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Ranging turkeys/ determining shot oportunities

Started by eggshell, April 09, 2020, 05:32:06 PM

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silvestris

If you call them close enough (for those who still call), a rangefinder is simply additional weight to tote.
"[T]he changing environment will someday be totally and irrevocably unsuitable for the wild turkey.  Unless mankind precedes the birds in extinction, we probably will not be hunting turkeys for too much longer."  Ken Morgan, "Turkey Hunting, A One Man Game

3bailey3

some one once told me when you see him blink he is close enough

Marc

Quote from: silvestris on May 02, 2020, 05:19:18 PM
If you call them close enough (for those who still call), a rangefinder is simply additional weight to tote.
From your posts and knowledge presented, I assume you are a fairly seasoned turkey hunter....

Many hunters maybe have 1-2 opportunities per season, and they are lucky to have that.

As a bird and wing-shooter, when I started turkey hunting, those birds looked A LOT closer than they were.  As I have gained some experience, and called birds into good range, they now often look a bit further than they are.

I often take some experienced hunting friends (who have limited experience turkey hunting), and they often want to shoot that bird way too early.  That big bird with that bright red head at 60 yards is a tempting target for an inexperienced turkey hunter.

This season, when I hunted with the pellet rifle, I carried a range finder, with a shotgun, it gets pulled from the vest (more due to the risk of losing it, rather than the weight)...  But this season has been interesting for me in seeing how deceptive ranging birds can be in different types of terrain.

And to the OP...  DO NOT try and range a bird you are wanting to shoot...  Range the terrain before the bird arrives.  When he is closer than "that rock" and he is within 30 yards...  "That tree over there" is 40 yards, etc...

Did I do that?

Fly fishermen are born honest, but they get over it.

eggshell

QuoteAnd to the OP...  DO NOT try and range a bird you are wanting to shoot...  Range the terrain before the bird arrives.  When he is closer than "that rock" and he is within 30 yards...  "That tree over there" is 40 yards, etc...

QuoteI usually determine what 30-35 yards is when I first set up by using natural markers like trees.

Good advice and that is what I meant when I posted the above, I should have been more clear. Thanks for clarifying that, you are right.

bonasa

If it looks too far it probably is, how I determine shot opportunities. Kinda like pass-shooting geese, you know it when you see it with experience.

Greg Massey

If i can see his eyes , i know i'm good .. time to shoot .... :drool: