Turkey Hunting Successes and Pics Please

[Troyfairweather]

You just have to love the little wasp-waists on those under hammers. How does she shoot?

I have to do some load tests, I've only just messed around so far. Shot it a few weeks ago, messing with some #6 patterns looks good on what I was shooting I'll have to paper Patten it here soon. If was doing ok with the .662 round balls I had as well, shot maybe 10 and after seeing were they were hitting I had 6-7 in a 4" group at 30 yards standing.

it's fun to shoot and a joy to carry. The recoil isn't as much as I was expecting, I'd like to get another barrel or for $500 just get the hole kit.

 

[Rató:rats]

Spring turkey season is April 25th-May 31 here. Only bearded toms legal, no jakes or hens. Is it the same for you stateside boys?
Out patterning yesterday, still needs some work.

20 gauge, 25 metres, 65 gr FFFG, 1 1/4 #6

 

[FiremanBrad]

I think Ol felt wad posts in turkey threads just to stir the pot. That, and a simple mind, thinking driven pheasants are more sporting?
what a joke.
Between Mo and Nebraska, I hope to have pics and stories to share soon!!!

 

[Troyfairweather]

Spring turkey season is April 25th-May 31 here. Only bearded toms legal, no jakes or hens. Is it the same for you stateside boys?
Out patterning yesterday, still needs some work.

View attachment 72229
20 gauge, 25 metres, 65 gr FFFG, 1 1/4 #6

Maybe try the cushion wad on top trick. Beaded birds, 2 in spring but only one per day.

 

[Feltwad]

I think Ol felt wad posts in turkey threads just to stir the pot. That, and a simple mind, thinking driven pheasants are more sporting?
what a joke.
Between Mo and Nebraska, I hope to have pics and stories to share soon!!!

Wrong sir it takes more than a simple mind to shoot sporting driven pheasants and that is not a joke. Look forward to your pics and stories.
Feltwad

 

[McClura]

Rató:rats, I see you posted you can only shoot bearded Tom's. Is there a restriction on Jakes due to beard size. Does the beard have to be so long before you can shoot one? Just curious because around here they are considered a legal Tom if you want to shoot one with a 1" Beard and just bumps for spurs.
That can be a good thing letting the Jakes mature to have more Bearded toms. I mostly hunt in Spring and fall with my homemade longbows and I will take anything with a beard in the spring. In the fall, it's either sex here in Oklahoma and Kansas where I hunt them. I have taken many turkey with by recurves and homemade bows and love hunting them. We make brush blinds after watching them a few weeks before the season patterning them after they leave the roost or traveling through some of our shelter belts of trees. We do a little calling but in KS they just seem to run when you try to call them to you.
Mainly hunt deer, cattle trails and some overgrown roads they travel. Been busted more times that I like to admit when trying to draw on them.
Just curious.
Mike

 

[3 trees]

If you ever get to US I would reccomend that you go on a spring hunt.... a gobbling eastern will put you heart in your throat! And once you have one out smart you you will understand and like become a turkey hunting addict!! I hunt them in 3 or 4 states and 30 to 40 days a year!!

 

[Rató:rats]

Rató:rats, I see you posted you can only shoot bearded Tom's. Is there a restriction on Jakes due to beard size. Does the beard have to be so long before you can shoot one? Just curious because around here they are considered a legal Tom if you want to shoot one with a 1" Beard and just bumps for spurs.
That can be a good thing letting the Jakes mature to have more Bearded toms. I mostly hunt in Spring and fall with my homemade longbows and I will take anything with a beard in the spring. In the fall, it's either sex here in Oklahoma and Kansas where I hunt them. I have taken many turkey with by recurves and homemade bows and love hunting them. We make brush blinds after watching them a few weeks before the season patterning them after they leave the roost or traveling through some of our shelter belts of trees. We do a little calling but in KS they just seem to run when you try to call them to you.
Mainly hunt deer, cattle trails and some overgrown roads they travel. Been busted more times that I like to admit when trying to draw on them.
Just curious.
Mike

Hi Mike
Hunting regulations are all over the board here in Ontario. Provincially you can harvest any turkey with a beard in spring, including the 10-20% of hens who sport a beard. In the WMU where I hunt there is a municipal regulation that only birds with a beard of 3 inches or more can be taken in spring. Supposedly this is because the eastern turkey was only reintroduced here 25years ago and they want to stabilize the population. I imagine this has caused problems for some as I’ve yet to meet the bird considerate enough to let me take a tape measure to him before I shoot. I’ve long since given up trying to find the logic in Ontario hunting rules.

 

[TGJaeger]

I think Ol felt wad posts in turkey threads just to stir the pot. That, and a simple mind, thinking driven pheasants are more sporting?
what a joke.
Between Mo and Nebraska, I hope to have pics and stories to share soon!!!

Brad,
We will be waiting for those stories......not patiently, but waiting.

 

[Beaver Trapper]

The season opens here April 25. here is last year's bird 19 lb. taken with 20 ga. Jackie Brown build. 1.5 oz. #4 shot, 1 oz. 2F, with paper wad. Shot at19 yards. Total hunt was 35 minutes - very lucky!

 

[Beaver Trapper]

Spring turkey season is April 25th-May 31 here. Only bearded toms legal, no jakes or hens. Is it the same for you stateside boys?
Out patterning yesterday, still needs some work.

