Let's talk spring turkey hunting

gimruis

gimruis

Well-known member
I know there are a fair amount of turkey hunters on this forum because more than once a pheasant or quail thread has gone sideways on a discussion of it. I don't know if this is the right place for a thread like this, but here goes.

2022 Spring Turkey hunting - post your strategies, failures, success, gear, and recipes right here.

Gobble Gobble
 
Yep, this will be the most challenging yet for me. Getting a new hip in May. I fell into the I don't feel good, so no exercise/ no exercise makes me feel worse circle. I'm moving more now. I'm choosing some pain over being in terrible shape.
 
Head to NW Oklahoma opening weekend, setup on a small food plot and wait for a Tom to come beat up my Jake decoy. One bird limit in Oklahoma this year, so will probably be a short turkey season.
 
We will just play with them again this year, call em in and let them walk. Numbers are so down in our area I feel guilty taking one the last couple years. Used to see 40+ hens and a dozen or so Toms almost daily in the field we hunt most, now see less than a dozen hens and 2-3 Toms. Sad.
 
Locate birds on the roost, get close without spooking them, sit and call sparingly, hold still and get them inside of 30 yards and it's a done deal!

Here's a previous post of mine with some pattern info on several lead turkey loads.

With the spring turkey season upon us and hunters discussing which turkey load is “best”, I thought I would post some of my turkey load pattern numbers. Hopefully, this information will allow hunters to make smart choices when it comes to selecting a turkey load and encourage all turkey hunters to shoot a few patterns to determine the maximum effective range of their gun/choke/load combo! Also, I did much of this patterning several years ago and there are several new Heavier Than Lead (HTL) turkey loads on the market that I haven’t pattered. Anyway, you’ll get the idea.

The 12-gauge 3-inch loads were shot through a Remington 870 Special Purpose shotgun with a 26-inch barrel and the 12-gauge 3 ½-inch loads were shot through a Remington 870 Super Magnum shotgun with a 23-inch barrel, except the 3 ½-inch Winchester Long Beard loads were shot through a 28-inch barrel. A Remington Turkey Super Full Extended choke (.063-inch constriction from bore gauge) was used for all lead loads tested.

Pattern testing was accomplished by using 48-inch x 48-inch pattern paper with a turkey head-and-neck target placed in the center of each pattern sheet prior to the patterning shot; yardages were measure with a tape from muzzle to target; and pattern counts, pattern percentages and Skull/Cervical Vertebrae (S/CV) hits were the average from five patterns.

In-shell pellet count averages were the result of cutting open and counting the pellets from five shells out of the same box/lot as the pattern loads. These in-shell pellet counts allowed for true pattern percentage calculations.

Remember, an effective turkey load needs to have enough pellets to provide sufficient pattern density and possess pellets with adequate penetrating energy to reliably penetrate a turkey’s skull and/or cervical vertebra at the yardage used!

Here’s my short take on this topic…
out to 30 yards "most all" turkey loads with a full choke will be 100% effective
out to 40 yards "many" turkey loads with a full or tighter choke can be 100% effective
out to 50 yards "some" turkey loads with a tight full turkey choke may be 100% effective
out to 60 yards "very few" turkey loads with a tight full turkey choke are 100% effective

40-YARD PATTERNS
Win Super-X 3” 1 7/8 oz #6 lead (438 pellets) / pattern 363 (83%) / S/CV hits 4.6
Rem Duplex 3" 1 7/8 oz #4 x #6 lead (385 pellets) / pattern 305 (79%) / S/CV hits 4.2

Fed Hi-Velocity 3" 1 3/4 oz #5 lead (322 pellets) / pattern 272 (85%) / S/CV hits 3.6
Rem Hi-Velocity 3" 1 3/4 oz #5 lead (280 pellets) / pattern 225 (80%) / S/CV hits 5.8
Win Hi-Velocity 3" 1 3/4 oz #5 lead (293 pellets) / pattern 257 (88%) / S/CV hits 5.8
Win Long Beard 3" 1 3/4 oz #5 lead (305 pellets) / pattern 295 (97%) / S/CV hits 11.0 / 10” pattern 118
Win Super-X 3" 1 7/8 oz #5 lead (317 pellets) / pattern 276 (87%) / S/CV hits 3.4
Rem Premier 3" 2 oz #5 lead (328 pellets) / pattern 258 (79%) / S/CV hits 3.4
Win XX Mag 3" 2 oz #5 lead (336 pellets) / pattern 293 (87%) / S/CV hits 3.6

