Beezer

As a personal opinion, I don't even consider shooting until he's come as close as he's going to get. If it's farther than I can toss something at him, I won't shoot.

JW

Oh boy Beezer - good analogy - If I used that and because of shoulder surgery I now throw like a.......

hehe

JW

JW

SwampCollie

First off here, I really don't care. If you have the rig to do it.... good on you. Do your homework... get a good grade.... and the extra credit question too. If you just want "C's" then, well, whatever... its your hunt.... I hope you enjoy it no matter how you do it. Be safe and have a good time. I don't try and impose my will or my sentiments on anybody... and I have kinda grown to the point that I don't overwhelmingly feel for blowhards that do either.... and that is probably because I used to be one... some people probably think I still am..... whatever.

I'm going to spin a hypothetical at you mohunter just to kinda show you where the other side is coming from.......What you are saying in a nutshell is.... if you know you can kill a deer with a dull broadhead (and I'll vouch that you can.... to the tune of a practice blade Muzzy head) then why bother with trying to find something razor sharp that will just kill a deer more dead? The insurance may be nice, but you don't want it right? We all know better.

To be perfectly honest here, I pretty much feel the same way you do. I like to get birds in tight. I hunt places where they have to come in tight... and I do it on purpose. Conversely, my main set up turkey gun will kill a turkey at 70 yards.... no doubt in my mind. And I have killed a bird with it just a few feet short of 60 yards. That bird aside,the other 32 I've killed in my relativelyshort yet fruitful turkey huntingcareer have all been inside 41 yards.... and nearly all have be measured by laser after the fact.

I've probably put close to 50 man hours of labor into that gun... be it cleaning or polishing or shooting/patterning. Not to mention (and I did the math) over $400 worth of ammunition over the course of five years. The homework is done... and numbers aside, I had in the field results before I had numbers.

Rather than a hypothetical here... let me give you a real-life experience from last spring....

My best friend and I were hunting on my lease during the middle part of May, which is tail end of our season in VA. We had heard a couple gobbles early, and the birds for some reason didn't want to come our way.... likely an unforeseen obstacle, but perhaps they just didn't want to go that far out of their way.. so it goes. At about 9 we decided to ease back out to the field and circle around the swamp in the direction the birds headed. As we neared the edge, I low crawled up just to be safe (I'd only seen one bird in this field ever, and my girlfriend at the time shot him on opening morning that year). But today was different. There were FIVE longbeards down in the corner, probably 150 yards from us. We set up and called lightly. There was a crest of a hill.... not more than shin high to a man from where we sat. The birds came in.... and started getting nervous. Now, I don't want to brag, but I'm good at judging distance, very good. I'll keep track over a round of 30 target 3D and never misjudge one by more than 2 yards. I told Kevin they were too far. He SWORE they were not a step over 50. He counted down... and I pretended like I was going to shoot. Kevin shot on 3.... and I acted like I did. He killed his bird. I told him I must have missed. No harm no foul. When Kevin stood up.... he said something I'm not going to repeat.... but minus the explitives, it was to tune of 'That was a lot farther than I thought.' Kevin stood where his bird lay and I hit him with the range finder...... 73 yards. And the bird never so much as flopped..... just died as if the Lord had called his name.

So what does all this mean.... turkey hunting doesn't always work out the way you plan it. Sometimes you get caught with your britches down and you have to make do with what you are handed. The difference between turkey planners and turkey killers is that the killers can convert 2 out of 3 times on 3rd down while the planners go to Hardees if everything isn't picture perfect.

deer shot

i will shoot at a turkey past 40 yards.I spent a lot of money on my set up so I can take a long shot if need be.i will not let anyone make me feel bad about it or act like I am less of a hunter than them.most of the turkey I kill are 25 yards or lessbut I want to be ready for that long shot if I need it.

Shoulder Strap

I Dont see a thing wrong in the world with blastin a bird at 60 yards or for havin the best gun set up possible. When you have a tom in the same multi flora rose bush as you and is with in spittin distance it dont matter at all cause you cant get your gun up to shoot him. This comment is not meant to be snyde in any way.

mohunter82

i think some people are taking this wrong. i dont mean to down grade anyone that takes longer shots. if you KNOW your equipment and are confident with it go ahead. It doesnt make you any less of a hunter.
I was just saying that I am the type that prefers to get in close and was wondering if there was anyone else like this left.

and shoulder strap. i dont have to worry about rasing my gun cause its already up. one of my main rules is that if i wanna play close i keep my gun up at all times to minimize movement.

SwampCollie

I understand that your initial post might have come across different than you intended it to... but you were asking what happened to 'calling turkeys'.... nothing has happened to calling turkeys..... it just so happens that something has happened to firearms, ammunition, and the knowledge of how to maximize the use of both together.

I don't think that anyone will debate with you that they'd rather kill a bird at 30 yards than at 60 yards. Thats like a girl too pretty, or a car too fast.... closer is always better (up to a point).