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Turkey hunting homework pays dividends of satisfaction
MDC
4/11/03
Make a few simple preparations now to vastly improve your chance of success.
JEFFERSON CITY--Turkey hunting is one of the most democratic kinds of hunting available in Missouri.
Missouri's thriving turkey population gives Show-Me State hunters about a 40 percent chance of killing at least one gobbler. Last spring, hunters here killed more than 56,000 turkeys in Missouri--more than any other state in the nation. The record harvest came in 2001, when Missouri hunters killed 57,842 turkeys.
You can shift the odds even farther in your favor by taking the following steps to maximize your chances of bagging a turkey.
Buy permits early
There is no limit on the number of permits available to hunt turkeys in Missouri, but you may test the limits of your patience if you wait until the last minute to buy one. Avoid long lines at permit vendors by buying your permit early.
Check your gear
Have you examined your camouflage clothing, seat cushion, calls, decoys and shotgun shells since last spring? Now is the time to check essential items to avoid being caught flatfooted on opening day. Diaphragm calls deteriorate, friction calls may require sandpapering to restore proper tone, and shot shells have a way of disappearing during the off season.
Also take time to check the safety and proper functioning of your shotgun. While you have your gun out, place the yellow "Be Safe" sticker on the receiver. This is a legal requirement for turkey hunters.
Pattern your shotgun
Most turkey hunters have great faith in the ability of their favorite turkey guns to drop gobblers at long distances. Surprisingly few have ever test-fired their guns to determine exactly how their gun performs with different loads. "Patterning" a shotgun provides information about three factors critical to turkey hunting success.
First, firing your shotgun at a paper target at known distances with different loads tells you which loads deliver the best killing patterns. Second, it allows you to determine how far you can reasonably expect to shoot at a turkey and be certain of a clean kill. Third, patterning reveals whether your shotgun delivers the charge of shot to the point of aim.
This last factor can be surprising. Shotguns normally are used on moving targets, and shooters develop instinctive skills to put the shot where it needs to be. But shotguns must be aimed like rifles for turkey hunting, and many shotguns shoot slightly left, right, above or below the point of aim.
To find out how your shotgun performs, make several targets of paper or cardboard. They should be at least 24 inches square. Thirty-six inches is better to reveal the placement and density of the shot pattern.
Set targets up at measured distances of 20, 30, 40 and 50 yards, making sure that they are far enough apart that they won=t be hit by stray shot from other targets. Mark each target with the distance and type of shell being tested. Make a large, black dot in the center of each target and take careful aim at the dot when firing test shots.
Missouri law prohibits using shot sizes larger than No. 4 for turkey hunting. No 6 is the smallest size shot capable of penetrating turkey skulls and neck bones beyond a few yards, so the choices are No. 4, No. 5 or No. 6.
After you have shot one target with each load you are testing at each distance, lay the targets out and compare the shot patterns. The first thing to look for is how the shot patterns are centered on the targets. If most seem to be skewed one direction from the center, you will know that you must compensate for this by adjusting your point of aim.
Next, look at the distribution of shot on each target. The pieces of shot should be close enough together to make it impossible for a turkey to avoid having its skull and neck bones hit by several pieces of shot. Finally, the shot should be evenly distributed to minimize "holes" in the pattern.
Larger pieces of shot penetrate bone better at long range, but the tradeoff is that a given weight of large shot has fewer pellets than the same weight of smaller shot. Penetrating power is useless if the pattern is too sparse or patchy to ensure hits on vital areas. You may choose No. 4 shot if you don't plan to shoot at birds farther than 25 yards, but opt for No. 6 if you hope to take shots out to 35 yards.
Believe and remember what your patterning targets tell you. Hunters like to talk about the once in a lifetime shot that killed a gobbler at 50 yards, but few shotguns produce patterns capable of consistently producing clean kills at this distance. If you find that the effective range of your shotgun is 35 yards, don't try longer shots.
Selecting loads and chokes
It makes sense to use the heaviest load that your gun will fire safely, as long as the kick doesn't lead to flinching and poor aim. It also makes sense to use the tightest choke available in shotguns with interchangeable or adjustable chokes. Don't get caught in a magnum rat race, however.
The key to killing a gobbler is calling it as close as possible before pulling the trigger. Get a bird within 20 yards, and any shotgun will do the job. Fail to get the bird within 40 yards, and you run the risk of losing a wounded bird no matter how impressive your artillery.
