Hi:
I have had the shotgun for a number of years and have shot a few grouse with it. Even used 20 guage slugs in 12 guage shot cups and shot a few deer.
Here in North Central WI we have only had a turkey season for the last 3 or 4 years. I have used a 3 1/2 12 guage single shot for those seasons and have shot a few birds. I have been going to South Western WI for later periods and last year decided to try the smoke pole.
I tried a few shots using plastic shot cups and couldn't get a decent pattern. I checked out what I could find out on this forum about turkey loads. Thanks to all the research done by shooters on here, I ended up with a combination of an over powder wad, a plastic shot cup with a rolled paper tube inside that gave me a good pattern out to 25 yards.
I didn't get a shot with the muzzleloader and hung it up (decapped) for the wait till this year.
This spring we have had up to 4 longbeards at one time walk past the house. There usually were 2 toms and 5 hens around. The one picture shows 1 tom and 3 jakes. Even a bearded hen has been hanging around. Anything that gets close to the house gets a free pass so I set up my ambush at the end of the field.
The night before season I watched 2 toms head off to bed.
I set up at 5:30 and first gobble was at 5:50 off to the west behind me. I waited for 15 minutes and listened to him call until it was good shooting light. I gave a few calls and no answer. I kept quiet and 6:20 he gobbled again and then a few more times each sounded closer. I got ready and he walked out about 25 yards away and was walking east instead of turning south to come down past me. I didn't even get a chance to think about a shot as he kept walking away. I snuck in a soft call but he kept going. I peeked over that way and saw a hen coming his way. Then hens started talking and flying down by him. I sat and listened to some loud hen talk and thinking that they sounded like some guy that didn't know how to sound like a turkey. I even had a hen come over by me and it seemed like it was hollaring at me for sitting there.
The other tom came out from the east and all the birds sort of drifted off to the south about 60 yards away and soon all I had was the sound of hens talking as they went away.
I sat there for an hour and a half wondering what to do next and called a few times but no results.
Then a gobble to the south and a few more quick gobbles. I called softly with no response. Just got ready and waited. Then there he was coming down my side of the field just where he was supposed to be. When he got in front and looked around I gave him the left barrel. He dropped and didn't even twitch. I went over and then paced out the 35 feet back to my spot.
The shot, the smoke, the smell.
Mike
21 lbs, 10 1/4 inch beard, 1 1/8 inch spurs
Pedersoli 12 guage double, 85 grains FF with the same volume of 6 shot.
I have had the shotgun for a number of years and have shot a few grouse with it. Even used 20 guage slugs in 12 guage shot cups and shot a few deer.
Here in North Central WI we have only had a turkey season for the last 3 or 4 years. I have used a 3 1/2 12 guage single shot for those seasons and have shot a few birds. I have been going to South Western WI for later periods and last year decided to try the smoke pole.
I tried a few shots using plastic shot cups and couldn't get a decent pattern. I checked out what I could find out on this forum about turkey loads. Thanks to all the research done by shooters on here, I ended up with a combination of an over powder wad, a plastic shot cup with a rolled paper tube inside that gave me a good pattern out to 25 yards.
I didn't get a shot with the muzzleloader and hung it up (decapped) for the wait till this year.
This spring we have had up to 4 longbeards at one time walk past the house. There usually were 2 toms and 5 hens around. The one picture shows 1 tom and 3 jakes. Even a bearded hen has been hanging around. Anything that gets close to the house gets a free pass so I set up my ambush at the end of the field.
The night before season I watched 2 toms head off to bed.
I set up at 5:30 and first gobble was at 5:50 off to the west behind me. I waited for 15 minutes and listened to him call until it was good shooting light. I gave a few calls and no answer. I kept quiet and 6:20 he gobbled again and then a few more times each sounded closer. I got ready and he walked out about 25 yards away and was walking east instead of turning south to come down past me. I didn't even get a chance to think about a shot as he kept walking away. I snuck in a soft call but he kept going. I peeked over that way and saw a hen coming his way. Then hens started talking and flying down by him. I sat and listened to some loud hen talk and thinking that they sounded like some guy that didn't know how to sound like a turkey. I even had a hen come over by me and it seemed like it was hollaring at me for sitting there.
The other tom came out from the east and all the birds sort of drifted off to the south about 60 yards away and soon all I had was the sound of hens talking as they went away.
I sat there for an hour and a half wondering what to do next and called a few times but no results.
Then a gobble to the south and a few more quick gobbles. I called softly with no response. Just got ready and waited. Then there he was coming down my side of the field just where he was supposed to be. When he got in front and looked around I gave him the left barrel. He dropped and didn't even twitch. I went over and then paced out the 35 feet back to my spot.
The shot, the smoke, the smell.
Mike
21 lbs, 10 1/4 inch beard, 1 1/8 inch spurs
Pedersoli 12 guage double, 85 grains FF with the same volume of 6 shot.
