A question of long barrels.....

[BrownBear]

Just to clarify, the near-extinction of turkeys happened at night and not in broad daylight as they're hunted today. I bet 100 turkeys were shot out of their roost trees by lantern light or moon light for every 1 shot in daylight. Back when, they called that "hunting," too.

I doubt it was legal and he certainly went over bag limit, but back when I was little I was on hand late one night when a favorite uncle used 22 shorts to take 11 out of a single tree. He stopped at that because he figured it was all we could carry. He could probably have killed off the whole flock if he wanted because none flew, even as we walked (staggered) away.

Still happens today, I'm sure. I know some pretty basic folks that see a distinction between "sporting" and eating.

I am told that this was the common manner of hunting by my forebears.

Dan

That's my understanding too. It was kind of funny, because my granddad was retired and a very "tradtional" turkey hunter as we think of them today, a stalk-and shoot enthusiast who devoted a lot of time to it. His son, my uncle, was a busy working man and all about efficiency.

They used to have some pretty good arguments about who was right, with my uncle winning each time. I always remember and ponder his winning point: "Heck dad. I learned it from you back when you were a working man!" :wink:

 

[Skychief]

Thanks for all the thoughtful replies guys. :thumbsup:

Paul, I generally am a run and gun hunter, besides early morning hunts at known strutting areas or roosts. That being the case, I am not a blind hunter as I never know where the birds might lead me. I ,at times, sit with a tree against my back in very open woods or along the edge of a harvested field.

Another problem I can foresee with a long barrel is when hunting the thick stuff (which occasionally I do). A shorter barrel lends itself to swinging on an approaching tom as he nears. Whereas a long barrel might catch brush/saplings,trees the short barrel would clear these easier.

Shorter, longer, shorter, longer??? :idunno:

Skycief. :haha:

 

[paulvallandigham]

My fowler has a 30 inch barrel, so I really can't advise you on barrel length "problems" while hunting. I do think if you hunt the same way you have as described, the camo cloth that you can buy in 16" by 10' rolls, is idea so that you can set up quickly, making a temporary blind that covers your hands, and legs, as you sit against a tree. It only takes a bush or two, or a stick shoved into the ground, to hold the fabric. Kept close to the ground, the fabric is not going to be blown by much wind, as underbrush prevents that from happening. The winds blow over that level. If you want to move, it takes but a moment to fold or roll up the camo, and stick it in a cargo pocket, or hold it under your armpit.


A friend of mine made both his own camo fabric, and his own Ghilly suit to wear hunting, using netting he bought at a fish and tackle store, and then strips of cloth he dyed at home using RIT dyes, in Brown, Yellow, and olive green. I think he made the netting black, or it came in that color. His Ghillie suit cost him less than $20.00, and he would have had to pay more than 5 times as much to BUY such a suit commercially.

He put it on for me, and it was good as anything you can find in the catalogs- better than most. In the woods, he disappeared. You might want to consider making such a suit if you want to "run and gun" hunt again, as you have described. :hmm: :thumbsup:

 

[texcl]

I've hunted turkey in several states and can say that it wouldn't make much of a difference in 99% of the situations. I have short guns and long guns, I personally beleive the longer guns are easier to shoot not to mention more authentic as far as flinters go.

 

[Skychief]

Thanks for your thoughts Paul. You know by now how :youcrazy: some of us muzzleloaders can be....

Well, I will use some camo clothing but don't see myself ever setting up in a blind or tent and don't even want to use any fabric. :idunno:

I know they would be beneficial at times, but then, so would a Remington 1100, if, results alone were what I was after. Something to be said for just using what is naturally available to us that intices me to hunt the way that I do. Downfalls, treetops, brush, etc, etc is what I want to conceal me, not more "stuff" that I have to take with me. That's ME and MY way of hunting turkeys, though, I fault nobody for their hunting styles.

I hope the above reads as intended....just saying how I prefer to hunt. :thumbsup:

Skychief. :bow:

 

[majg1234]

yep remy 1100 would be good but my old SP10 would be better :thumbsup: but this year it'll be all about the 20ga Bobby Christian Carolina once I get the load settled in :grin:

 

[paulvallandigham]

I don't have any problems with natural materials used for cover- but its difficult to set these things up on short notice. When you are stalking, and reacting to the call of a Tom, you don't always have the time to set up cover around a stand(sit?), much less set out your decoys properly.

I try to stay at least one row of trees back from the edge of fields, so that I have that edge brush, and those trees to give me cover. I do the same when trying to "still-hunt" deer.

With hardwoods, I have found that the larger trees will have shaded out the undercover at their bases, giving me a relatively clean place to "sit", or kneel, and see over the edge brush.

A small camp stool still can be carried with a rope over your shoulder, and it can make a huge difference in giving you a raised platform to sit on so that you can see over edge brush to shoot. My knees and hips aren't what they used to be, and even the idea of sitting on the ground today involves a lot of consideration on how I am going to get UP again! :rotf: :idunno: :thumbsup:

As for Camo clothing, I can use it or not. Years ago, I read of a study done in Arkansas, with 50 volunteers wearing Blaze Orange Camo, and 50 wearing standard camo. The hunting success for turkeys was the same for both groups. I personally carry a roll of surveyor's tape to wrap around a tree where i am going to sit, to alert other hunters that I am there, and not some tom making love to a large tree! Around here, you never know when someone is going to trespass on the land where you have permission to hunt, and wander into your kill zone, or start shooting at you. :hmm: :shocked2:

 

[Skychief]

Yep, I know what you are talking about Paul. A lot of folks here in Indiana would like to see rifles legalized for turkey hunting. Not me, ...no way! I would have the heebee geebees thinking about all the slugs being fired from the ground and landing "who knows where"! :shocked2:

Turkey hunting is enough of a gamble with scatterguns considering some of the "hunters" running around these parts.

 

[roundball]

"...I am wanting to build a fowler in 20 gauge and will turkey hunt with it a lot (as well as squirrel, rabbit and deer hunt), hence the question..."

Based on the general purpose nature of your hunting plans...the relatively little amount of which would be shot opportunities on turkey...further minimized by the number of times when you might actually be faced with such a turkey related situation as you describe...I personally wouldn't give it another thought.
Build the fowler like you want it and go hunting.

At least in my experience with turkeys, like all game, they momentarily step behind/past trees enough, and/or shift their gaze back and forth enough, that getting a muzzle up with them in range in the woods can be done without raising the gun 15-30 minutes ahead of time...and evidently using long barreled guns back-in-the-day was not an problem...plus, as you said, its not the results, it's the manner of take.

Even running & gunning, you can tilt the odds in your favor by taking a seat with a couple / few good size trees scattered around in front of you so you have some opportunites to use their natural cover to mask movement when he passes behind them and enjoy.

So given all the above, IMHO, I personally don't believe there's a need to worry about choosing a different (shorter) design fowler just for the extreme case where you have a Tom in your lap with nothing between you and him...I'll be after them again in 10 weeks with a 38" Virginia myself.
:thumbsup:

 

[Skychief]

As per usual, sound advice there Roundball.

I have been speaking with a friend the last day or so. He owns a sweet little flintlock fowler with a 36" barrel built with Track of the Wolf parts (Colerain barrel). I have swung it on a rabbit or two....enough to know I like the way it handles. Another regular rabbit hunting friend uses a 42" barreled fowler that his Dad built. I have taken notice that in really tight thickets, he has his hands full with its length.

Thanks for your thoughts again Rounball and good luck with the turkeys this Spring. I can't hardly wait and I am sure you feel the same!

Skychief. :hatsoff:

 

[Skychief]

A bump to the top for any other thoughts...