• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

2022 Turkey Hunting Thread

Marmuzz said:
Does anybody turkey hunt from the saddle? I tried it last spring at deer stand height, mostly to practice being in the saddle and if I got a bird I figured it’d be a bonus. Spooked a hen, but I think only because I was moving while climbing. Wondered if it’d be an effective way to try again.
Click to expand...
As Hall17 said, I don’t personally feel like with my style of hunting it would work.

For example I called to a bird that was in a private field surrounded by public. I couldn’t hunt the private. Was trying to call him out of the private field into the woods. Called to the same bird from probably 8 setups that morning. Moving to different elevations around that field. I move a ton.
 
woodsdog2 said:
I know @boyne bowhunter does and typically at ground level. Since I'm strictly archery hunting Turkey's now I use a ground blind.
Click to expand...
I almost exclusively bow hunt for turkeys anymore. Using the bow is one of the reasons I tie in at ground level. I can swing around the tree and use it for cover drawing just like deer hunting. It also gets me up off the ground to help facilitate drawing. I'm not comfortable trying to sit on the ground and draw my bow.

Edit: I also run and gun and really like how quick it is to setup. One tether loop around a tree and I'm hanging. If I need to move, stand up, untether and move to fresh location.
 
Last edited:
If anyone has some hen wings or wing bones from this fall frozen or dried and cleaned from previous seasons, pm me, need some to make a few custom diy calls. Will take gobbler wings as well, but the hens are hardest to come by due to no fall season here.
 
Bowtie747 said:
Dare I ask to make myself sound stupid. Anyone have a problem using a black synthetic or blued gun? My Turkey gun is Camo. Just called the local hun shop and they have a affinity 20 in blued. Highly doubt it matters but curious what others think.
Click to expand...
Movement is what matters. Set up in shade if you're worried about it. I've killed plenty with a blued steel, wood shellacked 870 for years. It not a high gloss but just an old tried and true 870 with the plain walnut with a somewhat glossy finish (looks like a cop 870) they used to carry in the patrol cars.
 
Bowtie747 said:
I’ll start, If you haven’t noticed I’m so pumped for this Turkey season. I already broke out my Turkey gun. Trying some different shells out with my new Turkey choke, Indian creek.

40 yards, 12 gauge, hevi shot magnum blend. Fairly happy with this pattern. Hoping to try some other shells out here soon. Maybe some TSS
Click to expand...
Thats a great pattern! try out TSS #9 and you'll sh!t yourself dude. Never thought i'd pay that much for a shell but its tough not to when u see the results. i bought some for my wife since she shoots a 20ga and when i saw what it did to her bird i went and bought a pack for me too. It demolishes a skull at 40.
Next best for me is longbeard XR #6. by far the best bang for your buck at $2 a shell. Carlson's actually makes a XR choke and i found it to pattern better than the indian creek even with the TSS.

i just bought a new gun so i dont have to switch barrels on my mossberg every season. Savage Stevens 320 Turkey with the thumbhole stock. I didnt think i would care about the "Made in PRC" Peoples Republic of China... but now im beating myself for it. i have stuck to USA made guns for a while now but for $170 i got suckered in. Its built like a winchester 1300 but im sure its not as nice. uses the same chokes as my mossy so it was an easy transition. One thing that i dont like is the fiber optic sights. they dont glow at all.
finally bought a nice pot call too. Id been using a cheap plastic and glass one for the last 6 or 7 years...it works, but this woodhaven crystal cherry is SWEEET. I dont know what i waste more money on, deer or turkey gear haha. My vest probably weighs 100lbs :tearsofjoy:

Im addicted to turkey hunting too man. Having a great deer season and winter turkey here starts tomorrow, but spring turkey is KING. my wife loves it as much as i do and we both learned it together driving out to the mountains every weekend to camp and chase birds on public til we dropped. Lots of trial and error in the beginning but we got it down pretty good after a couple seasons of screwing up at the last second.

I would love to get out west and hunt some of those Merriam's. That looks like a good time! and get any turkey with a bow is a goal for next season

I can talk turkey all day haha. i dont get how guys arent interested in hunting. theres literally nothing better. spearfishing is probably a tie for me but thats just hunting underwater really... with the possibility of something else hunting you lol (florida keys is pretty much a guarantee youre gonna say hi to a shark at least once a day)
 
PEEJAY said:
Try out TSS #9....It demolishes a skull at 40. Next best for me is longbeard XR #6. by far the best bang for your buck at $2 a shell. Carlson's actually makes a XR choke and i found it to pattern better than the indian creek even with the TSS.
Click to expand...

The heavy metals do a lot of damage. We prefer the longbeard as shot damage can be a factor in the quality of a mounted bird, if that's a consideration. Obviously, some small bore shotguns benefit from the new premium tungsten rounds.

Referencing plastic pots, there are some that have near legendary status.

One thing I like about turkey hunting is that spending a little or a lot doesn't change the game much.
 
What's a turkey? They are going extinct in Central PA. I haven't seen one up in the hills all fall. I still see small flocks in the valleys all private land. The nomadic flock in the primary public area I hunt has gone from about 30 or 40 birds, to 5 or 10, to gone in the course of 4 years.
 
Plebe said:
The heavy metals do a lot of damage. We prefer the longbeard as shot damage can be a factor in the quality of a mounted bird, if that's a consideration. Obviously, some small bore shotguns benefit from the new premium tungsten rounds.

Referencing plastic pots, there are some that have near legendary status.

