Spring Turkey Questions

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  • RuralRifleGuy

    Active Member
    Aug 16, 2018
    918
    Queenstown
    So I've decided that this Spring I want to go turkey hunting, I have never been before, so I have a few questions I hope the knowledgable people here can help answer.

    I'm planning on trying Tuckahoe State Park since I don't have the land for it nor do I want to pay the $360 I was quoted for a half day hunt with a guide. Looking at the map of Tuckahoe I'm thinking of parking at the equestrian center and crossing Crouse Mill into the hunting area. Any possible issues with that? I figure it gives me the easiest access to hunting area with the minimum amount of trails to worry about. It also keeps me on the QA side of the creek so I don't have to worry about wandering into the Arboretum by mistake.

    As someone new to turkey hunting I have a question about ammo. Looking through the regulations I see nothing regarding shotgun ammo other than it having to be #4 shot or smaller. Do the TSS shells work better than others? I'm seeing TSS for $10+ per round when it's actually available and $50+ for a box of 5 shells has me wondering if it's mostly marketing I'm paying for. I bought a box each of Remington Premier Magnum Turkey High Velocity 1-3/4 oz #5 Copper Plated Shot and 2 oz #4 Copper Plated Shot.

    The last two questions are probably going to be more personal experience/opinion and something I'll have to learn by trial and error.

    What call/type of call do you recommend for someone new?

    What is your preferred method of prepping your bird once it's on the ground? I've seen both the traditional gut and pluck method as well as the skin and filet method mentioned when looking online. I don't generally like to roast full birds except for Thanksgiving so keeping the skin on isn't super important to me, but I'm interested in the pros and cons of each.
     

    94hokie

    Active Member
    Mar 29, 2015
    832
    Severna Park, MD
    The TSS shells are devastating and with the greater pellet count with the smaller shot, they can really throw out a dense pattern at longer ranges. This is a 40 yard pattern when I was sighting in last spring. For a beginner, I would recommend a box call. It's probably the easiest call to start with
     

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    Doco Overboard

    Ultimate Member
    I killed a few back there behind the NG building on 309/404 years ago.
    I used to park on Horseshoe road? or maybe it was Crouse Mill on the long curve before the pond and get in back behind that field via the horse trail.
    Theirs a long finger that comes out and cuts between those two fields which is a good spot during the week but if you turn left and follow that fire break in down in there on the left.
    Some of that ground that gets tilled belongs to the park but it looks private so you can get across without any issue.
    Check your maps if they still provide them to be sure at the station and match it up to satellite view and you'll se what I mean. a lot of that stuff is probably able to be viewed online these days anyhow
    Back in there where it gets low is a good spot for early bow hunting because it gets cool down in there from the water evaporating.
    Long ass drag though turkeys are easier to carry from back there unless theirs more access now.
    Good Luck.
     

    K31

    "Part of that Ultra MAGA Crowd"
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 15, 2006
    35,632
    AA county
    For two of your questions, I've always used #4 shot magnums (if I could find them) and as for calls, I like box calls with a mouth call (in-mouth U-shaped rubber "reed") as a backup in case it rains.
     

    outrider58

    Eats Bacon Raw
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2014
    49,818
    Buy 2 boxes of shells. You should be able to pattern your gun with 2-3 shots if you are using a bead sight. The rest will last you a coupe years at least.

    For a noob, I always recommend a slate or 'pot' call. They are the easiest to cut, yelp, and purr with. Learn to master a diaphragm call. Practice it while driving(alone) in your car. Lots of Youtubes out there to help you along.

    Me, I just cut out the breasts. If you want to eat the whole bird, I recommend skinning it.

    Lastly, invest in a decent turkey choke tube for your gun. You wont regret it.


    DO NOT OVER CALL!!!
     
    Last edited:

    gtodave

    Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 14, 2007
    14,182
    Mt Airy
    There's a lot of meat on the thighs, and I hate to be wasteful, so I always pull them off on large birds. Turkey's will be tough, but just simmer until they break down.

    I've never killed a wild turkey, so I can't comment on skinning one vs plucking one. I've heard the skin tastes "dirty". I CAN tell you that my domestic turkey's skin tastes fantastic, and they live in the dirt too.
     

