RE: Beginner to Turkey hunting!!!
Welcome to the world of turkey hunting! Some pointers I could give would be:
1. Be patient. Turkeys are the smartest dumb animals you will ever encounter.
2. Get some camo and sit still when calling. For the best results though I would suggest camo gloves, facemask, pants, and jacket. You dont need to empty your wallet onthe best name brand camoeither. I've called in turkeys in a pair of blue jeans.
3.SAFETY FIRST! Turkey hunting can be dangerous because you are imitating something other hunters are also going after. Sitting at a tree with a base wider than your shoulders helps for several reasons. One its more comfordable, two it protects you from behind, and three it helps conceal your outline. When I hunt public land I always have some visible piece of blaze orange on me. Also make sure of what your shooting. Depending on your states regulations you may be able to harvest two birds but not a lot of states have this. Many people have gotten two birds with one shot on accident.
4. Practice makes perfect when it comes to calling. I would recommend a push-button call for beginners, you can also experiment with other types of calls. The internet is a great resource for turkey sounds.
5. Decoys can be great. Again you dont have to blow your bank account. $10 should be able to buy a cheap decoy.
6. Use a full choke in your gun, and pattern test it at around 30 yards on a target of a turkeys head. As far as shot goes I use 4s in a 3 inch shell. I also use the factory full choke that came with my gun.
7. Get a comfy seat cushion or somthing to sit on. You will be sitting for awhile and you dont want to have to stand and stretch every 20 minutes. If money permits I would look at a ground blind. Also its fairly easy to make a blind with a hand saw and shears out of branches. This can allow you to get away with more movement and can also allow you to use a chair.
8. Shoot them in the head/neck. I would aim maybe a little higher than where the feathers start on the neck. The body feathers on a turkey are like Kevlar and theres also a lot of meat surrounding their vitals. Turkeys are darn tough too, so dont go running out to get him immediately wait a bit and be ready for a follow up shot. Like they say it's the dead ones that get away.
9. Make a list of stuff you might need; i.e. water, bug spray, snacks, knife etc. If you have hunted before you should have an idea about the stuff you might need. Otherwise the internet has lists already made up for different hunting situations.
10. Most important of all... HAVE FUN! This is a very challenging type of hunting but this also makes it more rewarding. Having a tom gobble unexpectedly 50 yards behind you will likely make you jump three feet, but its unlike anything else you'll experience in the hunting woods. Also dont get yourself down when somthing goes wrong. Like I said turkeys are the smartest dumb animals you will ever meet, and they will make you screw up. Just move on and learn from the experience.
I hope this info helps you out. If you have any other questions dont hesitate to ask!
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Buck Rogers
HNI clique member wannabe
Don't let school interfere with a child's education
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