EP96 Five Late Season Turkey Hunting Tactics

Show Notes:

You can successfully take a gobbler all season long, but things often change in the turkey woods as the season progresses. On this episode I talk about how you can improve your changes of success during the late season.

Take Aways:

  • Late season can be defined as the last week or last 10 days of the season, but in truth it is a moving target that has more to do with the weather than the calendar. The warmer the spring the earlier turkeys seem to do start and finish breeding in many areas.
  • Turkey’s become less vocal and more wary as the season goes on. So some of the tried and true strategies must change.
  • If toms won’t gobble you need to use other methods to locate them. They may still come in to calls but you have to get into ear shot of them one way or another for them to be able to hear.
  • The tried and true way to find a good area to hunt is by finding where turkey’s roost. This can involve evening scouting or looking for roost sign while you are in the woods during the day.
  • Listen to the episode to hear the five tactics you can use to be successful.

EP95 The Worst Shotgun For Turkey Hunting

Show Notes:

Gear can be overrate, but there are times when a firearms selection can be so bad that it all but eliminates your chances for a successful hunt. On this episode I talk about the worst shotgun for turkey hunting, both from my experience with my first turkey gun and in general terms so you can make better informed firearms selections.

Take Aways:

  • A good turkey shotgun becomes an extension of the hunter. You don’t notice it, it just works, kind of like how you fingers just work and do what you want them to do.
  • A bad turkey shotgun is like a handicap, it is constantly hindering you and making things more difficult, or impossible.
  • What makes a gun a bad selection for a hunter is somewhat subjective, but when things do not work right, fail to perform, are unreliable, or designed poorly for the task, it is pretty universally recognized as a bad tool for the job.
  • Inexperience and lack of mentorship can make it easy to make bad decisions when you are new to something. Which is I started this podcast, so you can avoid the mistakes I made.
  • Listen to this episode to hear to whole story and get tips to make better choices than I did.

EP94 Turkey Hunting Shotguns | Is Bigger Better?

Show Notes:

A bigger turkey hunting shotgun means more power, more shot, and more range, so bigger must always be better right? Truth be told, a bigger shotgun often results in less effectiveness and less turkey hunting success (especially among newer hunters).  On this episode I talk about the pros, cons, and rarely discussed nuances of big turkey guns.

Take Aways:

  • More power does not directly translate to more effectiveness.
  • Few people truly understand the nature of recoil and how it effects accuracy and effectiveness.
  • The ability to endure heavy recoil without whimpering does not in any way translate to the ability to shoot a big gun well.
  • To help manage recoil, more powerful guns are heavier, which makes then harder to carry and shoot.
  • The anticipation of recoil is the enemy of accuracy. Being able to “take it” does not mean you are effective with it.
  • The best gun you can use is the one you can shoot well, accurately, and pleasantly. 
  • The number one factor to effectively killing gobblers is getting close to them. The least expensive guns and shells will perform well enough at the right distances.
  • Being able to throw shot out to long distances does not mean you have the accuracy to use that shot effectively.
  • The more powerful the gun, the less accurate many hunters tend to be. 
  • A turkey’s most vulnerable areas are its head and neck, their robust feathers limit the effectiveness of body shots with any gauge shotgun.
  • Even a .410 shotgun can effectively take a turkey at close range with good aim. Pattern trumps power. 
  • Turkey hunting is about fun. If a particular shotgun is not fun to use, it is a hindrance, not an asset.

 

EP93 Should You Use Decoys For Turkey Hunting Or Not?

Show Notes:

Hunting spring turkey with decoys is all the rage and there are endless options to choose from. But should newer hunters even consider using one? On this episode I give advice to help filter out the noise and talk about the situations that might warrant a decoy for new hunters.

Take Aways:

  • Everyone has an opinion, but when you are talking about new turkey hunters, there are special things to consider when it comes to turkey decoys.
  • New hunters will lack the skill and experience to read situations, landscapes, sign, or sun direction to use decoys well.
  • Decoys can create problems and distractions that would not have been there otherwise.
  • If you move and your decoy stays behind, it can become a liability.
  • But even still, there are certain times that new hunters would benefit from using a decoy, listen to this episode to learn more.

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