Fed Premium 3" 2 oz #4 lead (290 pellets) / pattern 213 (73%) / S/CV hits 3.2
Rem Premier 3" 2 oz #4 lead (255 pellets) / pattern 209 (82%) / S/CV hits 3.6
Win XX Mag 3" 2 oz #4 lead (258 pellets) / pattern 243 (94%) / S/CV hits 4.6
Win Long Beard 3½" 2 oz #4 lead (255 pellets) / pattern 247 (97%) / S/CV hits 11.6 / 10” pattern 126
Win XX Mag 3½" 2 ¼ oz #4 lead (300 pellets) / pattern 242 (81%) / S/CV hits 4.2

50-YARD PATTERNS
Win Long Beard 3" 1 3/4 oz #5 lead (305 pellets) / pattern 275 (90%) / S/CV hits 7.4 / 10” pattern 89

Fed Premium 3" 2 oz #4 lead (290 pellets) / pattern 163 (56%) / S/CV hits 2.6
Rem Premier 3" 2 oz #4 lead (255 pellets) / pattern 149 (58%) / S/CV hits 1.6
Win XX Mag 3" 2 oz #4 lead (258 pellets) / pattern 170 (66%) / S/CV hits 2.2
Win Long Beard 3½" 2 oz #4 lead (255 pellets) / pattern 234 (92%) / S/CV hits 7.2 / 10” pattern 86
Win XX Mag 3½" 2 ¼ oz #4 lead (300 pellets) / pattern 162 (54%) / S/CV hits 3.2

60-YARD PATTERNS
Win Long Beard 3½" 2 oz #4 lead (255 pellets) / pattern 206 (81%) / S/CV hits 5.4 / 10” pattern 54

Hope this helps, good luck!
 
GetTothePoint said:
We will just play with them again this year, call em in and let them walk. Numbers are so down in our area I feel guilty taking one the last couple years. Used to see 40+ hens and a dozen or so Toms almost daily in the field we hunt most, now see less than a dozen hens and 2-3 Toms. Sad.
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What's going on with the population in your neck of the woods G.T.P.??
 
Wish I knew, I can't put my finger on one thing but we have 20-30% of the turkeys we had 10 years ago. Some say predators, some say disease, some say habitat loss but where we are there is still quite a bit of timber and draws even if the pastures and hay fields all get scalped so they still have some cover.
 
Joe Hunter said:
hold still and get them inside of 30 yards and it's a done deal
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When Longbeard XR first came out years ago, I started using it. Previous loads of turkey ammo would have my range out to about 35 yards, but this stuff was a game-changer. I patterned it out to 65 yards. The first year I used it, I took down a turkey at 50 yards and the second year, 61 yards.

The problem the past couple seasons is that I simply can't get a legal bearded male turkey to come within that range now. I know where they roost. I sneak in during complete darkness like a ninja, call very sparingly, and may or may not use a decoy. I place my blind so that it at least somewhat blends in with the surroundings like on a tree line or just into the woods over looking a field.

Last season the turkeys would fly down from their roost into the field and eventually just walk off. They never came any closer than about 85 yards. After 4.5 days of this frustration, I started seeking some advice on what to do because I saw over 50 turkeys during my spring hunt from distance and was very frustrated. Some people suggested to put the blind right out in the middle of the field! Apparently turkeys aren't bothered by a blind in the middle of a field?

I intend to hunt the same area this spring. I already have permission on two properties right next to each other and there's plenty of turkeys in the area.
 
I'm bragging some here, but I think my next bird will be # 40. I've never used a 3'' mag in a 12 ga. I guess because I hate hunting farm fields. I would rather hunt all morning in the woods and not see one than crawl around watching them out in the middle of a field. I mainly hunt with a sxs 20 now, 2.75 7.5s 30 yds and under. 3" win. super x 5s or 6s out to 40. All those years before that I would grab some leftover phez. shells. pull out my old 30" full Ithaca 37. (serial # 722), call em in close and shoot em in the face!!
 
this will be about my 20th spring season on Rios in western Kansas. we start in one of two areas that have consistently had good numbers of birds, albeit not nearly as many now. they live along waterways with tall cottonwoods, their favorite roost in this area. we set up in the dark of morning near the roost. we put out several decoys in the stalks, hide in the brush and trees, and delay calling until after they begin gobbling while still roosted, very sparingly at first. calling frequency increases after they fly down, typically at sunrise. my buddy uses box and slate calls; i use a mouth call, a Primus from Walmart. typically we get our shots about 45 - 60 minutes after sunrise. i shoot 2 3/4" shells with no. 5 lead shot through a 12 ga. with an extra full (.680) choke. very lethal and typically all shot are in the head and neck.

waiting from setup to shooting can be lengthy and cold. i've taken to standing up behind a cedar to avoid getting cold and sore from sitting.

i usually cook turkey in a slow cooker in chicken broth, carrots, and onions, then add noodles or rice. left overs are great for cold turkey sandwiches.
 
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birddude said:
I'm bragging some here, but I think my next bird will be # 40. I've never used a 3'' mag in a 12 ga. I guess because I hate hunting farm fields. I would rather hunt all morning in the woods and not see one than crawl around watching them out in the middle of a field. I mainly hunt with a sxs 20 now, 2.75 7.5s 30 yds and under. 3" win. super x 5s or 6s out to 40. All those years before that I would grab some leftover phez. shells. pull out my old 30" full Ithaca 37. (serial # 722), call em in close and shoot em in the face!!
Click to expand...

all brag haha
 
birddude said:
I'm bragging some here, but I think my next bird will be # 40.
Click to expand...
Just wondering how many years you have been turkey hunting and where do you hunt? Obviously you're doing something right. I wouldn't mind picking your brain for the upcoming season on strategies.

I haven't been turkey hunting as long as I have been hunting for deer, ducks, or pheasants. This will be my 17th season. I've filled 9 tags. 6 toms and 3 jakes. All of my hunting is in Minnesota and the average success rate every spring is between 20-25%. I'll be hunting season B which is April 20 - 27.
 
This will be my first year since I started turkey hunting that I'm probably skipping. Conserving some vacation time for the fall and where I typically go in SE MN is too far for just a quick day hunt. I need to find myself a spot closer to home where I can get out on the weekends with my bow.
 
I'm probably not any better than the next guy, just stubborn and persistent. I don't know exactly how long, but I was lucky enough to kill one the first season, In Indiana. Mid 80's I think. My tactics have changed a lot through the years. When I was young, I was run and gun, off like a jackrabbit all public ground, using all kinds of locater calls. That tactic won't work on farm field birds because they will see you long before you see them. Now I hunt a lot slower and hardy ever use a locater. Mature toms almost always know where they are going before they hit the ground and your screwed if your not in the wright place which is about 90 % of the time. I have killed some birds with decoys in fields but have a lot more luck wondering around aimlessly in the big woods. I make it a point to be there after everyone else is gone. Never think the birds are miles away, that's when you'll blow an opportunity. Mix it up. Don't hunt the same birds every day. Here season usually falls in the middle of breeding season, so I don't care how good you are it's tough! When they fly down and go the opposite direction every time like you mentioned earlier, Thats not random. Its the hen who is leading the toms away from you! She hears you and says not today bitch I'm taking my boys away! In that case I try and get a response from the hen. If she calls back, mock her, sometimes she'll come in to run you off. IFF she doesn't see you and IFF she walks off in a different direction you might get a shot. After that you got two choices, pull out and get around them and try again, or hang tight and hope he comes back or a different one comes along. I also love fall birds. I travel light with just a mouth call that I can kee kee with and hunt squirrels at the same time. You can PM me if you want so I don't bore the hell out of everyone with my bragging! BRITCHASER!!:)
 
Wingman said:
April will be hunting in Iowa then Nebraska, May will start Michigan and finish up in South Dakota
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you're really talking turkey here haha
 
Joe Hunter said:
Locate birds on the roost, get close without spooking them, sit and call sparingly, hold still and get them inside of 30 yards and it's a done deal!

