ORIGINAL: Beard Buster
ORIGINAL: Born 2 Bow Hunt
It is funny people say that about hunting turkey with a rifle and I agree, but isn't it also funny there are all these shot gunners who shoot them at 60 yards and brag about it???
AMEN shooting one at that distance with a shotgun is quite possibly more foolish than shooting one in the body with a rifle. . . . you may kill them once. . . .you may even do it again. . . but eventually shooting at that distance+ mortally wounds so many turkeys that maybe could have been the gobbler that got a kid into hunting
That of course is dependant on whether or not your equipment is acctually capable of such a shot. If you have patterned your gun at 60 yards, and you know your gun can do it, what is the difference between 40 and 60? The bird still isn't in your lap. There are plenty of folks who take shots at 45 yards whoare carrying untested firearms that in reality have no business shooting beyond 35 yards. There are even more folks who cannot tell the difference between 45 yards and 65 yards, espeically in the heat of the moment when a turkey is strutting in front of them.
I'm playing the devil's advocate here, I've got a gun that will kill birds at 60 yards, and I've patterned it that far. I've spent hundreds of dollars on ammunition, testing and retesting, and driving to and from the range.... and after all this what do I have.... a gun that can kill turkey's at 60 yards, owned by a guy who won't shoot them until they are inside 35. Sort of like Washington's Ditch ain't it?
I'd agree that potting birds with a 22-250 ain't exactly what I've come to love as turkey hunting. Matter of fact in some places just being in possession (including your vehical) of a rifle during the spring season will land you a nice citation. I think it encourages tresspassing just by delievering temptation tooften otherwise honest folks.... Ohlook, a puffy one out in someone else's field... no cars coming.... hmmmmmm....... CRACK.... PLLLUFFFFFF..... 200 yard dash.... another wildlife crime committed and without consequence.
In my opinion, next to opening day public dove hunts, turkey hunting is one of the more inherently dangerous forms of hunting from a hunter vs. hunter standpoint. Hunters wear all camo,make noise like a turkey, low to the ground like a turkey, and often behind turkey decoys. With several of the very real looking full strut decoys on the market and being widely used now, I think that rifles for turkey hunting are a serious safety concern. Even law abiding and careful hunters may not see a hunter well disguised beyond what they innocently think is a real turkey. If a turkey cannot see a hunter, I definately don't expect another hunter 100+ yards awayto either.