Did you ever wonder about using Chokes, Full or Extra Full Turkey Chokes?

 

Putting a choke on your shotgun, this all depends on the person hunting and calling birds.  Do you call them in close or further away?  A standard full choke is enough for 15 to 35 yards, this is where I call most of my Turkey to.  When you have a Turkey at 15 yards or less, you don’t need an extra full Turkey choke, as this would shoot like a slug at this distance.  When using an extra full Turkey choke, your bird should be out 25 to 45 yards, for your pattern to have its greatest effect.  To pattern your shotgun, measure out 15, 25, 35, and 45 yards and then practice with a full choke or an extra full turkey choke to see the pattern that best fits your style of hunting, short or long range.  This identifies the best effective range to shoot your turkey.

 

            Some hunting experiences in 2000, during the last Hunt.  I went out and set up for my normal Turkey Hunting, after calling in some birds, I looked for one to shoot.  When I found a mature Gobbler that I wanted, I waited until it moved out from the other birds for a clean shot.  These birds were close, I mean real close.  When I shot my bird went down and I thought, boy, this extra full turkey choke is real good.  I went and got my bird but after I cleaned it I found to my surprise that I almost missed it at 12 paces, but due to some fliers I got 6 #5’s in the head and neck to make a lucky clean kill.

             The next weekend my son and daughter-in-law came up.  After we set up for her first gobbler hunt we called and some hens and a jake came in.  My daughter-in-law was a little nervous so she didn’t shoot.  Consequently we had to look for another bird.  I thought she had missed her chance.  We moved about 1/4 mile and set up again.  We made some calls.  Then after some tough calling we were answered.  We called some more.  They gobbled and double-gobbled and they were on the way.  Then we could see them thru the woods.  There were 2 gobblers and one was really strutting and displaying.  What a pretty sight with the sun on them.  They were working their way around the woods.  We were set up real close so we had to wait until they cleared the brush.  The first one that stepped out my daughter-in-law zeroed in on, then she shot.  What a relief for my son and I as she didn’t choke.  She can shoot on my team any day.  This bird was killed at 14 paces and had a hole in it’s neck like a slug when through it.  So with an extra full turkey choke she made a perfect shot.  Now she has a story to tell of her first Big Gobbler with a 10-3/4 inch Beard and almost one inch spurs.  (You be the judge, to choke, or not to choke). 

 Until next time, keep hunting.

Ole Sarg

STRATEGY

By “”Doc Martin”

 

            He was only thirty yards away, just under the lip of a ridge, gobbling his head off.  This went on for what seemed like forever.  I was cross-eyed trying to look right and left at the same time for that red and white head to pop up.  It never did!

                        Rule #1:       A Gobbler will not go where he can’t clearly see what’s ahead.

                        Rule #2:       A Gobbler will not go where he doesn’t want to go!

                        Rule #3:       Is that Rule #1 and Rule #2 aren’t always true!  In fact, you can

                                                never predict accurately what a Gobbler will do!

            Most times, though, the best turkey caller in the world can’t bring in a Tom if he’s not set up in the right place.  There are no short cuts.  Only by spending many hours scouting can you locate roosting sites, strut zones and travel routes.

            Turkeys are like deer in that they’ll take the easiest path available.  Two-track roads, deer runways, motorcycle trails, power lines and firebreaks are all apt to be turkey highways.

            To hunt turkeys, first you have to locate them.  The best locater call is one made by a real owl, hawk, coyote, etc.  I like to stand quietly for several minutes at first light to see if some critter will help me out or if a gobbler will start sounding off on his own.

            You’ve all been told to keep your owl hoots and crow calls short so you can hear the gobble, and that’s fine, if it works.  In my experience sometimes you have to sound like a whole flock of crows or a passel of owls to make a turkey gobble.  Long, drawn out owl “screams” will sometimes work better than the traditional hoots.

            Don’t be afraid to be different.  A Gobbler may respond best to something he’s never heard before.