Here's a previous post of mine with some pattern info on several lead turkey loads.

With the spring turkey season upon us and hunters discussing which turkey load is “best”, I thought I would post some of my turkey load pattern numbers. Hopefully, this information will allow hunters to make smart choices when it comes to selecting a turkey load and encourage all turkey hunters to shoot a few patterns to determine the maximum effective range of their gun/choke/load combo! Also, I did much of this patterning several years ago and there are several new Heavier Than Lead (HTL) turkey loads on the market that I haven’t pattered. Anyway, you’ll get the idea.

The 12-gauge 3-inch loads were shot through a Remington 870 Special Purpose shotgun with a 26-inch barrel and the 12-gauge 3 ½-inch loads were shot through a Remington 870 Super Magnum shotgun with a 23-inch barrel, except the 3 ½-inch Winchester Long Beard loads were shot through a 28-inch barrel. A Remington Turkey Super Full Extended choke (.063-inch constriction from bore gauge) was used for all lead loads tested.

Pattern testing was accomplished by using 48-inch x 48-inch pattern paper with a turkey head-and-neck target placed in the center of each pattern sheet prior to the patterning shot; yardages were measure with a tape from muzzle to target; and pattern counts, pattern percentages and Skull/Cervical Vertebrae (S/CV) hits were the average from five patterns.

In-shell pellet count averages were the result of cutting open and counting the pellets from five shells out of the same box/lot as the pattern loads. These in-shell pellet counts allowed for true pattern percentage calculations.

Remember, an effective turkey load needs to have enough pellets to provide sufficient pattern density and possess pellets with adequate penetrating energy to reliably penetrate a turkey’s skull and/or cervical vertebra at the yardage used!

Here’s my short take on this topic…
out to 30 yards "most all" turkey loads with a full choke will be 100% effective
out to 40 yards "many" turkey loads with a full or tighter choke can be 100% effective
out to 50 yards "some" turkey loads with a tight full turkey choke may be 100% effective
out to 60 yards "very few" turkey loads with a tight full turkey choke are 100% effective

40-YARD PATTERNS
Win Super-X 3” 1 7/8 oz #6 lead (438 pellets) / pattern 363 (83%) / S/CV hits 4.6
Rem Duplex 3" 1 7/8 oz #4 x #6 lead (385 pellets) / pattern 305 (79%) / S/CV hits 4.2

Fed Hi-Velocity 3" 1 3/4 oz #5 lead (322 pellets) / pattern 272 (85%) / S/CV hits 3.6
Rem Hi-Velocity 3" 1 3/4 oz #5 lead (280 pellets) / pattern 225 (80%) / S/CV hits 5.8
Win Hi-Velocity 3" 1 3/4 oz #5 lead (293 pellets) / pattern 257 (88%) / S/CV hits 5.8
Win Long Beard 3" 1 3/4 oz #5 lead (305 pellets) / pattern 295 (97%) / S/CV hits 11.0 / 10” pattern 118
Win Super-X 3" 1 7/8 oz #5 lead (317 pellets) / pattern 276 (87%) / S/CV hits 3.4
Rem Premier 3" 2 oz #5 lead (328 pellets) / pattern 258 (79%) / S/CV hits 3.4
Win XX Mag 3" 2 oz #5 lead (336 pellets) / pattern 293 (87%) / S/CV hits 3.6

