Recent posts

#1

General Forum / Re: Taking the safety off...sp...

Last post by BrowningGuy88 - Today at 09:57:33 AM

I really like the tang safety. He can be 5 yards and a well oiled tang sliding safer isn't going to spook. Even if it does, he dies.

If I'm using one of the many others with sliding safety in the trigger assembly, then I try to use 2 fingers to push it and hold back pressure on it. I don't overthink it though. If he gets in range I just put the sites on his head, click the safety and pull the trigger. Been at it 30 years and killed over 100 and never spooked one with a safety.

#2

Turkey Guns / Re: Bottomland 870

Last post by BrowningGuy88 - Today at 09:51:03 AM

I've killed a bunch with lead 4's.

You just have to shoot it and see.

#3

Turkey Hunting Tips ,Strategies & Methods / Re: New Decoy set-up or Rabbit...

Last post by GobbleNut - Today at 09:23:33 AM

There's lots of room in turkey hunting to decide how you want to do it.  IMHO, calling one up in the woods with no decoy is the pinnacle of the chess game, whereas reaping a field turkey takes zero skill or knowledge of the bird.  Both are legal (where I live, anyway).  There are several layers in between, including the full strut decoy which I can understand a purist might not agree with.

Great post and comment Baron.  I will add this additional comment (again).  Regardless of how each of us decides to hunt, it is important to understand that the resource can only stand so many "hits" to its gobbler segment before it has a "real" negative impact on the overall turkey population over time.

As an educated wildlife biologist who was involved in the development of spring gobbler regulations decades ago, I can assure everybody that the impact on the gobbler population through the use of visual male turkey decoys/aids in spring gobbler hunting was never contemplated (or realized) until relatively recently.

Personally, I take no stand against folks hunting the way they want to (within some reasonable limits), but what I do take a stand against is folks not having the wisdom to know when it is time to quit killing as many gobblers as they possibly can...by using any method they possible can. 

Succinctly, we have become too good at killing gobblers with the equipment and methodologies that have been developed over time.  It is high time we collectively realize that fact and adjust our outlook and expectations accordingly.

#4

2024 Killer B's / Re: 2024 Killer B's Story Thre...

Last post by Tom007 - Today at 09:08:45 AM

Had trouble posting yesterday's kill, hope it is still acceptable.  Had to to really do some trial and error getting pictures up, I imagine there's new instructions somewhere I need to read.  Anyway, went hunting yesterday morning for a bird I had seen earlier in the week.  After I set up he started gobbling his head off, even double and triple gobbling.  Eventually he flew down, strutted all the way across a field to my jake decoy, got within 2-feet of the decoy and stopped and spooked.  He took off like a bat out of hell the other way and I don't know what spooked him.  Dejected and disappointed, I left, but talked myself into trying another spot.  I had seen a turkey there earlier this week but didn't have as much on this bird as the previous one.  I set up around a corner of the field where I wouldn't be seen setting the decoy out, found me a spot to shoot from and waited.  Just to be clear, I do use a call, and yesterday I was using a wingbone I got from Tony Ezolt.  I hunt fields, and the way I look at it that the call gets them to start looking my way and the decoy kinda seals the deal "most" of the time.  A black dot shows up across the field and from around the corner from where i set up.  The black dot starts coming my way and eventually becomes a gobbler.  He comes on in and I shoot him in the head as soon as he was in good range (25-yards).  I finally killed one I could hang on a tree limb.

Congrats!

#5

General Forum / Re: Tagged out in Oregon

Last post by Vintage - Today at 08:57:42 AM

Congrats on a good year.

#6

General Forum / Re: Eastern Turkey with clippe...

Last post by GobbleNut - Today at 08:47:18 AM

I am assuming he/you are referring to the lines/striations in the breast feathers. Not sure why your gobbler has them, but they are probably just the result of some genetic anomaly in your bird. It might be a rare occurrence in that gene pool...or could be a bit more common in other birds from that particular location.
...Also, not sure why your taxidermist would refer to that appearance in the feathers as being "clipped" or "barbed"...might be a colloquial term thought up by someone who has seen that anomaly before from that region, and often enough that it warranted being called "something". I've personally never heard those terms before, and am not sure how they would apply to that particular appearance feature. 

#7

Turkey Guns / Re: Bottomland 870

Last post by Vintage - Today at 08:33:00 AM

Tss is what I would pick. Good luck with your new toy.

#8

Turkey Guns / Bottomland 870

Last post by Loyalist84 - Today at 08:02:08 AM

Hey all, just picked up a nearly mint 870 Special Purpose 3" Bottomland with the 28" barrel to replace my BPS and, obviously, I need to shoot a turkey with it. I grabbed a .660 Jellyhead choke for it since that seems to be the popular choice, and I've got some #4 Grand Slams, Federal Third Degrees and a nearly-new box of #4 Longbeards - are any of those shells a good bet or should I be looking at another option? Hevi-shot isn't an option here in Canada, so I'm either going Lead or TSS - what do y'all think?

#9

20 Gauge Turkey Guns / Re: What % of shot in 20”

Last post by BandedSpur - Today at 07:36:28 AM

85%

#10

General Forum / Re: Tagged out in Oregon

Last post by Tom007 - Today at 07:28:07 AM

Congrats!