Practice calling
Don't wait until the night before the season opens to brush up calling skills. The best way to learn to call turkeys is to listen to real wild turkeys and imitate their sounds. If you can't do this in the woods, consider buying an audio tape of turkey sounds. Instructional audio and video tapes can be helpful, too.
Scout the competition
The best thing you can do to increase your turkey hunting enjoyment and your chances of killing a turkey is to spend some time in the woods prior to the hunting season and learn your quarry's habits. If you approach this casually, strolling around carelessly in regular hunting clothes, not only will you probably not learn much, you'll spook the turkeys, making them even harder to hunt.
Approach scouting trips as seriously as actual hunts. Wear full camouflage, move slowly and silently and spend most of your time afield sitting absolutely still, watching and listening for information about turkey activity.
As much as possible, do your scouting from afar. Choose a concealed, elevated location from which you can survey the terrain you plan to hunt, and use binoculars to discover where turkeys like to feed, strut and loaf.
Most important, be in the woods at dusk the week before turkey season opens. Post yourself in several different locations at sunset on successive days and listen for the sound of turkeys flying up to roost as darkness falls. Just because a gobbler roosts in one location today is no guarantee that he will return to the same tree the next night. But if you have discovered the location of several favorite roosting sites you=ll be way ahead of the game on opening day.
Final tips
Body shots don't count in turkey hunting. To prevent a turkey from running off, you must hit him with at least one pellet in the skull or in one of his neck bones.
If you aim directly at a turkey's head, half your shot pattern will fly harmlessly over his head. Worse, if the bird ducks his head just as you fire, you may miss entirely. Instead, aim at the middle of the bird's neck.
A turkey shot from behind, from the side, or with his head pulled up next to the body while strutting does not have his vital area fully exposed. The ideal position is with the turkey facing you with his head up and his neck fully extended.
When the excitement of the hunt builds to a spine-tingling crescendo, remind yourself that no turkey is worth taking the chance of hurting another hunter or being injured yourself. Force yourself to wait until you can see the entire bird before clicking off the safety on your gun. Look beyond your target before pulling the trigger to be sure no one else is in the line of fire.
- Jim Low -
MDC
4/11/03
Make a few simple preparations now to vastly improve your chance of success.
JEFFERSON CITY--Turkey hunting is one of the most democratic kinds of hunting available in Missouri.
Missouri's thriving turkey population gives Show-Me State hunters about a 40 percent chance of killing at least one gobbler. Last spring, hunters here killed more than 56,000 turkeys in Missouri--more than any other state in the nation. The record harvest came in 2001, when Missouri hunters killed 57,842 turkeys.
You can shift the odds even farther in your favor by taking the following steps to maximize your chances of bagging a turkey.
Buy permits early
There is no limit on the number of permits available to hunt turkeys in Missouri, but you may test the limits of your patience if you wait until the last minute to buy one. Avoid long lines at permit vendors by buying your permit early.
Check your gear
Have you examined your camouflage clothing, seat cushion, calls, decoys and shotgun shells since last spring? Now is the time to check essential items to avoid being caught flatfooted on opening day. Diaphragm calls deteriorate, friction calls may require sandpapering to restore proper tone, and shot shells have a way of disappearing during the off season.
Also take time to check the safety and proper functioning of your shotgun. While you have your gun out, place the yellow "Be Safe" sticker on the receiver. This is a legal requirement for turkey hunters.
Pattern your shotgun
Most turkey hunters have great faith in the ability of their favorite turkey guns to drop gobblers at long distances. Surprisingly few have ever test-fired their guns to determine exactly how their gun performs with different loads. "Patterning" a shotgun provides information about three factors critical to turkey hunting success.
First, firing your shotgun at a paper target at known distances with different loads tells you which loads deliver the best killing patterns. Second, it allows you to determine how far you can reasonably expect to shoot at a turkey and be certain of a clean kill. Third, patterning reveals whether your shotgun delivers the charge of shot to the point of aim.
This last factor can be surprising. Shotguns normally are used on moving targets, and shooters develop instinctive skills to put the shot where it needs to be. But shotguns must be aimed like rifles for turkey hunting, and many shotguns shoot slightly left, right, above or below the point of aim.
To find out how your shotgun performs, make several targets of paper or cardboard. They should be at least 24 inches square. Thirty-six inches is better to reveal the placement and density of the shot pattern.
