Talking Turkey
 

Turkey season opens in the Volunteer State on April 11. The weather here has been up and down, cutting grass one day and watching it snow the next. But things appear to be settling down and I imagine there are some old Toms starting to feel frisky. I plan to be on a 100 acre river bottom farm on April 11 to try to have a conversation with a long beard.This particular farm has some old growth hardwoods with some open fields. I plan to carry a 28" Damascus barrel Parker 16 GHE with a straight stock and skeleton butt. It's choked modified in both barrels but if I can convince a bird to get within range it should do just fine.

When does your season begin and what Parker will you be carrying into the turkey woods this year?

Thirty yards should do nicely Reggie!!… if you hold up your end of the requirement. :whistle:





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April 25 here in Southern Ohio. I plan to use a Quality $125 Parker under lifter

Our season in Arizona starts April 24th.I will be using my trusty 8 gauge P grade hammer gun.

I’ll get the Monday before we leave for the Southern. I’ve been hearing a gobbler across the road since mid-February. I hope that’s a good sign.

Rick, I am surprised at the April 25 start date for southern Ohio. It typically would have been the 20th.
Glad I saw this.

Yeah Harold, that’s what it’s showing on the online dates for Ohio. Youth turkey season comes in on the 18th.

NH opens may 1st, they're goblin here too, counted 73 crossing a cut corn field in front of me today while i was crow hunting. I did some quick math and near as i could figure that was about 1060 lbs of turkey on the hoof.:shock:

I’ve not killed a gobble bird in quite a few years but I sure would like to bowl one over with the 8 gauge .

April 22 here in Southern IN which is always in conflict with the Southern. No biggie this year as I will be unemployed with limitless time to chase Mr. Tom, something like that anyway. Probably going at it with a Parker 20 bore this year is my thinking for now...

You do the deed with a 20 then 28 Parker you’ll need to dig in those old moldy bags of money you have hidden out in the barn and get enough to buy a Parker 410 and finish the series although after the 410 I think you oughtta buy an 8 and do one in with that as well :whistle:

I do believe that the wife has hidden those moldy bags as I can't find them.

Talking turkey?
I use my voice to call in turkeys. I called a flock out of the woods at Hausmann's. I do carry a box call for long range prospecting, then switch over to my voice. Probably killed a few dozen that way. I can also do a barred owl call with my voice.

Turkeys
 

Our season doesn't open until May 4th and when it does, I'm thinking about just taking one out the back door. This gobbler thought he was going to get lucky until the hen got up and walked off.
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I heard a Tom hammering behind my barn this morning from about 6:30-7:45. I don’t normally hear gobbling until April most years in my area.

Quite the rope on that one Larry!!





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Hens as you know don't have to be bred but one time as they store the sperm for up to weeks. So obviously she said "once is enough you big brute."

You should! It is a hoot!

I'd like to down one with my 28 gauge...






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Finally making the switch from 12 gauge to 20 gauge for turkeys this year. 20 gauge #8 TSS shot 50 yard pattern, 33 pellets in the kill zone. Amazing.

Steve you will get similar patterns with 28 and 410 using TSS number 9s. You are correct it is amazing how TSS patterns out of small bore shotguns.

TSS patterning
 

Just an FYI: I'm sure several of us read an article on TSS patterning by Tom Roster wherein he said that straight on shots at stationary targets are the best. Apparently, in his research he discovered that TSS does not have a shot string like typical loads do and thus work the best at stationary targets as opposed to side flying targets.

https://shootingsportsman.com/tss-shot-revisited/

TSS sounds nice but #5 or 6 lead has always worked well for me also .25 cents vs $10.00 a round is a big difference. Never lost a bird with lead 10, 12 or 16 ga guns. just saying.

