Turkey

Prepare for Turkey Season

Things to do before heading out into the turkey woods.

Before you head out to the turkey woods, be sure and pattern your gun. I don't care how long you have hunted with it, you still need to pattern it every year, especially if you've switched to a different size shot or even the same as you always use but different brands. Even little things can throw your pattern off.

A Turkey Shotgun

A turkey shotgun is more rifle than it is shotgun. Sure, a shotgun is designed to throw as many pellets as possible in a 30-inch circle to hit flying birds or fast moving small game — the exact opposite of turkey hunting — in which your goal is to put as many pellets as possible into a tight 10-inch circle.

How to Plan for a Turkey's Primary Defense

Because their great vision is their primary defense, turkeys feel very secure where they can see well and far. They frequently feed in pastures and meadows and gobblers love to strut their stuff out in the open.

On rainy days, turkeys prefer these open areas as well as clearcuts and can be seen walking along woods roads. These are all prime areas to look for fresh tracks, feathers and other sign.