View attachment 72229
20 gauge, 25 metres, 65 gr FFFG, 1 1/4 #6

Another Canuck. What is the make/calibre of your flintlock?

 

[Nameless Hunter]

No offence but every man to his own personally I can not see any sport in turkey hunt for me it is a UK driven pheasant day and plenty of sporting shots

Feltwad

As others have noted, no offense, but you have obviously never hunted a wild turkey. It can be one of the most challenging hunts you can attempt. It is all about your skill at calling, and having a big gobbler hang up at 100 yards can make for a frustrating morning.

 

[harleysboss]

Here is another underhammer bird. Couple years ago. 12 ga jug choke full.

 

[Rató:rats]

Another Canuck. What is the make/calibre of your flintlock?

Hey boss
Always happy to see another of the North folk on here.
I’ve got a .62/20G TVM Fowler built from kit by a very kind member of this forum from upstate NY. He upgraded it with a tapered Colerain barrel and Chambers early Virginia lock.

Really like your Jackie Brown. The colour is awesome. Is that an L & R Queen Anne or a Chambers. Can’t tell from the photo.

 

[TGJaeger]

Okay! Now we're getting somewhere! Keep 'em coming fellas'!!

 

[Beaver Trapper]

As others have noted, no offense, but you have obviously never hunted a wild turkey. It can be one of the most challenging hunts you can attempt. It is all about your skill at calling, and having a big gobbler hang up at 100 yards can make for a frustrating morning.

Agreed. I got back into because of Covid (working from home). I know turkey hunters that played cat-and-mouse with a Tom for an entire season and it never presented an shot. Wild turkeys can see movement at 300 yards (maybe more) and will happily alert their group of potential danger. Turkey hunting is about infinite patience, attention to detail and nuisance.

Hey boss
Always happy to see another of the North folk on here.
I’ve got a .62/20G TVM Fowler built from kit by a very kind member of this forum from upstate NY. He upgraded it with a tapered Colerain barrel and Chambers early Virginia lock.
View attachment 72309
Really like your Jackie Brown. The colour is awesome. Is that an L & R Queen Anne or a Chambers. Can’t tell from the photo.

Hey boss
Always happy to see another of the North folk on here.
I’ve got a .62/20G TVM Fowler built from kit by a very kind member of this forum from upstate NY. He upgraded it with a tapered Colerain barrel and Chambers early Virginia lock.
View attachment 72309
Really like your Jackie Brown. The colour is awesome. Is that an L & R Queen Anne or a Chambers. Can’t tell from the photo.

Yours is a very nice gun. I just used tung oil and then sealed the wood with beeswax and Dremel. I believe its a L&Rv lock as you suggested. Its a very reliable lock.

I've made a few accessories for this including a flint wallet, beaver tooth hole pick, wad carrier, antler short starter and flat day horn. I'm currently working on a wing bone turkey call (freshly glued today. I have a possibles bag but its a bit bulky as I wax embedded the leather to make it hard. I am going to make another from deer leather eventually

 

[Beaver Trapper]

As others have noted, no offense, but you have obviously never hunted a wild turkey. It can be one of the most challenging hunts you can attempt. It is all about your skill at calling, and having a big gobbler hang up at 100 yards can make for a frustrating morning.

Agreed. Wild turkeys can see movement from over 200 yards and will react to it (ie. gone!). Hunting turkey is about patience, nuisance and skill. I know turkey hunters that spent weeks trying to call in a trophy and were never able to make the shot. Here bagging a large Tom is equal to getting a large buck - it is a challenge.

 

[Beaver Trapper]

No offence but every man to his own personally I can not see any sport in turkey hunt for me it is a UK driven pheasant day and plenty of sporting shots

Feltwad

Wild turkeys can see movement from over 200 yards and will react to it (ie. gone!). Hunting turkey and turkey calling is about patience, nuisance and skill. I know turkey hunters that spent weeks trying to call in a trophy and were never able to make the shot. Here bagging a large Tom is equal to getting a large buck - it is a challenge.

 

[TGJaeger]

Not only do turkeys possess incredible eyesight and hearing, they also seem to be attuned to the movements and behavior of all the other creatures in the area. I was calling to a small flock on a hillside about 1/2 mi away. The boss bird wanted to come over and add the sexy young hen (me) to his harem and I was promising him a good time! The hens were less excited and dawdled about as he tried to hurry them along.
I was set up inside a small patch of bur oak and really had what I thought to be the perfect set up to bring him in - but - it was gonna' take a while. My butt was getting tired of sitting on the hard ground and I HAD TO MOVE just a bit. I turned my boot just enough that I could push myself a bit. A blue jay saw my boot move and went into hysterics. It began screaming at the top of its lungs and flew down to a lower limb and eventually landed about 4-5ft from my foot and all the time screaming bloody murder. The hens in the flock took off at a run over the hill and the tom went after them. As long as I sat there, the stupid jay squawked at me. I didn't turn him into blue burger, but it was really close.

 

[Patocazador]

Feltwad "forgot to mention" that all of the "driven pheasants" are pen-raised birds. The only wild pheasants in the UK are escapees from pheasant shoots ... the kind that Britsmoothy hunts.