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Team Sergeant 04-23-2014 19:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by craigepo (Post 548707)
We must have had a very good turkey hatch last year. Had a beautiful morning, heard 5 gobblers in one hollow, directly behind the house.

I tried to get a picture showing the dogwoods just coming into bloom, but my photography ability leaves a lot to be desired

I need to move out of Phoenix.......

PSM 04-23-2014 20:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant (Post 548774)
I need to move out of Phoenix.......

Yep! But you don't have to move out of Arizona. ;) My wife is at a bird "listening" class tonight and turkey is on the menu. :D

Pat

craigepo 04-27-2015 13:52

Pretty good tom from the farm
 
1 Attachment(s)
Popped this dude on the farm. 24 pounds, with 4 beards---an 11'' main beard, two small 8'' beards, and a small 5'' beard. Had 1 1/4 inch spurs, which makes him about 3 years old.

I put 3 1/2 inch mags in the Benelli. Shooting those things around a tree will take your head off. I've been punched by guys that didn't hit me as hard as that!

Team Sergeant 04-28-2015 10:23

Very NICE!!!!!!!

BryanK 04-28-2015 10:47

Congratulations, that's definitely one for the books! Multi-bearded thunder chickens are hard to come by. Out of curiosity, did you call him in? Also, are you doing a full body mount?

craigepo 04-28-2015 12:07

No taxidermy on this one. We cooked him the first evening, with some morel mushrooms.

I have one bird mounted, and he was a 25-pounder. That was a full body mount, gobbling on a limb.

This was actually the 2nd bird I hunted that day. 1st bird came in a little too far to my right, then I recognized him from coming up behind the house, so I let him go. This one I went to and spotted in the corner of a field by himself(so far the gobblers have been covered up with hens). I crawled a little, and when I called he came in and started gobbling and strutting.

Guymullins 04-28-2015 13:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by craigepo (Post 581486)
Popped this dude on the farm. 24 pounds, with 4 beards---an 11'' main beard, two small 8'' beards, and a small 5'' beard. Had 1 1/4 inch spurs, which makes him about 3 years old.

I put 3 1/2 inch mags in the Benelli. Shooting those things around a tree will take your head off. I've been punched by guys that didn't hit me as hard as that!

What sized shot do you use for Turkey?

craigepo 04-28-2015 21:27

I use a 12 gauge, wit 3 1/2" mags. I shoot #6 shot, as they seem to penetrate better than #4. In Missouri, #2 is the largest legal shot allowed.
I run this through an Indian Creek extra full choke tube. A head and neck shot up to 50 yards and they drop like a rock.
Personally, I enjoy the listening and calling as much as anything. With the right conditions, you can hear one of these gobblers at a half mile. Some of the most fun hunting I've ever done. If you're into dressing up like a hillbilly ninja and low crawling after a bird with a brain the size of a cherry tomato

Guymullins 04-29-2015 05:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by craigepo (Post 581621)
I use a 12 gauge, wit 3 1/2" mags. I shoot #6 shot, as they seem to penetrate better than #4. In Missouri, #2 is the largest legal shot allowed.
I run this through an Indian Creek extra full choke tube. A head and neck shot up to 50 yards and they drop like a rock.
Personally, I enjoy the listening and calling as much as anything. With the right conditions, you can hear one of these gobblers at a half mile. Some of the most fun hunting I've ever done. If you're into dressing up like a hillbilly ninja and low crawling after a bird with a brain the size of a cherry tomato

That is a quite small shot size, but I suppose if you only take head shots, it is more than enough. Do you take shots while the birds fly? From my skydiving days, and the use of the word Turkey to describe someone who couldn't fly, I am not sure whether they fly or not. The 3 1/2 magnum cartridges are what we would use here for Spurwing and Egyptian geese. Huge tough birds, usually shot at long range.

miclo18d 04-29-2015 05:27

Wild turkeys can fly short distances. I have seen them in the back 40 flying. They are shot on the ground though ( not sure if that is law or just by happenstance) Calling them is a beautiful art.

booker 04-29-2015 12:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by miclo18d (Post 581628)
Wild turkeys can fly short distances. I have seen them in the back 40 flying. They are shot on the ground though ( not sure if that is law or just by happenstance) Calling them is a beautiful art.

Turkey calling can simultaneously be the most frustrating and the most rewarding thing. It is definitely a perishable skill.

Rob_Frey 04-30-2015 17:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by booker (Post 581665)
Turkey calling can simultaneously be the most frustrating and the most rewarding thing. It is definitely a perishable skill.

That's for sure. I've had Turkeys gobbling back hard, but they won't come closer. One time it was a fence I didn't know was between us, and another time it was a tiny creek it wouldn't cross for an hour and a half.

craigepo 04-30-2015 21:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guymullins (Post 581626)
That is a quite small shot size, but I suppose if you only take head shots, it is more than enough. Do you take shots while the birds fly? From my skydiving days, and the use of the word Turkey to describe someone who couldn't fly, I am not sure whether they fly or not. The 3 1/2 magnum cartridges are what we would use here for Spurwing and Egyptian geese. Huge tough birds, usually shot at long range.

Turkeys are called in on the ground. They come in looking to mate. Often the males gobble and strut on their way in, which is a pretty neat sight.

Many states are shotgun-only for turkeys. Coming in on the ground, it's almost always a head and neck shot. Killing one flying is a trick, as they are so big it's almost impossible to get pellets through that breast. Pheasants are tough enough.

KJS 1389 11-15-2015 09:38

Dang, Oklahoma turkeys must be the runts compared to the rest of the country. I think the largest I've shot since moving here was 13-14lbs. Excellent birds, gents.

7624U 03-26-2020 19:10

Spring Turkey season opens next weekend in Tennessee. Just a reminder in case anyone forgot.

No Virus in the woods ;)


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