One thing I like about turkey hunting is that spending a little or a lot doesn't change the game much.
Click to expand...
Yea I’ve found myself searching for things to buy for Turkey season and I’m not coming up with much! That’s what’s awesome.
 
PEEJAY said:
Thats a great pattern! try out TSS #9 and you'll sh!t yourself dude. Never thought i'd pay that much for a shell but its tough not to when u see the results. i bought some for my wife since she shoots a 20ga and when i saw what it did to her bird i went and bought a pack for me too. It demolishes a skull at 40.
Next best for me is longbeard XR #6. by far the best bang for your buck at $2 a shell. Carlson's actually makes a XR choke and i found it to pattern better than the indian creek even with the TSS.

i just bought a new gun so i dont have to switch barrels on my mossberg every season. Savage Stevens 320 Turkey with the thumbhole stock. I didnt think i would care about the "Made in PRC" Peoples Republic of China... but now im beating myself for it. i have stuck to USA made guns for a while now but for $170 i got suckered in. Its built like a winchester 1300 but im sure its not as nice. uses the same chokes as my mossy so it was an easy transition. One thing that i dont like is the fiber optic sights. they dont glow at all.
finally bought a nice pot call too. Id been using a cheap plastic and glass one for the last 6 or 7 years...it works, but this woodhaven crystal cherry is SWEEET. I dont know what i waste more money on, deer or turkey gear haha. My vest probably weighs 100lbs :tearsofjoy:

Im addicted to turkey hunting too man. Having a great deer season and winter turkey here starts tomorrow, but spring turkey is KING. my wife loves it as much as i do and we both learned it together driving out to the mountains every weekend to camp and chase birds on public til we dropped. Lots of trial and error in the beginning but we got it down pretty good after a couple seasons of screwing up at the last second.

I would love to get out west and hunt some of those Merriam's. That looks like a good time! and get any turkey with a bow is a goal for next season

I can talk turkey all day haha. i dont get how guys arent interested in hunting. theres literally nothing better. spearfishing is probably a tie for me but thats just hunting underwater really... with the possibility of something else hunting you lol (florida keys is pretty much a guarantee youre gonna say hi to a shark at least once a day)
Click to expand...
Glad to see someone shares my Turkey hunting enthusiasm! I just got all the phone with South Dakota actually. Trying to plan a hunt there this spring
 
elk yinzer said:
What's a turkey? They are going extinct in Central PA. I haven't seen one up in the hills all fall. I still see small flocks in the valleys all private land. The nomadic flock in the primary public area I hunt has gone from about 30 or 40 birds, to 5 or 10, to gone in the course of 4 years.
Click to expand...
Yeah up in Potter birds are hard to come by some days. Living in SE Pennsylvania there is certainly a better population on the mountain range I hunt. I love going up to camp because its camp but knowing how quiet it will be in Potter I certainly don't get as excited to drive 3.5 hours to hunt
 
Trying to get hold of some Longbeard XR for this year. Looking to pair it with a Carlson’s choke for my Maverick. Hopefully will be a huge upgrade to the Remington Nitros I was shooting out of the standard full choke that had me limited to about 25 yards confidence. Also debating on a red dot setup but unsure if I want to put that kind of money into a budget gun, although I got it for a steal and do like the weight. So far I’ve put a custom camo paint job on it and a Quaker Claw sling.
 
LBXR is good, but TSS is incredible, about all that can be said until you see it live! This is a pic of my 20ga Affinty with Apex #9 load. 12 ga is even more impressive added pic), but I love my 20.
d8c87a136252e033bdf5bc63b42f2b6a.jpg

11454a49bc1059f2331305eda32a0b67.jpg
 
Last edited:
BuckTown said:
Trying to get hold of some Longbeard XR for this year. Looking to pair it with a Carlson’s choke for my Maverick. Hopefully will be a huge upgrade to the Remington Nitros I was shooting out of the standard full choke that had me limited to about 25 yards confidence. Also debating on a red dot setup but unsure if I want to put that kind of money into a budget gun, although I got it for a steal and do like the weight. So far I’ve put a custom camo paint job on it and a Quaker Claw sling.
Click to expand...
Night and day from rem nitros. Bout the same price too. Definitely throw down the extra money for a turkey specific choke. I have a reflex red dot on my mossy but im taking it off. Its good for first light shots but i like fiber optic sights the best. Tru glo makes some decent ones.
 
PEEJAY said:
Night and day from rem nitros. Bout the same price too. Definitely throw down the extra money for a turkey specific choke. I have a reflex red dot on my mossy but im taking it off. Its good for first light shots but i like fiber optic sights the best. Tru glo makes some decent ones.
Click to expand...
Super Curious as to why you’re taking your sight off?

I personally like having a red dot on mine. Makes me aim, when I look down the bead of a shotgun I wanna shoot insitintive. Follow through the shot like on a bird and boom. I have a bad habit with not aiming well and shooting. A red dot helps make me put it on the turkies head and boom, just a dumb good of mines. Going on my third season with one and haven’t had a draw back yet not saying there isnt One. Mainly I ask to maybe avoid the potential draw backs
 
Bwhana said:
LBXR is good, but TSS is incredible, about all that can be said until you see it live! This is a pic of my 20ga Affinty with Apex #9 load. 12 ga is even more impressive added pic), but I love my 20.
Click to expand...
Yeah the TSS definitely seems legit from all I’ve read and watched up on. I just can’t get myself to pay double for half the shells, at least not at the moment.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top