Turkeys?

Modern Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Modern Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

jims

Well-Known Member
*
Joined
May 18, 2005
Messages
1,873
Reaction score
419
Not turkey hunting as such but most turkey hunters do a great deal to conceal themselves/their faces and even their firearms. Here is what happened today so perhaps we should change how we approach this.
I got to the farm about noon to do a variety of things. Drove down a 3/8 mile gravel land and then onto the gravel by the barn. I was about 25 feet from the end of the barn and had been there less than a minute when from around the corner of the barn came 16 turkeys. A number of jakes but 3 adult males with beards of six inches plus I would guess and visible spurs. Now I had my windows down a bit, old rock and roll playing on the radio, and no face paint or camo as I had work to do. They kind of "strolled" away after a few minutes.
Perhaps we are going about this turkey hunting all wrong. :D
 
I'm not a turkey hunter but my father and brother in law are. I always give them crap on why they hunt such a dumb bird and that they are no where near as smart as they claim. Where I muzzleload deer hunt in early winter that stand is in there roosting tree. Those turkeys just don't seem to care that some big bearded human wearing blaze orange is roosting up there with them. I have had around 20 birds in the tree around me at times. It's pretty awesome. Maybe it's because I've been hunting that spot for 16 years and they are used to me or maybe it's because since I'm wearing blaze orange there thinking oh this guy's just deer hunting it's all good. So maybe turkey hunters should try the light rock blaze orange combo.
 
The very first year I decided (and it was finally legal to do so) hunt turkey, prior to my season I had sat down with "Turkey Hunters." They told me all the ropes of how to bag a turkey. Camo clothing, necessary. Good long range turkey shotgun (rifles illegal) necessary. A skilled caller, necessary. I mean the list of things I needed to do was scary!! And last never shoot at a flying bird.

But I was young and could not afford all that stuff. So opening morning I headed out in blue jeans, and a green flannel checkered (black, green, and a little white) shirt. I did buy and apply some cheap military surplus face paint. Wanted the Rambo look but looked more like Bozo the clown I thought. I had no long range turkey gun so I took my double barrel 12 gauge with 26 inch barrels and a full choke, loaded with Remington #4 Nitro Express 3 inch shells. I had knocked a lot of pheasant as some impressive ranges down that that double barrel. I had patterned the shotgun out to 25 yards. And my brand new Lynch box call. Found a tree on the edge of the field where the farmer told me he's seen birds. And sat down in a very small wooden chair I built in my shop.

Up behind me, I heard a turkey gobble, so I did my best gobble on the Lynch box. Then a number of clucks. Twenty minutes went by since I sat down. And in came three Toms. They walked down the hill towards me, so I carefully got my shotgun up, rested on my knee and against my shoulder. The first tom walked within 25 yards from me, and I aimed at his neck. Having heard stories of how hard it was to kill a turkey and not having a "Turkey Gun" I figured I might need my second barrel. So like a fool I put fingers on both triggers. With his head on the top of my front bead, I pulled the right trigger when he was clear of the other birds. The gun went off, the recoil caused me to set both triggers off at the same time, I went over backwards off my stool, flat on my back and all I heard was turkey squawking, wings fluttering, and just a heck of a noise. I was sure I had missed. Sat up and there was my bird, dead as dead from my shotgun.

I brought that turkey back to my Dad's house. I was shocked at how proud he was of what I had accomplished. I personally didn't think it was all that hard. After that I got camo, even a blind, and shot turkey every year after that. I will say, where I hunted there were a LOT of turkey. Now I hunt near the house, where the birds are there but some times just not near the property.
 
Back
Top