Post by kings6 on Oct 22, 2021 12:08:53 GMT -5
Unfortunately Oregon does not allow handgun hunting for turkeys so a guy has no choice but to use a shotgun if he wants to get a big bird. For me this means transposing handgun hunting and archery hunting ideas into the hunt and seeing how it turns out. Since I have a dominant left and eye and shoot right handed, wing shooting is not a thing I can do worth a hoot so I got rid of all my shotguns except the cut down 410 bolt action I got for my 4th birthday and the old Stevens 20 gauge single shot barn gun my dad bought years ago. It is nice and clean inside but the outside is rougher than a cobb. My only loads for this old gun that lives in the barn for the occasional gopher killing are #7 1/2 2 3/4" target loads. I know, not the classic #2 or #4 shot for killing big birds but it seems to work with my hunting methods.
For me turkey hunting is like still hunting. Sneak and peek and lots of glassing. Once I hear birds I find a good "hide" grab my little call and see if I can entice a bird in close. By close I mean within 20-30'. At that range, the little 20 gauge does its job since I limit myself to up close and personal head shots. I don't camo all up with clothes and face masks, I just wear normal dark work clothes, my brown oil skin jacket and today a dark brown AF Spec Ops had one of my kids gave me. Not hi-tech or what the true turkey hunting aficionado wears but at spitting range from a good hiding spot it seems to work.
Today there were a group of about 30 birds in one field and I was able to tease a half dozen away from the group to try and find where that one sick relative was calling from. Typical October morning in Oregon and it was raining pretty hard so I just had a few minutes once the call came out to get the birds headed my way before the rain soaked the striker and I lost the ability to use the call. Luckily a few of the birds were dumb enough and fast enough walkers to get within about 20' and when one separated itself and stretched its head up, the old barn gun barked and down it went without a twitch. Not the biggest in the flock but it should be good eating!
For me turkey hunting is like still hunting. Sneak and peek and lots of glassing. Once I hear birds I find a good "hide" grab my little call and see if I can entice a bird in close. By close I mean within 20-30'. At that range, the little 20 gauge does its job since I limit myself to up close and personal head shots. I don't camo all up with clothes and face masks, I just wear normal dark work clothes, my brown oil skin jacket and today a dark brown AF Spec Ops had one of my kids gave me. Not hi-tech or what the true turkey hunting aficionado wears but at spitting range from a good hiding spot it seems to work.
Today there were a group of about 30 birds in one field and I was able to tease a half dozen away from the group to try and find where that one sick relative was calling from. Typical October morning in Oregon and it was raining pretty hard so I just had a few minutes once the call came out to get the birds headed my way before the rain soaked the striker and I lost the ability to use the call. Luckily a few of the birds were dumb enough and fast enough walkers to get within about 20' and when one separated itself and stretched its head up, the old barn gun barked and down it went without a twitch. Not the biggest in the flock but it should be good eating!
