Talking Turkey

[LtCol Henderson Marriott]

April in the central west Alabama almost high hills in the early morning is a wonderful time.
No sounds but a Barred owl and a large Pillated woodpecker...sun rays catching the trees.
Then, almost a mile distant through the oak and hickory a strange almost muted gobble, then another- same bird.
Moving down toward a small field, I found a well located if not hidden spot and called to this forlorn turkey. He gobbled right back-the duel with this Eastern wild turkey was on.
No decoy or blind, just an older hunter challenged since his first gobbler at 14. ( Who says turkey hunting is not a disease?)
After more yelps and gobbling exchanged, at about 65 yards I caught movement through the wood thicket. He was definitely headed my way East to West, looking for a hen or a fight-or both. He closed still moving to 50 yards, but he was looking sharply as only an old gobbler can, and he was headed for a high bushed berm, 20 yards away. Decision time, as the berm would serve as cover for this denizen of the forest blocking shotgun #4 pellets. He was'nt coming any closer as he had made up his mind. Old gobblers get old by use of acute vision and trusting nothing until seen, preferably beyond any normal shotgun range.
But he had not figured on a 1924 Long Range LC Smith 3-in gun, or maybe a 1925 VHE
Parker 2 7/8 in shotgun with 3 in Long Beard #4s.At the shot-right barrel- he was stunned but not down or gone-standing... left barrel closed the distance**This morning it was the LC Smith and its 32 in full choke barrels that did the business at 51 yards. Longer range than I am comfortable with, but this 21 pound -10 inch bearded fine gobbler was about to leave...
almost. A noble Eastern gobbler. Maybe I can get a picture, if he will quit trying to run off with the LC Smith...

[Steve Hodges]

Well my NH turkey season ended this morning at 6:15 with my second bird with the Stevens .410. 45 yards. Fun hunt as I was hunting in big woods. White Mountain National Forest Land near where I bear bait. I have never seen another hunter there but it holds birds.

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Stephen Hodges

Well my NH turkey season ended this morning at 6:15 with my second bird with the Stevens .410. 45 yards. Fun hunt as I was hunting in big woods. White Mountain National Forest Land near where I bear bait. I have never seen another hunter there but it holds birds.

You are blessed (and obviously a fine turkey hunter). I hope your covers stay filled with game…and not people.

[J. A. EARLY]

I have been blessed as a turkey hunter. I retired in 2016 so no boss could tell me I could not have off in the mornings to turkey hunt. I pulled my old license back to 2015 and I have been lucky. Turkey hunting is to me just a gamble. You go to the right place on the right day to a turkey that cooperates. It may take a week for some, and minutes for another. The limit is three per season in Virginia and I won't even shoot at a gobbler in the fall. I save them for the best time of the year. The best spring ever was three years ago; three long beards in three mornings. But this year it took four weeks. Not as many birds and I am positive the ice that stayed on the ground for weeks took away a lot of turkeys. Anyway, I subscribe to the Charlie Cleveland philosophy: carry enough gun. Yes, I have killed them with Parkers. I've killed them with 20 gauges. But now I use different 3" and 3.5" guns with TSS. One this spring with a Winchester Super X2, carried a Franchi 912 Variomax for two weeks and decided it was bad luck then switched for the last two with Beretta A391 Extrema.

[LtCol Henderson Marriott]

Turkey hunting in the spring really is the most enjoyable of hunting experiences. If you are on the River Road west of Richmond and before Dixie or Charlottesville, there is a small village next to the James River called Columbia. In that area of family in-laws, I have called up gobbling turkeys and slain them with a 1914 Model 1912 Winchester. Some shotguns are "lucky", especially those that pattern well.
Now, I agree with you and Robert Ruark, in using enough gun. This year, I alternated between vintage doubles and was fortunate: a 3-in Super Fox, a Parker VHE 2 7/8 in, and two Long Range Waterfowl 3-inch LC Smiths. All of these double guns were made in the 1920s. The LC Smith guns have both been luckily well-patterned on the appropriate mornings. This season was no exception in Alabama.
Unfortunately, TSS produces substantial recoil and may not sit well with 100-yr old stock wood...and sidelocks like Smith and Lefever.
But in my opinion, double guns balance and respond like they were made for hunting the elusive Eastern wild turkey. It does seem that some shy and elusive turkeys seem to respond just out of reasonable range, for those- TSS just may work well.
Then there are also Long Beard, Kent, and some remaining bismuth shotshells that are almost as effective in ancient fowling doubles.

[J. A. EARLY]

Added one of my best hunts from this year. Had busted him out of the tree two days earlier. Let him rest one day and went back after him. Success!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWmVmkXbGgI&t=590s