Know range, have enough gun for hunt

Josey1

Know range, have enough gun for huntApril 8, 2002The old logging road seemed to stretch on endlessly. We had been walking since daylight, up and down ridges through what seemed like some of the roughest country the Ouachita National Forest had to offer. The Ouachita mountain chain that runs through central western Arkansas is the only mountain chain in North America that runs east and west. And although they aren't mountains in the sense of the Rockies, they have gotten the better of many a turkey hunter. It was on this particular morning, some 15 years ago, that I learned a valuable turkey hunting lesson. I had been following my good friend and turkey hunting mentor, Ken Rhodes, of Siloam Springs, Ark., as I always did during spring turkey season. Ken is one of those rare individuals who is not afraid to share and impart his knowledge of hunting to younger generations. I spent my early hunting years following behind Ken, learning about turkeys, calls, guns and just how far one had to walk to bag a turkey. I finally determined sometime later that we had walked between five and six miles since daylight that morning. As we made our way down that old logging road, we came around a sharp bend and two jake gobblers were dusting themselves in the old road bed. It happened so fast that in less than five seconds I was trying to figure out what happened, and if what I think happened really did. The two gobblers took to the air the instant they spotted us. Tom turkeys may weigh over 20 pounds, but they are lightning quick off of the ground. I have killed lots of quail on covey rises and several pheasants over dogs and I can tell you right now that a turkey is just as quick as its smaller cousins. The birds left the road and instead of flying straight away from us they peeled to the left and paralleled the road for about 50 yards. I can remember Ken's reaction to this day. "Uh Oh-Uh Oh!" Kawooom. Ken's 36-inch barreled single shot .10 gauge went off and belched its load of copper plated number fours and down came the lead gobbler. I stood there with my mouth hanging open and my eyes wide with shock. I'd never even shot at a turkey and this guy kills one at 50 yards on the wing through the trees. I knew then and there that I had to have a .10 gauge. Lots of things have changed in the turkey hunting world since that day 15 years ago. But one thing hasn't; turkeys are tough birds that require as much gun as you can handle. Today's turkey hunter has an assortment of guns to choose from. Almost every manufacturer has a specialized turkey gun for hunters. Shotguns, for the most part, are like pick-ups. We all have our favorites, but when you get down to it, they will all do the job. However, some guns will work better with different loads and load combinations. The trick is applying the right load for the right situation. Turkey season offers some interesting situations as the season progresses. Early on in the season, the woods are wide open and the foliage plays a minimal role in your turkey pattern. However, that minimum foliage can keep a gobbler from coming in close. Once a gobbler responds to a call and starts to come in, if he gets within 40 yards of your calling location and he can't locate a hen he may not come any closer. This is why a shotgun with a good tight pattern is needed for shots out to 40 yards. Hunting field edges with a decoy set up can present the same situation. Sometimes that gobbler isn't going to come any closer and you have to take the shot. One of the most important things a hunter can do before season is to pattern their shotgun. Many manufacturers of turkey loads such as Remington, Winchester and Federal offer specific loads for turkey hunting. However, the best load on the market won't do you any good if your shotgun does not throw a good pattern. Patterning a shotgun for turkeys is simply done by firing your shotgun at a paper target to determine how well your shotgun puts pellets in the intended kill area. Most sporting goods stores have paper targets with the outline of a turkey's head and neck on them to see just how many pellets are in the kill area. If you don't have any of these targets you can simply trace the outline of your wrist and cupped hand onto a piece of paper for the same effect. Twenty, 30 and 40 yards are ideal distances for determining just how well your gun and load combination is performing. Twenty yards may seem a little close but many turkeys have been missed at that distance because a shotgun pattern was too tight. At thirty yards the pattern should be about half-and-half. Half of the pellets should be in the kill area, while the other half should be dispersed around the target. At 40 yards you are beginning to stretch the effect range of your shotgun. You need to have at least five to 10 pellets centered in the head and neck area of the turkey for a clean kill. Knowing your effective range is one of the biggest keys to bagging your tom. Having a little luck and enough gun never hurts either. http://www.myinky.com/ecp/local_sports/article/0,1626,ECP_749_1075038,00.html