Let turkey hunting expert Theron Hattaway walk you through some very essential turkey hunting principles, drawn from his 20 years of successful turkey hunting experience.

CHOICE OF SHOTGUN FOR TURKEY HUNTING

In my opinion a short-barreled 12 gauge shotgun, chambered for 3” shells is the ideal turkey hunting gun. One reason I hold this opinion is because a short-barreled shotgun is easier to carry in the woods, and it is more easily slung over the shoulder for increased mobility. That said, if you already own a 12 gauge in 2 ¾” it will certainly work, but you really need a full choke or even extra-full choke, to hunt turkey consistently and effectively. For instance, when I first started turkey hunting in the early 80’s, I used a Remington 870 Wingmaster with 30” full choke barrel. I taped it with camo tape and was all set. I killed several turkeys with that gun before moving on to a 3” chambered shotgun. The 3" load will possibly generate a better pattern because of its extra quarter ounce shot capacity. Forty yards is generally considered a maximum lethal range on turkeys with 2 ¾” loads and the 3” loads. These days, I use a Winchester NWTF Short Turkey 1300 12 gauge chambered for 3” shells. However, my recommendation for someone first starting out is a Remington 870 Express, with a 24” barrel. It’s relatively affordable and comes with a good choke tube, which should provide a very acceptable pattern at 40 yards. Whatever shotgun you use, it is always best (and safest) to shoot the shell that matches the chamber.

LOADS FOR HARVESTING GOBBLERS

I recommend Federal or Winchester #5’s or #6’s in two-ounce loads for 3” shells. In two-ounce loads, #5’s have 340 shot and #6’s have 450 shot. I prefer #5’s because of their extra punch. However, if I feel they are not providing a good, tight pattern, sometimes I will drop down to #6, but both loads are pretty effective from 40-yards. Many turkey hunters these days are using 3 ½” chambered shotguns and heavy shot loads to extend their maximum killing range, but I am not one of them. First of all, the recoil on this type shotgun is significantly greater than on the 3” gun I am recommending. Also, my experience is that most folks have enough problems judging ranges to 40 yards. My sense is that using a more powerful gun tends to prompt longer shots, and when coupled with misjudgement of range, this usually results in wounded turkeys instead of cleanly harvested turkeys. Finally, shooting at very aggressive distances (especially on public lands) increases the chance of mistaking a turkey hunter for a turkey. Having said all that, I cannot disagree that a 3 ½” load delivers a devastating pattern.

PREPARING YOUR WEAPON FOR TURKEY HUNTING

I strongly recommend that turkey hunters “pattern” their guns BEFORE hunting. To do this, set up 3-foot square paper target at 40 yards, as this will show your entire pattern. Draw a center aiming point, as well as a 10” circle around that center target. Start by shooting at 20 yards to determine the point of impact (“POI”). The POI is different with different loads. It is best to aim at a gobbler’s wattles (the skin below his chin) when his neck is stretched up, and the wattle is all you will be able to see once you shoulder the gun. In any case, once you have established a POI move out to 40 yards and shoot again. Count the pellets within the 10” circle and note the POI, its pattern density and distribution. Try several loads in different shot sizes until you determine the best combination that places the most pellets in the 10” circle. If you are having trouble getting pellets concentrated in that circle (if they are splotchy) it may mean your shotgun’s choke is too tight. After you get a good pattern in the 10” circle, move on to turkey-head targets (available at sporting goods stores) if you wish to see just how many pellets you can put in the turkey’s head and neck region. Some guns may require a set of rifle sights if the POI is off significantly. If your gun patterns well to 40 yards, you can be assured anything closer will be on target also.

WHAT TO WEAR TURKEY HUNTING

Full camo is a must for effective turkey hunting, including gloves and a face mask also. Turkeys see in full color and spot movement instantly. You don’t need anything elaborate, just full coverage. Bare skin shines brightly in the woods and looks very unnatural, and it is quickly and easily distinguishable to turkeys. I find that Mossy Oak Break Up or Realtree Hardwoods are great for spring turkey hunting, at least in the Southeast. The grays blend well in bottomland and pine forests alike. However, no matter how good your camo, remember that the real key to successful gobbler hunting is remaining very STILL when you hunt.

GETTING INTO POSITION TO HUNT TURKEYS

Try to always set up in the shade and sit with your back against a tree for the best turkey hunting position. The tree should be as wide as your shoulders, if possible, and not just for comfort. Having a good wide tree at your back will help break up your outline to the turkey. It will also provide you a shield should another turkey hunter stalk your position from behind. If you are a right handed shooter, sit with your left knee elevated resting your shotgun on that knee; vice versa for left-handed shooters of course. HS Strut makes a handy strap-on gun support to aid this posture. Your gun should now be pointing in the center of your expected field of fire at the gobbler.

