Originally Posted by dirtybucker
In the head/neck area
Bear scooby snack
In the head/neck area
HuntingBC Champ
Having hunted turkeys all over North America for the past 15 years and based on that experience my favorite gun/load combinations would be as follows.
12 gauge pump shotgun (brand doesn’t matter much) chambered for 3 ½ “ shells. Not that you always need 3 ½ “ shells but its nice to know you can if needed.
Loads (brand doesn’t matter much) would be # 4, #5 or #6. Whatever size performs out to 35 to 40 yards best with a full or extra full (turkey) choke. In working up load and choke combinations I look for a load that puts at the very least consistently 3 pellets in a birds kill zone (brain and neck spinal column).
Having said all that, far more important than what gauge and load you use is how well you’re set up and how well (convincing) you can call. Best results for a quick clean kill are always at close range. All experienced turkey hunters, me included, try to get a tom to within 25 to 30 yards.
On a side note, I am planning to hold a turkey hunting clinic sometime in March and soon will post more information about it here on HBC. If you’re interested stay tuned for more to come or PM me.
"Wouldn’t it be wise for us to be more tolerant of each other and pick our battles with the ones that really threaten our way of life?"
weird huh?
I feel insignificant. Mine is only 2 3/4 ". I thought anything bigger was only for pass-shooters.
Never say whoa in the middle of a mud hole
Archery G33K
Hoyt SuperTec ...with a load of Easton Axis with Gobbler Guillotines and Blazers
set up from behind a ground blind
A true Archery Nut
Willing to help and answer archery related questions to the best of my ability ...all you gotta do is ask
HuntingBC Champ
When I was younger, we used to use a weathered 3lb axe and an old block of pine or spruce about 20" in dia.......that seemed to work great!
You'll miss 100% of the shots you don't take!
HuntingBC Champ
You do not need to feel “insignificant” a 3 ¾ “ works just fine too. For years my turkey gun was a 3” pump and I still use in over 90% of my hunts 3” shells. But there are times, especially in the American Mid West where turkeys are under a lot of hunting pressure, were I use 3 ½ “ shells just to get that little bit more oomph and distance. Other occasions were I use 3 ½ shells are when we’re out filming hunts and time is of essence to the producers. In such situations you often have not the time you would like to call a tom close to you.
"Wouldn’t it be wise for us to be more tolerant of each other and pick our battles with the ones that really threaten our way of life?"
Bear scooby snack
What Max range do you feel comfortable with while using the 3 1/2's?
member
are you allowed to shoot them from the roost?
is it illegal or unethical?
"seriously Drunk, I'm not Ociffer!!"
HuntingBC Champ
I am confident to shoot out to 40 yards using a turkey scope or front and rear beads. However, my preferred distance is at around 20 to 25 yards.
"Wouldn’t it be wise for us to be more tolerant of each other and pick our battles with the ones that really threaten our way of life?"
HuntingBC Champ
It is not illegal to shoot a turkey from the roost. However some hunters find it unethical or highly unsportsmanlike.
For me it just plain makes no sense to shoot a turkey out of the roosting tree and spoil the hunting area. The roosting tree is the turkeys sanctuary, a save place, where the flock will return too every evening. If the flock gets disturbed at the roosting tree they will go elsewhere. Meaning all your scouting would have to start over. Besides it is very unlikely that a hunter can sneak up to a roosting tree without being seen by the birds. Turkeys have very keen eyesight, equal to that of an eagle.
Scouting for turkeys starts by finding a roosting tree and then from there we find the food sources and the likely routes the flock will take. A hunter should never set up closer to a roosting tree than 100 to 150 yards and never within eyesight of the birds in the tree.
"Wouldn’t it be wise for us to be more tolerant of each other and pick our battles with the ones that really threaten our way of life?"
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