    Virgil Co.C

    Active Member
    Aug 10, 2018
    615
    4 shot , 3 1/2 Winchester. I like for the range .very comfortable out to 70yards . If I’m field hunting. They will rock you though. Anything under 30 yards I feel any turkey shell should be acceptable but definitely pattern the gun with a a turkey choke (xfull) there are a lot to choose from. Anything past 30 I would experiment/ test different loads and chokes. Box call probably easiest to learn / use .
     

    gwchem

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 18, 2014
    3,434
    SoMD
    Try two brands of ammo and pick the best group. For now, you might have to go with what's available. You'll need two shells for grouping and one for hunting. A single box can last a few years. Do you have a turkey choke?

    I find slate/pot calls and box calls equally easy and authentic sounding. Mouth calls, on the other hand. Weeks of practice and I still can't make noises at all. Slates don't work when they're wet, however, and only some box calls do. I learned that the hard way last year.
     

    RuralRifleGuy

    Active Member
    Aug 16, 2018
    918
    Queenstown
    Thanks for the information everyone.

    The TSS shells are devastating and with the greater pellet count with the smaller shot, they can really throw out a dense pattern at longer ranges. This is a 40 yard pattern when I was sighting in last spring. For a beginner, I would recommend a box call. It's probably the easiest call to start with

    I'll pattern the Remington shells I ordered when they arrive to see how they do, but those TSS results are impressive so I'll be keeping an eye out for a good deal on them. Do you use 3" or 3-1/2" shells? I assume either one is going to not be super pleasant on my shoulder, though after patterning it's only two shot per season if everything goes right.

    I'll put a box call on the list, I went and watched a few videos and it does seem to be the easiest of the common ones.

    I killed a few back there behind the NG building on 309/404 years ago.
    I used to park on Horseshoe road? or maybe it was Crouse Mill on the long curve before the pond and get in back behind that field via the horse trail.
    Theirs a long finger that comes out and cuts between those two fields which is a good spot during the week but if you turn left and follow that fire break in down in there on the left.
    Some of that ground that gets tilled belongs to the park but it looks private so you can get across without any issue.
    Check your maps if they still provide them to be sure at the station and match it up to satellite view and you'll se what I mean. a lot of that stuff is probably able to be viewed online these days anyhow
    Back in there where it gets low is a good spot for early bow hunting because it gets cool down in there from the water evaporating.
    Long ass drag though turkeys are easier to carry from back there unless theirs more access now.
    Good Luck.

    Yeah they're posting the hunting map online now and it looks like they might have updated the hunting area a bit (maybe it changes some each year?). Thats good to know about the fields because I was a little confused by that. The ones up by the sign in area are marked hunting, but looked like private farm property on Google. I suspect during deer season the area around those fields is a prime location for hunters to set up. I'll probably end up marking coordinates in GPS for a specific area and aim for that. My big thing is making sure I am far enough away from the trails to avoid people, though I found some older threads on here that prove people don't stick to the trails even during hunting seasons.

    For two of your questions, I've always used #4 shot magnums (if I could find them) and as for calls, I like box calls with a mouth call (in-mouth U-shaped rubber "reed") as a backup in case it rains.

    Great, I have #4 shot magnums coming and will be picking up a box call. I'm assuming a mouth call takes some practice, so I'll want to pick one of them up sooner rather than later and practice a lot.

    Buy 2 boxes of shells. You should be able to pattern your gun with 2-3 shots if you are using a bead sight. The rest will last you a coupe years at least.


    For a noob, I always recommend a slate or 'pot' call. They are the easiest to cut, yelp, and purr with. Learn to master a diaphragm call. Practice it while driving(alone) in your car. Lots of Youtubes out there to help you along.

    Me, I just cut out the breasts. If you want to eat the whole bird, I recommend skinning it.


    Lastly, invest in a decent turkey choke tube for your gun. You wont regret it.

    I'll order a couple more boxes of shells so I make sure I have enough to pattern with and have them on hand for the future. And that's the third type of call recommended, so it looks like I'm buying them all and figuring out what works best for me. :lol2:

    Skinning it was the way I was leaning, I'd hate to waste the thighs and legs when they can be made into something. I'm looking to buy a dedicated turkey gun and most come with chokes, so if it patterns well I would probably hold off on buying a different choke until I find out if I'm going to make turkey hunting a yearly thing. Are there any specific chokes you would recommend or suggest I avoid?

    There's a lot of meat on the thighs, and I hate to be wasteful, so I always pull them off on large birds. Turkey's will be tough, but just simmer until they break down.

    I've never killed a wild turkey, so I can't comment on skinning one vs plucking one. I've heard the skin tastes "dirty". I CAN tell you that my domestic turkey's skin tastes fantastic, and they live in the dirt too.

