What is your average distance you have killed a turkey? Mine is 18 yards.
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40
I have really never made a practice of stepping off all my kills. Only a handfull. I would guesstimate around 20 yards.
30 seems to be that magic number where the pattern is smashing but not so small I have to worry about missing in close so I don't let them get much inside that most the time when its open.
Quote from: TauntoHawk on May 16, 2017, 09:24:15 AM
30 seems to be that magic number where the pattern is smashing but not so small I have to worry about missing in close so I don't let them get much inside that most the time when its open.
Yep... X2
20-25
Positioning is a critical part of turkey hunting. When possible, I try to sit where I hope the bird is in range when I see him. That isn't always possible, but I make an attempt to choose well.
That said , most of my birds die inside 25 yards.. I want to kill him at the first opportunity. Too many things can happen inside what my mentor called " never, never land".
I don't hunt many field turkeys anymore.They are evil.
30-40 yards. I do not want them closer than 30 if I can help it cause things get a bit difficult closer cause of the worked up nerves and adrenaline. First shot I have in that range and I shoot.
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Just a bit under 30 I'd guess. For many years I mostly hunted around fields since that's where I had access. More woods turkeys the last several years brought the average down. In the woods I rarely shoot past 25.
This
Quote from: nitro on May 16, 2017, 09:47:46 AM
Positioning is a critical part of turkey hunting. When possible, I try to sit where I hope the bird is in range when I see him. That isn't always possible, but I make an attempt to choose well.
That said , most of my birds die inside 25 yards.. I want to kill him at the first opportunity. Too many things can happen inside what my mentor called " never, never land".
I don't hunt many field turkeys anymore.They are evil.
15 to 25, so avg probably be 20yds
I like 25 to 3o yds to easy to miss when they are real close,but you nust deal with cards that are dealt
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As soon as I can get on him, whether it be 50 or 5 yards. I think my avg is 28 yds this year.
15
Prabably 25 yds closed 8 yds farest 45 yds that over 50 years of hunting them just don't believe in shooting past 45 yds
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My average I would guess is 25 yards.
Probably 40. As soon as they get to that mark I take the first shot opportunity.
For the last 3 years the avg was 24y. I always step it off, because when I would give my report to my dad he would always asks "how far was he".
2 birds this year, both at 39 steps.
I am guessing 25-35 I mostly hunt in timber as Nitro stated I try to set up where I can kill him when I see him. Trouble is he doesn't always follow the plan. Also I agree with Nitro field birds are evil!
Over 30. If they get inside on me I'm apt to let them walk away a little for an easier shot.
25-30
30. I kill them as soon as I can. Like someone else said, too many things can go wrong once a bird is in effective killing range.
This year I killed three birds, 18, 19 and 20 yards.
Overall since I've hunted turkeys, I would guess maybe 30 yard average?
2as5 yds is ideal for me close as I ever killed one is 8 yds far as I killed50 yds
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My longest shot was under 20 yds. :firefighter:
I used to shoot them as soon as they stepped inside 40 yards. Not so much anymore. I like 20-30 yard shots if given my choice. It's more fun having one at 20 yards spitting and drumming than at 40. Will take them at 40 if I have to tho.
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Average about 30 yards this year, 45 last year. Depends on the terrain.
<10
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<10
Less than 10
10-20
Around 20 - 25 yards seems to be the magic number for me.
Looked at my journal. 31 yards is the average.
I have killed turkeys from 10 to 70+ I know this site does not condone over 40 but the question was asked. I try to not make a habit of shooting much over 50. To answer the question I would say my average fall between 40-45 yards
5 yards ;) bowhunting turkeys gets them in your face
Outside of a blind I'd say 20 yards is about the average
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Closest was 12 yards, longest was 38 yards. My average is probably 18-20 yards.
Around 15
I have no freaking idea, as I judge every set up and approaching bird on it's own. If he is relaxed and coming I let them come, if they're acting flighty or veering off they take the heat inside 40-45. If he wants to stop and stare me down at 40 he's getting an eyeball full of #5s. I would say my favorite range is 30 yards. Good size pattern and dense enough a little movement or off a bit he's still dead. Rarely do i let one inside 20 yards, that is where my misses happen. I had one pop up on me this year at 10-15 and I missed him clean trying to pick him off in a tiny opening, but I made his ears ring for a long time. It was a pure brush trap and I had to let him walk away after the miss...it was one of those OHHHH Sh#t birds.
