Aim at the head??

[Longshanks]

If you already have half the pattern going over his head..and you pull up (raise your cheek off the stock which is very common) you get to watch the turkey fly off..I would much rather hit the turkey with the majority of the pattern from top to bottom..and if the hunter pulls up a bit(most common pull) turkey still rides home in the truck.

[Preacher]

I hve never intentionally shot at the body,  but the closer he is the lower I aim , on the neck,   a bobing head with a super tight chike can lead to much mor dissapoiment than picking shot out the meat.

[Longshanks]

I have found it comical over the years when I hear folks talking about the reason they hunt is to "feed their family".  I heard a guy say that this spring..he was driving a 40,000 4 wheel drive, 1500 shotgun, 8 dollar shells in his gun and every high tech gadget you can think of. He was also on a 1200 dollar turkey hunt. I told him if feeding his family was what he was after there is a much cheaper way to do that and feed them much better food than the wild turkey. He realized immediately the primary reason he was there was far from feeding his family. The love of the hunt and to harvest trophy animals was why he was there. In 2011 where hunting is very expensive..feeding the family doesn't exactly fly unless that's the excuse your trying to tell your wife you are out there.  This guy had been watching the Outdoor Channel a little too much. He thought "feeding the family" sounded honorable. Eating wild turkey was not within the top 5 reasons this guy was in the turkey woods. I believe a hunter should eat what he harvests and leave a place better than he found it but be honest about why you are out there and don't apologize for being a hunter.

[mossybird]

I usually aim at the middle of the neck. But if you have your shotgun patterned, you put it anywhere on his head/neck, you will kill him.

I have seen a many a hunter shoot over the turkey by "aiming at the head". Guiding you get a chance to see over and over and over..what not to do..

Well Ive been turkey hunting for 5 almost 6 years now, and all the turkeys ive killed, ive put it on their neck. And all of them dropped, except two. If you have your pattern centered around your bullseye, and you put it somewhere on their head or neck, they will go down if there is no shooter error.

[ncturkey]

I aim where the feathers stop on his neck too. I do not hunt for food. But I do prefer wild turkey over store bought turkeys.

[Preacher]

I hope you don't mind me jumping in on the rabbit chasing,   my family eats what we kill and catch,   we eat a mess of fish 2x a week during the spring and summer,  and several bags in the freezer for the winter,   that really helps out as far as money is concerned,   we eat some small game , rabbit, dove, and tree rats, about 15 times a year,  don't spend or save much on that,  now we eat a right smart of deer meet,  my sons and I ( mainly the boys) put 6 deer in the freezer a year,   a good bit of hamburger, and sausage ,  we eat that about every morning for breakfast, and the at least 2x more a week for super,   but I process my own, I don't think you can come out money wise if you don't.   

I just love to hunt turkey,  a fine meal of turkey nuggets , is just a celebrating fellowship of a successful hunt,  I cant afford not too,   cause it has no price tag,  one of life's greatest moments.

[drenalinld]

II just love to hunt turkey,  a fine meal of turkey nuggets , is just a celebrating fellowship of a successful hunt,  I cant afford not too,   cause it has no price tag,  one of life's greatest moments.

[Longshanks]

Thought provoking subject is it not?? I hunt for so many more reasons than eating Wild game. The outdoor experience, thrill of the hunt, fellowship, time with family, introducing new hunters to the sport, teaching kids about the outdoors, and the list goes on and on..eating wild game is just a bonus and in my experience more important to the overall hunting experience than it is "what the family prefers to eat."
    I have a buddy claiming his wife prefers wildgame over anything else..I said "you want to bet". We took our wifes to Ruth Chris steak house and grilled venison tenderloin the next night. After the venison dinner we asked them which meal tasted better?? They said "are you kidding??" the venison wasn't even a comparison to the fillets we had the night before..she hated to hurt his feelings but this "wildgame preference" was all in his head. He was acting like he was the great white hunter and his family was enduring eating wildgame all the time to appease him.

[mossy835]

I was taught to always shoot to kill so I shoot at the neck also where the feathers stop. On the taste of a wild turkey the one I shot last year we brined it for two days and then I injected it and smoked the bird. All I can say is I want another one to smoke even though I have thighs and legs (domestic from the store) smoked and in the freezer.
When pellets hit the breast area I get out my fly tying forceps and remove the shot, not a big deal. Good POSTS.

[Quax]

I wouldn't be surprised if "this shell isn't worth a darn, I shot the turkey, rolled him over only to watch him get up and run off," isn't often the result of aiming at the head.

[Longshanks]

I wouldn't be surprised if "this shell isn't worth a darn, I shot the turkey, rolled him over only to watch him get up and run off," isn't often the result of aiming at the head.

Your right..that is normally not the result... but a turkey flying off "untouched" is a result i see quite often when folks make the head their target.  If you aim at a turkeys head and your using beads or rifle sights....  It covers the turkey completely and you cant even see what you are shooting at.  Also you are guaranteed to shoot half the pattern right over his head by making his head your target. Even guys with scoped guns who are able to see their target completely..shoot half the pattern over their head by aiming that way.  Come down a little around the feather line and the waddles and the entire pattern(top of pattern to bottom of pattern) hits the turkey.. Its a question of whether you want half of your pattern to go over the turkey or in the turkey..cuts down on shooting over the turkey as well...Just trying to save you some turkeys...

[Quax]

Longshanks, I was agreeing with you; I was saying that this is most likely the case in a lot of these "I'm done with these particular shells" stories: aiming at the head and half the pattern (if not more) flying over the head and not enough pellets on target.

[Longshanks]

Rolling a turkey over and him running off is normally the result of a bodyshot in my opinion. I misunderstood what you were saying. Sorry. I thought you were saying aiming at the head would prevent roll overs..which it will..you either put him down or miss..it just creates a whole list of other problems: misses, target obstruction, loss of efficiency of the pattern, etc.

[Quax]

No, it was my fault: I see the double negative lol. I've seen "head shot AT turkeys" roll and get up and run off, and I hate to admit, but once was down the end of my own barrel. Some lessons are best learned the hard way.

[Longshanks]

Most of the knock downs I see are people shooting too far. Like you said, thats when you hear allot of that "need to switch shells". Ive seen allot of folks miss aiming at the head and I did it as well when I was a kid. The funny thing is that they always say the same thing when the turkey flies off.... "I don't know what happened".