    Do the thighs grind ok, or would you recommend only cooking them certain ways? I was thinking either of just grinding them for burgers or maybe using them for sausages. The breasts I plan to keep one whole and cut the other down into either thin slices or cubes for making turkey cheese steaks or soup with.

    What kind of turkeys are you raising? Turkeys are on my maybe list for when I buy some place with more land.
     

    RuralRifleGuy

    Active Member
    Aug 16, 2018
    918
    Queenstown
    I knew I should have refreshed before posting to see if there were more comments. Another question, does anyone here turkey hunt with a single shot shotgun? I'm considering one of the Henry 12ga models and they have a new turkey model that looks interesting.

    https://www.henryusa.com/shotgun/single-shot-turkey-camo-shotgun/


    4 shot , 3 1/2 Winchester. I like for the range .very comfortable out to 70yards . If I’m field hunting. They will rock you though. Anything under 30 yards I feel any turkey shell should be acceptable but definitely pattern the gun with a a turkey choke (xfull) there are a lot to choose from. Anything past 30 I would experiment/ test different loads and chokes. Box call probably easiest to learn / use .

    I'm most likely buying a dedicated turkey gun, most of the ones I'm looking at come with a turkey choke which should be good enough for this year. I'll see how it patterns though before deciding if I'm keeping it or buying a different choke. Any recommendations on specific brands of chokes to look at or avoid?

    That's good info on the ranges, I'll be sticking to 30 and under since it's my first time turkey hunting.

    Try two brands of ammo and pick the best group. For now, you might have to go with what's available. You'll need two shells for grouping and one for hunting. A single box can last a few years. Do you have a turkey choke?

    I find slate/pot calls and box calls equally easy and authentic sounding. Mouth calls, on the other hand. Weeks of practice and I still can't make noises at all. Slates don't work when they're wet, however, and only some box calls do. I learned that the hard way last year.

    I'll order some more ammo to try, the TSS grouping posted has me wanting to try it, so with the shells I've already ordered and the TSS I should have something that groups well. Like I've asked others, do you have suggestions on a good turkey choke brand or ones to avoid? I've watched some youtube videos and they all have different opinions on what choke to use (I suspect some of them were given free chokes for a positive review).

    I'm probably not going to sit in the woods if it's raining unless I'm already on my way or really motivated to get a turkey, but that's good to know as none of the videos I watched mentioned it. I do plan on taking a water resistant bag or pouch with calls and shells in it so I can keep things dry. If it starts raining after I head out hopefully that might help some. I suspect I'll have a similar experience with mouth calls. I can't whistle, so I have zero confidence in my mouth's ability to make a mouth call work.
     

    Pale Ryder

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 12, 2009
    6,235
    Millersville
    I’ve hunted Tuck for deer on and off many years. I have often seen and heard turkey in the areas near the creek. Most times I park at the office or the small lot on Horseshoe, use the trails to get in quickly and quietly before sunrise. Imagine that would work for turkey. I’ve turkey hunted before a few times, just not there. Thought of giving it a go this spring too.

    Pre pandemic Anglers use to carry a Stevens single shot set up for turkey, believe it was an economical choice.
     

    remrug

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 13, 2009
    1,762
    manchester md
    If you are limiting yourself to 30 yrds or less,TSS loads dont do anything that regular lead will do except put more pellets into the turkey.I shoot through a turkey choke with 3 inch lead 6s and a turkey at 30 yrds is a dead turkey everytime.

    I think a slate is the easiest call to learn on.You might want to buy a few different diaphragm calls.They all are shaped different and one may fit you better than another one.
    Dont overlook a locator call or two....crow,owl....etc.

    If you locate one and he goes the other way,try to get in front of him.Its hard to get them to come back the way they came.

    Patience cant be stressed enough.....get a Tom interested ,then stop calling works better than any other calling sequence to me.He most likely will be sneaking his way closer.Probably will stop gobbling.You will be wondering where is he? Resist the temptation of calling to him.Trust me....it works.
    There is a ton of things to try to learn at one time.Is there an experienced person you could tag along with?
     

    outrider58

    Eats Bacon Raw
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2014
    49,818
    I'll order a couple more boxes of shells so I make sure I have enough to pattern with and have them on hand for the future. And that's the third type of call recommended, so it looks like I'm buying them all and figuring out what works best for me. :lol2:

    Skinning it was the way I was leaning, I'd hate to waste the thighs and legs when they can be made into something. I'm looking to buy a dedicated turkey gun and most come with chokes, so if it patterns well I would probably hold off on buying a different choke until I find out if I'm going to make turkey hunting a yearly thing. Are there any specific chokes you would recommend or suggest I avoid?
    As far as calls go, keep collecting them. I don't use box calls, for no other reason other than I don't have any room for them. I carry multiple pot calls. Both slate and glass. Make sure you have sand paper along in your vest to touch up not only the surfaces of the calls, but also the strikers. You will also need to keep a chunk of chalk with you, especially for box calls.