It's been somewhere in the low 20's this year. 16 was the closest, and 26 was the longest. The others have been somewhere in the middle.
30 to 35 here.
Always a ot of talk on this forum about over 40 yard shots. However, from this rather subjective post, it appears that over 40 is the exception rather than the rule. I did kill two birds in New Mexico at about 46 and 47 yards in very open areas but every thing since has been under 30. Seems terrain has a major has a major impact.
25-30 I would say would be average....some much closer some further
Average around 23 yards. Still never shot one past 35 yards. I hunt woods mostly and don't get many long distance chances.
Jim
I've killed them close (6 steps) and I've killed them a "bit" over the 40 yard rule. On average I'm going to say 25-30.
I would say my average distance is between 25-30 yards.
Quote from: Gooserbat on May 16, 2017, 08:14:51 PM
I've killed them close (6 steps) and I've killed them a "bit" over the 40 yard rule. On average I'm going to say 25-30.
Pretty much how I do it. Most of my misses were on real close birds. I just put a scope on my shotgun this year and it sure seems a lot easier on my eyes for 30 yard shots. 30 is my preferred distance.
Never paced or measured but I'd bet 20-25 yards.
Quote from: Bowguy on May 16, 2017, 08:32:11 PM
Never paced or measured but I'd bet 20-25 yards.
Same here. Never thought to measure. I'm just happy with a dead bird. But I know I wouldn't have needed a magnum 12 gauge for most of mine.
With the Shotgun is 15-17 yards and with the bow 7-10 yards.
MK M GOBL
This season, the average has probably been over 30. Only one bird under 20 this year.
Don't know about my lifetime average, but the past 2 seasons it has been about 6 yds....very frustrating and tense. For some reason they have all ended up directly in my lap, it is usually not like that. I normally opt to set up in a style to shoot them when they pop into sight at 20-25 here in the mountains.
Gods of Thunder
You guys need to put your decoys farther out!????
25-30 yards on average, though once they get inside of 40 I'm usually gonna take the first good shot I'm presented with. I do enjoy the up close and personal encounters when they happen, though.
10 yards.
Quote from: Blong on May 16, 2017, 09:44:35 PM
You guys need to put your decoys farther out!????
:TooFunny:
Its obvious.
My avg shot distance is ~36 yards. I take the first clean shot he gives me once inside 50.
Over many years (almost 40) the average distance is close to 25yds and I have stepped off or calculated the distance after almost all of those shots. Of course I have always tried to keep shots 40 yds or less. The va game comm. calculated the average distance of kills or misses as part of the gobbler survey. The average kill distance was 27 yds. The average for misses?...32 yds! I think as some have eluded to that </= 30 yd mark is a magic number where less obstacles, optimum pattern, and confidence collides to provide the best condition for clean kills. ymmv
40 yards for killed birds.
36 yards including a couple missed birds.
25 yards
20
Average the last three years has been approximately 25 yards. I don't recall all distances before that.
It's probably a hair more, but not much different for all the years before that. My typical plan is to let them keep coming to 30 then shoot as soon as I have a shot. Between 30+ out to 40, i shoot if they start to look like they may leave.
Between 25-30.
8, 15, and 50 this year. Woods average is around 25 and fields is probably 35.
Around 20 yards for most. Closest was 5 yards, and furthest was 54 yards by accident, but I killed him.
Mine average about 35 yards. I hunt big timber so anything closer is an exception.
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I don't step off many of them but I'd say about 30 yards would be average. :funnyturkey:
Once I know there inside 40 there dead, or least I hope for them to be. I always try to set up where I have at most a 30 yard shot.
Never really kept track by average. Closest was probably 6-7 yards and longest pushed 40 yards. Ideally, I like them to be in the 25-35 yard range. No turkey can walk though my gun's pattern at those distances and there is less likelihood of shooter error as is possible with real close in shots.
25 to 30 yds
25 -30
My closest was around 5-6', farthest probably 35 yards, probably 20-25 average.
40 yds for me, some at 50 cause I bad at judging distance when im excited,