Set targets up at measured distances of 20, 30, 40 and 50 yards, making sure that they are far enough apart that they won=t be hit by stray shot from other targets. Mark each target with the distance and type of shell being tested. Make a large, black dot in the center of each target and take careful aim at the dot when firing test shots.
Missouri law prohibits using shot sizes larger than No. 4 for turkey hunting. No 6 is the smallest size shot capable of penetrating turkey skulls and neck bones beyond a few yards, so the choices are No. 4, No. 5 or No. 6.
After you have shot one target with each load you are testing at each distance, lay the targets out and compare the shot patterns. The first thing to look for is how the shot patterns are centered on the targets. If most seem to be skewed one direction from the center, you will know that you must compensate for this by adjusting your point of aim.
Next, look at the distribution of shot on each target. The pieces of shot should be close enough together to make it impossible for a turkey to avoid having its skull and neck bones hit by several pieces of shot. Finally, the shot should be evenly distributed to minimize "holes" in the pattern.
Larger pieces of shot penetrate bone better at long range, but the tradeoff is that a given weight of large shot has fewer pellets than the same weight of smaller shot. Penetrating power is useless if the pattern is too sparse or patchy to ensure hits on vital areas. You may choose No. 4 shot if you don't plan to shoot at birds farther than 25 yards, but opt for No. 6 if you hope to take shots out to 35 yards.
Believe and remember what your patterning targets tell you. Hunters like to talk about the once in a lifetime shot that killed a gobbler at 50 yards, but few shotguns produce patterns capable of consistently producing clean kills at this distance. If you find that the effective range of your shotgun is 35 yards, don't try longer shots.
Selecting loads and chokes
It makes sense to use the heaviest load that your gun will fire safely, as long as the kick doesn't lead to flinching and poor aim. It also makes sense to use the tightest choke available in shotguns with interchangeable or adjustable chokes. Don't get caught in a magnum rat race, however.
The key to killing a gobbler is calling it as close as possible before pulling the trigger. Get a bird within 20 yards, and any shotgun will do the job. Fail to get the bird within 40 yards, and you run the risk of losing a wounded bird no matter how impressive your artillery.
Practice calling
Don't wait until the night before the season opens to brush up calling skills. The best way to learn to call turkeys is to listen to real wild turkeys and imitate their sounds. If you can't do this in the woods, consider buying an audio tape of turkey sounds. Instructional audio and video tapes can be helpful, too.
Scout the competition
The best thing you can do to increase your turkey hunting enjoyment and your chances of killing a turkey is to spend some time in the woods prior to the hunting season and learn your quarry's habits. If you approach this casually, strolling around carelessly in regular hunting clothes, not only will you probably not learn much, you'll spook the turkeys, making them even harder to hunt.
Approach scouting trips as seriously as actual hunts. Wear full camouflage, move slowly and silently and spend most of your time afield sitting absolutely still, watching and listening for information about turkey activity.
As much as possible, do your scouting from afar. Choose a concealed, elevated location from which you can survey the terrain you plan to hunt, and use binoculars to discover where turkeys like to feed, strut and loaf.
Most important, be in the woods at dusk the week before turkey season opens. Post yourself in several different locations at sunset on successive days and listen for the sound of turkeys flying up to roost as darkness falls. Just because a gobbler roosts in one location today is no guarantee that he will return to the same tree the next night. But if you have discovered the location of several favorite roosting sites you=ll be way ahead of the game on opening day.
Final tips
Body shots don't count in turkey hunting. To prevent a turkey from running off, you must hit him with at least one pellet in the skull or in one of his neck bones.
If you aim directly at a turkey's head, half your shot pattern will fly harmlessly over his head. Worse, if the bird ducks his head just as you fire, you may miss entirely. Instead, aim at the middle of the bird's neck.
A turkey shot from behind, from the side, or with his head pulled up next to the body while strutting does not have his vital area fully exposed. The ideal position is with the turkey facing you with his head up and his neck fully extended.
When the excitement of the hunt builds to a spine-tingling crescendo, remind yourself that no turkey is worth taking the chance of hurting another hunter or being injured yourself. Force yourself to wait until you can see the entire bird before clicking off the safety on your gun. Look beyond your target before pulling the trigger to be sure no one else is in the line of fire.
- Jim Low -
