How many use a rangefinder while hunting turkeys?

[Yoder409]

I do. 

Generally sit down and get gloves on & mask up then range a couple landmarks as reference points.

Been hunting turkeys a long time without one and saw a couple years back that I can still have a "rookie moment" when judging yardages.  Luckily a 10 ga BPS with a bad attitude and some #5 shot took up my slack and wrote a happy ending.

I decided pretty much right there that I owed it to the bird to make a better effort to NOT let that happen again.

[mudhen]

Nope, I'll pace off the decoy or landmark on occasion though...

mudhen

[Matt / PA]

I use one every single set up........I know my gun's effective range and try to laser a quickly identifiable  perimeter around me so I can minimize mistakes. Using a scoped gun it's really easy to get tunnel vision and lose track or be fooled by just how far a bird really is.
Knowing that when that birds passes the "Dark stump" or that "Big White Oak" then he is in range really helps.

[stinkpickle]

Nope.  I carry around too much other crap.

[SpitNDrumN]

If I have time to and the set up allows I have set up how many steps is from my decoy after I set it up back to my tree. Regardless of how far the decoy is set up at I knew how far away it is and that gives me a reference point. If I step off 28 steps for example when I'm getting back to tree in a hurry I know he is in range 12-15 steps past my decoy.

I do carry a rangefinder sometimes. If I have time to pull it out and click some trees like said above I'll find a tree at my max range and then I know anything from that point in is a dead turkey if I do my part.

[mgm1955]

I use one on new land if I have time after setting up so I have a pretty good idea when a tom gets in range. Just adds that extra bit of confidence when taking the shot.

[Ruger M77]

I do sometimes mostly use it after the shot to get the exact yardage

[owlhoot]

Sometimes, usually to mark area around setup and after kill to tom.

[Twowithone]

I have a Simmons Pro Diamond scope it has a built in rangefinder hasn't failed me yet. It works for turkeys and deer.

[deerbasshunter3]

Just out of curiosity, has anybody ever put a small flag, or some other marker, out at 40 yards? I have heard of people doing this for deer but I have never tried it.

[jakesdad]

Unless i've got to set up in an extreme hurry I almost always range a few spots out to 40 yds.That way anything inside that "zone" is whack city.

[ridgerunner]

Nope, I'll pace off the decoy or landmark on occasion though...

mudhen

I have used decoys as reference at known yardage when blind hunting fields, but no rangefinder.


I don't carry one and so far I've not needed one... i have a switch that flips in my head when they get inside my kill zone..it's automatic...normally inside 40 yards..but if they're coming I'll go ahead and let them keep coming, as close as 20 yards, by then I'm pulling the trigger...If I was bow hunting, I'd have a rangefinder with me.

[Frank G]

After misjudging the range on a gobbler last year I started to carry and use a rangefinder. Do you use one?

Only in a new area then just spot different tree yardage, 20 > 30 > 40 etc then put it away. Never on a bird, to much movement you need to set it down then prep your shot. Found this out the hard way a few years ago "got ya" "see ya" I'm gone. 

[turkey buster]

I have one in my vest just in case. Doesn't hurt to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it.

[zelmo1]

I will this year, I made the same mistake you did last year. Mine had a happy ending, I hope yours did as well. Al Baker