    Diaphragm or reed calls. Same thing. You'll want a variety of them. What works on one bird won't always work on the next.


    For choke tubes. If the one that comes with your gun patterns fine in relation to your sight, that should be good enough.
     
    Last edited:

    RuralRifleGuy

    Active Member
    Aug 16, 2018
    918
    Queenstown
    If you are limiting yourself to 30 yrds or less,TSS loads dont do anything that regular lead will do except put more pellets into the turkey.I shoot through a turkey choke with 3 inch lead 6s and a turkey at 30 yrds is a dead turkey everytime.

    I think a slate is the easiest call to learn on.You might want to buy a few different diaphragm calls.They all are shaped different and one may fit you better than another one.
    Dont overlook a locator call or two....crow,owl....etc.

    If you locate one and he goes the other way,try to get in front of him.Its hard to get them to come back the way they came.

    Patience cant be stressed enough.....get a Tom interested ,then stop calling works better than any other calling sequence to me.He most likely will be sneaking his way closer.Probably will stop gobbling.You will be wondering where is he? Resist the temptation of calling to him.Trust me....it works.
    There is a ton of things to try to learn at one time.Is there an experienced person you could tag along with?

    That's good to know, I've mostly owned shotguns for home defense so it's been slugs and 00 buckshot that I've shot the most and as long as I'm able to hit a man sized target that's been all that's mattered. Most of the shots I've been worried about have been measured in feet because of that. Once I buy a turkey gun I'll have to go to the range and see how it patterns at different ranges, if it patterns well at longer ranges the TSS might be useful to have (and pattern) in case I get out there and a turkey won't come within 30 yards.

    Luckily I'm a very patient guy, I'm also willing to fail a bunch if I learn something from it. Unfortunately I have no family members who hunt turkey, they all stick to deer. I was originally looking to book a guided hunt but can't justify the price for a turkey hunt. I have two months until the season opens to learn as much as I can and a little over a month to actually hunt after that and learn from the experience. I plan on spending a lot of my free time researching, practicing, and learning during this time. If I end up not getting a turkey this season there will always be another one next year and I'll know what works and what doesn't. :)
     

    gwchem

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 18, 2014
    3,434
    SoMD
    In my research and Limited experience the gun and ammo have the least impact on turkey. There's no telling which gun/choke/ammo combo will be perfect. Try two of each, pick the best, and stick with it.

    We hunt a private farm, so it's not the same, but here's one tip. Walk around or drive around in the evening. Stop once in a while, get quiet, and cluck a bit. If you get a response, hunt there in the morning. The turkeys aren't moving overnight.
     

    remrug

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 13, 2009
    1,762
    manchester md
    Do you have any private land to hunt on?
    Public birds are pressured and act accordingly.They are much harder to kill.Plus you will have a good chance of competition on a gobbling bird
     

    rgramjet

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 25, 2009
    2,962
    Howard County
    I just picked up an Easy Yelper box call. Good reviews and made Turkey-like noises right out of the package.

    Also bought my 14 year old twins mouth calls.....that was a Long drive home from Bass Pro Shops.
     

    94hokie

    Active Member
    Mar 29, 2015
    832
    Severna Park, MD
    Thanks for the information everyone.



    I'll pattern the Remington shells I ordered when they arrive to see how they do, but those TSS results are impressive so I'll be keeping an eye out for a good deal on them. Do you use 3" or 3-1/2" shells? I assume either one is going to not be super pleasant on my shoulder, though after patterning it's only two shot per season if everything goes right.

    Yes, they are punishing. I hunt with a semi-auto with a pistol grip so that heps a bit. If you want a lighter shooting option look for a 20 gauge turkey gun. With TSS a 20 gauge is still plenty lethal out to 50 yds. I take the thigh and leg and cook in a slow cooker. It really helps to make them more tender.
     

    outrider58

    Eats Bacon Raw
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2014
    49,818
    I just picked up an Easy Yelper box call. Good reviews and made Turkey-like noises right out of the package.

    Also bought my 14 year old twins mouth calls.....that was a Long drive home from Bass Pro Shops.
    Lol. That's why I recommend people practice alone in their cars. :lol2:
     

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