Fed Premium 3" 2 oz #4 lead (290 pellets) / pattern 213 (73%) / S/CV hits 3.2
Rem Premier 3" 2 oz #4 lead (255 pellets) / pattern 209 (82%) / S/CV hits 3.6
Win XX Mag 3" 2 oz #4 lead (258 pellets) / pattern 243 (94%) / S/CV hits 4.6
Win Long Beard 3½" 2 oz #4 lead (255 pellets) / pattern 247 (97%) / S/CV hits 11.6 / 10” pattern 126
Win XX Mag 3½" 2 ¼ oz #4 lead (300 pellets) / pattern 242 (81%) / S/CV hits 4.2

50-YARD PATTERNS
Win Long Beard 3" 1 3/4 oz #5 lead (305 pellets) / pattern 275 (90%) / S/CV hits 7.4 / 10” pattern 89

Fed Premium 3" 2 oz #4 lead (290 pellets) / pattern 163 (56%) / S/CV hits 2.6
Rem Premier 3" 2 oz #4 lead (255 pellets) / pattern 149 (58%) / S/CV hits 1.6
Win XX Mag 3" 2 oz #4 lead (258 pellets) / pattern 170 (66%) / S/CV hits 2.2
Win Long Beard 3½" 2 oz #4 lead (255 pellets) / pattern 234 (92%) / S/CV hits 7.2 / 10” pattern 86
Win XX Mag 3½" 2 ¼ oz #4 lead (300 pellets) / pattern 162 (54%) / S/CV hits 3.2

60-YARD PATTERNS
Win Long Beard 3½" 2 oz #4 lead (255 pellets) / pattern 206 (81%) / S/CV hits 5.4 / 10” pattern 54

Hope this helps, good luck!
Click to expand...
wow, info overload, but thanks for sharing all your hard work, i hope to take down a monster this spring ,close to home
 
You're welcome and I know it is a little overload but after doing all this patterning (150+ patterns!) just figure I'd post all the lead loads to hopefully help other turkey hunters with their load selection.

I'll be after them before long and I'll do my best to get one. Hope you have some good hunts, too!
 
Thanks for starting this thread Gimruis! Just back @ 2:30 am today from NW Nebraska DIY archery Merriam hunt. Filled two tags, should have filled 3rd. Mentioned on another thread did this trip for first time last year, so 2nd archery trip (Xbow) - I'm a true archery novice - so lots of practice coming this summer! Right before that went with the wife to Hawaii, and turkey hunted on the big Island; hired Hawaii Safaris (Patrick Fisher) & highly endorse. Took two birds there. Would I prefer to scout all the public land and located birds in Hawaii- absolutely; That would likely take 4-5 mornings - so a man needs to know his limitations🤣
My suggestions to successful turkey hunting are to locate birds, establish what their patterns are, and locate the roost. If you can roost a bird, your chances of success go way up, especially if you can set up close. My success rate on killing roosted turkeys is well over 90%. If you're going to hunt them off the roost, go in extra early (I'll be set up an hour B4 shooting time; if you're late, don't even try - you'll blow the bird(s) out). I'll put a single hen (early season hen & jake) out and they often pitch down to it; often the tom(s) will roost 100 yards or so from the hens; when they do so, I'll set my decoy in between where the tom(s) and hen(s) are. Hunting merriams, you can use the terrain to get in front of located birds, and early season archery, the toms are always with hens, so this style hunting makes sense. for easterns, I'm much more patient. If I hunt the roost and don't kill the bird, I would probably set up on a travel pattern I know they use, then stay put. I really don't like moving around on easterns. Have killed several that came in silent. Also hunt a lot of public land, where birds can get a lot of pressure; the birds can become decoy shy, so no decoy will be set. If I would only give one piece of advice, it would be patience. Be patient if you know your set up in a good spot the turkeys use, and be patient as they close the distance so you get them in as close as possible, prior to shooting. Good luck everyone and enjoy the woods!
This year will be Hawaii; Nebraska; Illinois. Wisconsin
 

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Guess I must be dead tired! Did fill my third tag in Nebraska. Three bird limit in Hawaii and outfitter only allows two birds. Three bird limit in Nebraska and tagged out yesterday. I did miss one and thought i missed another the last day of our trip, but he went over a small rise and we found him. Made for a quick 13 hour drive home:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:.Off to bed to clear my brain fog!! Good luck to all this season!
 
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