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Finally Got a Turkey


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Finally got a turkey this morning!

19.5 Pounds

9 1/2 inch beard

1 1/2 inch spurs

I have been after a flock on the family farm since the 26th, but haven't been able to get close enough for a shot, as they are roosting on the treeline on the east (river)  side of a big 15+ acre bean field, and keep flying into the field, and are always out of range.

Finally this morning I got up real early and set up quietly along the treeline near the roost.

Had this tom fly down at 6:00 and he walked into range within 3 minutes after flying down!

 

100_0744.JPG

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2 hours ago, smerchly said:

Good shooting Gene , nice fat tom !   

What shot size do you use ?   

Thanks Bill, and everyone.

Bill, I shoot a 12gauge Benelli Nova pump, and used Winchester LongBeard 3 1/2 inch #5 shot.  Those loads can reach out a long way and get quick kills!

 

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I have never hunted for turkeys only geese which we used #2 Imperials . I thought #5 might be too light , but you proved you don't need to go that heavy . Congrats again !

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Tough year on my end as well, all the tom's on my property are hen'd up and will not leave them. Very frustrating listening to them get led away every morning. Getting them in is only half the battle, hitting one in the head with an arrow is the real challenge. The landowner doesn't want guns on his property, oh well still nice to be outdoors. Hopefully Ill find a loner soon...

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14 hours ago, smerchly said:

I have never hunted for turkeys only geese which we used #2 Imperials . I thought #5 might be too light , but you proved you don't need to go that heavy . Congrats again !

The MNRF regulations allow only shot sizes 4, 5, 6, and 7 to hunt turkey.

Since you aim to hit them in the head and neck, the more pellets the better, and the small shot sizes in the turkey loads do the job quite well.

Personally, I prefer #6 shot, but when I went to buy a new box last month I could only get #5.

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1 hour ago, genec said:

the more pellets the better

That makes sense , so a tight choke is also best ?

 

3 hours ago, Digger said:

the head with an arrow is the real challenge.

Would an arrow with a blunt round rubber head be more likely to hit the target  ?  (like a boxing glove) lol

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With turkey hunting, you want the tightest choke pattern you can get, cause there’s no such thing as too many pellets in the head and neck for a clean kill on a turkey!

And shell brand, wad, shot size can all vary greatly in pattern density gun-by-gun, because no 2 guns pattern exactly alike, even with the same choke and brand of ammunition.

I tried 3 different specialty turkey chokes before I found one that produced really tight patterns at longer ranges with my gun.

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