jybrd

I wanted to drop in and say hello. I honestly haven't hunted since I was a young kid. Its been so long I misplaced my hunters safety cert. and have to try to get a new one from the DNR. The reason for the hunt is my fiancé, Rachel, used to go hunting with her father who passed away a few years back. She has recently told me that she misses it out there. Not so much the actual shooting, but being out on a hunt. I figure the least I can do is give it the old college try for her. So, come spring, look out Turkey

I plan to either borrow or purchase a Remington 11-87 from a buddy of mine. It is wood with high gloss finish, blued steel on the rest. From the research I have started the gun is a good start, but will probably need a camo wrap of sorts. I found something for shotguns at my local Cabelas that looked like it could be worth a try. Not having any friends that really hunt I am scouring the internet for help. I read that optics aren't a NEED but they do help a lot. A full camo set up is however a NEED.

I believe the gun I am looking to purchase has a few different Choke Sets (If Im saying that wrong please correct me). Looks like it would come with an Extra Full Choke which I read is what you want for turkey hunting.

Ive had to go as far as to look up where to shoot the bird. Next would be how to field dress a Turkey.

I know Im missing important information. I feel foolish at the age of 29 asking for help, but thats the way we learn right? If you have any helpful info Id love to hear from you. Even if it is a respected website that you recommend that is a huge help. I don't have a large budget but don't want to buy junk either so info on quality products would be huge too!

Sorry this ran long, wanted to give a little background before I started begging for help

Tail Feathers

No shame. I hope you enjoy it. You'll want the Extra Full choke for turkey hunting. You want to get them pretty close and shoot a tight, thick pattern at the head and neck. Your aiming point is usually around where the feathers stop and the caruncles (red bumpy, non-feathered part) begins. Some shot goes to the head, some to the neck and you have a flopping turkey!
To dress one, just put him breast side up, feel down to where the breast bone ends (it goes lower than you think it would) and cut down to the vent (anus). Reach in and pull out the innards.
Get on YouTube and listen to some turkey calling and practice some at it. Pay particular attention to the rhythm and cadence of the calling.
Turkeys have great eyesight, it is their principle way of not being eaten each day! Full camo, including gloves and facemask, helps, staying still helps more.
Check out some hunting videos to kind of see how it goes.
Turkey hunting is a blast, don't be afraid to get up and move if it's quiet.
Oh yeh, know how far your gun's effective range is before you go to the woods with it. Shoot some paper and see what your maximum effective range is.
Good hunting!

jybrd

Thank you @Tail Feathers, great info. I have been watching youtube videos like crazy. It makes me want to get out there more and more.

RPD63

Good advice given by tail feathers. Never feel ashamed to ask for advice, most all of us started out asking tons of questions, either on a forum or close friends and family. If possible, find a turkey hunting mentor....it will really cut down on the learning curve. welcome to the forum.

Arrowmaster

Besides the advise that has been given. The main thing I can and will stress is patience and scouting. Also practice your calling. Lots of calls out there to chose from. Since there will be two of you hunting together, you may want to use a blind and set up no closer to the roost than 100yards. Sometimes that is pushing it. Be as quiet as possible. Take comfortable chairs if hunting in a blind. I hunt from blinds all the time. I can sit a lot longer in a blind than I can on the ground. If hunting from a blind make sure to keep blacked out against your back. You may also look into getting a decoy or two. Sometimes they help. You can get a bunch of info here on the forum, that can help you out a lot. Oh and BTW welcome to your new addiction. Enjoy it

JoeA

Some call advice...for starters, get a "slate call". There's no need to break the bank on your first call. There are several call makers that make workable, decent and deadly calls. Check out 'power crystal' or 'super crystal' as 2 recommendations. There's also a 'sla-tek' surfaced slate call that's also easy to learn on.

Many, many turkeys are taken every spring by hunters using a slate call.
Keep us posted as your hunt nears. We all wanna see you with your first longbeard.

RockyMtnGobblers

Never any dumb questions here, we are all happy to help each other out. You will want to research different shot sizes and shoot at different distances like 25, to 40 yards to see what shoots best out of your gun and pattern it. Patterning assures you know what your gun shoots at and you make a clean kill. Walmart has cheap camo and it is now on clearance, I use a Rem 870 for over 20 years now with no camo on it, the main thing is movement.

Oldtimr

Don't worry if you sound like the pros on TV when you use your call, you will get better with experience. I have heard quite a few calls that I thought was a novice hunter that turned out to be a turkey, they can make some god awful calls. As was already, scout religiously and don't run around the woods calling while you are scouting, just go to a spot in the woods and sit and listen, both early morning and evening. If you don't hear any birds, go to another spot, repeat until you find several places that holds birds so you can have a plan B if someone beats you to your spot. Movement more than anything else will give you away and when you do move, do it very slowly and don't move when a turkey is not facing away from you, they have a great field of view and peripheral vision. Let them come in close before you shoot and shoot for the base of the neck. Good luck

JW

One thing I can add. Don't bother covering that shotgun with any camo wrap. Is not needed.

Think what the turkey will see when you point at the bird - nothing more than a O.

The shine of a blued barrel or smooth stock hasn't spooked any bird I know of.

And drop me a PM where are you located. Close enough you can come scout with me....that will help you a ton!

or is you have never ever turkey hunted in your life you are eligible for the Learn to Turjey hunt program in the State of WI. The training is free and you go on a free one day hunt sometimes 2.
All free! I am proud to say I am a presenter at a local LTH - 3rd yr now. So look at WI if you are there.

JW

JoeA

Here's an image, from a goose blind some years back. The gun in the picture is camoed up, but as JW posted, you really don't see much of it when you're looking down the barrel.