THE APPROACHING GOBBLER

Turkeys generally prefer to walk through open woods and avoid thicker cover, so you need to set up with a view of good, open ground. Also, consider your shot range, your visibility of the shooting area, and your cover. I like to position myself to the side of an area I expect a gobbler to travel through, as he responds to my calls. Always assume a turkey is approaching when you are setting up and calling. Don’t expect a tom or jake to announce his approach with a gobble every time. When looking side to side, be sure to move your head slowly and in increments. When you give up on one turkey calling location, sit quietly for 5-10 minutes before getting up to move. Often, when you have a gobbler really cranked up and he suddenly goes silent, he is on his way in. Some of the biggest toms with the longest spurs and beards I have ever killed came in silently. BASICS OF TURKEY CALLING Yelps, clucks, cutts, cackles, lost calls....the list goes on. What will work hasn’t changed. A simple 3 note yelp and a few clucks will call a turkey up. The key to being a good turkey caller in my view is to simply listen to a real hen when you hear one calling nearby, and learn to mimic her calls. About the easiest call to master and one that can do it all is a good slate or glass call with striker. About 3 different type calls round out my arsenal. I carry far more than that but those are the ones I end us using the most.

TAKING THE SHOT

Always try to have your gun shouldered BEFORE an approaching tom comes into view. If you have to move to shoulder your gun, do so only when the turkey is behind a tree or some other obstruction. Otherwise you will probably spook him and miss the opportunity. Never underestimate a turkey's eye sight! And, once again, move in increments and move slowly. Assuming you have called him in range and your gun is shouldered, ease your safety off, and then cluck to get his head up. If you don’t use a mouth call, use your voice to imitate a cluck as best you can. This should at least stop the turkey and provide a nice standing “neck up” shot. Always try to shoot a neck up and still shot. A strutting tom is a much smaller target and more risky at range. It also looks like a bursted pillow when you shoot a turkey in the main body, and it also messes up his breast and fan. Be conscious of where your shot is going and make totally certain that you are shooting in a safe direction. Pick your shot wisely and don’t shoot through heavy brush, as this will destroy your pattern. Make sure your head is down on the stock and that you are sighting down the barrel properly, to avoid shooting high. Don’t jerk the trigger. Exhale before your shot to avoid this temptation and pull the trigger with the pad of your finger, not the joint. After the shot, get to the turkey and stand on his neck to ensure a clean kill. An optimum shot range is 25-35 yards, and 40 yards is about as far as you want to shoot.. Too close can be as bad as too far.

MY BEST TURKEY HUNTING ADVICE

Patience! Patience! Patience! No turkey lives by a clock. Hunt all day. Never leave a gobbling turkey. Tracks tell all because turkeys don’t make tracks at night, so if you find fresh gobbler tracks, you have found a gobbler. Be safe and always assume a hen call is another hunter unless you can see an actual hen. When you have a gobbler working and don’t know what to do next, DO NOTHING! SAFETY FIRST Always be totally and completely sure of your target. If you see another hunter approaching, DO NOT MOVE! Simply stay calm and shout out to the hunter in a loud voice until you get his attention, and then move on. No turkey is worth getting shot over.

IDENTIFYING WILD TURKEYS FOR HUNTING

A turkey hunter must always make the proper distinction between males and females, since it is illegal to hunt females almost everywhere. Turkey hunters typically refer to males as gobblers and females as hens. Also, a turkey hunter should know that juvenile gobblers are called “jakes” while the more mature males are called “toms.”

According to National Geographic.com, “Only male turkeys display the ruffled feathers, fanlike tail, bare head, and bright beard commonly associated with these birds. They also gobble with a distinctive sound that can be heard a mile (a kilometer and a half) away.”

So, here are the distinctions:

1) Gobblers have a bare head that can be bright red, white and blue, as is clearly shown in the picture above. The head can also be any combination of these colors, and it changes colors when he becomes excited. The head of a hens is lightly feathered and usually appears brown, dingy grey or a very dull blue.

2) Gobblers always have beards and hens hardly ever have them. While few hens do have beards, they are thinner and less colorful. Beards are the course crop of hairs that grow out of the turkey’s upper chest, hanging freely from his body – looking very much like a long beard on a human. They are almost always dark grey or black in color, although younger a Jake’s beard can be more orange or yellowish.

3) Gobblers also have spurs on both legs and in the rare instances when a hen does have a spur, it is only found on one ankle in nearly every case, and will be shorter than a gobbler’s spur. In the image above, the large spurs jutting out from the rear of this tom's lower legs are quite prominent. The spurs of a jake, however, will usually be shorter than those of a tom, which can grow to 2” or more.

4) A gobbler’s “wattles” are red, as clearly shown above, and they turn very bright red when a gobbler is excited, or responding to the call of a hen, which does not share this coloring characteristic. The wattles are fleshy growth below the beak, that grows down over the neck.

5) A gobbler, presents a shiny, brilliant appearance often marked by black feather tips. Hens on the other hand, typically have a brownish coloring and are more easily camouflaged. Their heads are usually a grayish color but some have a bit of a blue tint.

I hope this article has been insightful and helpful. If you have any questions or comments please email me at theronhattaway@hunterscampfire.com