It has always worked well for me also but I want to hunt with a lighter gun. The ridges I run to hunt are more forgiving of a few pounds less weight to carry. All depends on your particular hunting style. Also the money thing is irrelevant In my opinion. We can shoot two toms here in NH and I cannot recall shooting more than twice to fill my limit yearly. If I cannot afford to shoot two rounds a year I had better quit hunting. Just sayin!

Steve, I'm shooting a 20 this year also. I have 10 rounds of 12 ga 2.75 in TSS, and 10 rounds of 20 gs TSS. I figure that ought to get me at least 19 turkeys. I've got plenty of lead also, but nothing kills like TSS, I'm a believer. Now to get some 28 ga loads.

What chokes should be used for TSS?… same as with lead?… but with the tight patterning of TSS maybe a slightly more open choke like MOD could be used effectively?





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Good question Dean, but I have been using a Remington Turkey XFull in my 870..

Dean I have been led to believe a bit more open choke than a tight full. Choke constrictions seem to be gauge specific to a point. My research led me to purchase an Indian Creek for 20 gauge .562.

The modern turkey specific small bores have full chokes and shoot #9 very well.

I use the very tight chokes just as if it was for lead for the 7s and 9s. They are in the .660 to .675 range. I mostly use 9s. The shot is so small and the payload takes up a lot smaller space compared to lead, the wad is so thick it could not hurt anything. This is using the 12 gauge 3" and 3.5" shells. In my hand-loaded 2 3/4" I only load 1 1/4 ounce so it is a very small payload. In the 20 gauge using factory 1 5/8 ounce 9s I also use a very tight turkey tube.

The trusty 8 gauge P hammer came through again on opening morning! Using that gun makes turkey hunting extra special.

Way to go! Nice looking bird and Parker!

Went out early this morning to a 100 acre river bottom farm with lots of old standing hardwood. I sat down just before day light on a ridge above the river. Two birds began to gobble, one to my left and one to my right. I made a few clucks using a mouth call and the excitement began! The bird to my left almost ran to me but came in behind me. I tried to turn enough to get a shot but he saw me and was gone. The 2nd gobbler never came in. I moved on down toward the river about half a mile from my 1st spot and called briefly and another gobbler answered. He too came in quickly, gobbling often. I had my shot and missed! I couldn't believe it! He was well within range, I just flat out missed him. Two exciting encounters but nothing harvested. The last time I had this kind of start to a season I changed guns and got a gobbler on the next outing. I have been using a sweet old Damascus GHE 16. Maybe I need to take one of the long barrel 20s out next trip!

The good thing about missing (ask me how I know), is that you get to keep hunting. The hunt is really the best part (but the eating ranks high, too).

Looking forward to more reports, Reggie!

I am just thankful there is still a 100 acre tract of undeveloped river property (or any type of land tract) in this part of the world. Developers have moved into this area in droves buying up tracts of land. Farms have sold that I would never have imagined selling in my lifetime. Progress they say.

Not sure why but missing a turkey seems to haunt me in my sleep more than any other missed opportunity. Re-live it and analyze it and ponder it and dream about it and re-pattern my gun and throw salt over my shoulder over and over. God they are a wonderful animal.

Chris, I hear you. Missed a WV turkey last week, cant figure out how.

I feel better to know that I am not alone Harold!

Chris I am looking for my salt shaker............

The only turkey I have ever missed was less than 35 yards and he was standing still. I put the bead high on his neck just below his head… 12 gauge, 1 1/8 oz #6 from a full choke barrel. He stood still for about 3 seconds then launched for the trees.
Judging by the way he crashed directly into three tree trunks and a few heavy limbs my guess is that a pellet entered one eye and directly out the other… he seemed to be totally blind. I searched deep into the woods and never found him…





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Missed my bird with a 12 ga hammer gun as it was walking away. Didn't make the same mistake today. I have taken birds with my SXSs, but much prefer using my old 870 that I bought with summer hay baling money when I was 18, probably taken close to 40 turkeys with it. Worked this bird for 3 hours this morning before it finally made its mistake.