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Posted: 15 April 2007 03:13 AM |
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I will be at it Monday in VA. 
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birddogger
HB Full Member
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Posted: 16 April 2007 02:27 PM |
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Well, spring gobbler opens here on the 28th and runs to the 26th of next month. I have to admit my score over the years has been pretty solid; took one this fall and expect to score again this spring. However it's due to the fact that my neighborhood seems to be overrun with turkeys. I had a flock of thirty odd birds messing about in the corn stubble yesterday morning and another flock down in the plowed fields along about noon. This morning there was that same flock watering down at the spring behind my place on the neighbors farm. My tactics are to locate where the flocks are roosting at night and set up between there and a watering and feeding area; that cuts down on the amount of calling I need to do( I'm not great at calling, but I get by). Pa has alot of fall turkey hunters but spring the crowds are thinner. My biggest concern is the out of towners who wander around and seem willing to shoot at sounds; thats why I tend to look for areas that are pretty empty to hunt. By the way for those who have not heard back from me the pup is now a pony and really impressed me this last pheasant season; his total take was only limited by my wingshooting skills.
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wolfkill
Handloading Master
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Posted: 16 April 2007 03:58 PM |
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Any thoughts on the size of bird shot?
I know it should boil down to what patterns the best. But lets say it's a toss up, they all pattern pretty close in the gun your using.
Do you use #4 for the extra punch, #6 for the extra pellets, or #5 for middle ground?
What's your theory, what have you seen and heard in the field?
I've used Remington turkey loads in the past and there is a sale right now that seems fair, (ten pack of #4,#5, or #6 for $5.99)
I mean is there some kind of super turkey load out there on the market other than reg lead turkey loads?
I've hit crow at 45-50 yards using Rem Nitro express #4 and the legs and beaks were blown off at that distance but the freaking turkeys seem to have lead bounce off them at that distance. Obviously I didn't slip a pellet into the central nervous system in the neck or head.
It's just a frustrating hunt. If a guy does have to take that long shot woulldn't the #4's be the best?
My goal is to keep it under 35 yds but at the end of day three and I have yet to take a shot, and a big fat Tom is sitting 50 yds out well...
Last edited on 16 April 2007 03:59 PM by wolfkill
____________________
Notice to womenfolk visiting my cabin...the following comments will be ignored:
"There's mice living in my mattress."
"The outhouse is full."
"I smell something dead under the cabin."
http://buckmountainchateau.com
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The_Mountaineer
Administrator
| Joined: | 4 February 2005 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 715 |
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Posted: 18 April 2007 01:27 PM |
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Wolf - I use #5 shot for the reason you specified. It's sorta middle of the ground between number of pellets and kinetic energy.
However, once I use up the #5 shot that I have I'll probably move on to #6 shot. I've come to believe over the years that the more shot you have out there, the better and a fraction of an inch difference in shot diameter isn't going to amount to much under the vast majority of circumstances faced while turkey hunting. JMO.
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