How to Shoot Turkeys: The Ultimate Guide
If you’re looking to bag yourself a turkey this hunting season, then you need to read this guide! In it, we will teach you everything you need to know about how to shoot turkeys. We’ll discuss the best ways to go about doing it, as well as some helpful tips and tricks. This guide includes something for everyone, whether you’re a novice or a seasoned hunter. So let’s get this party started!
Visit a Shooting Range
Use a Range Finder
When you are sitting down to call a turkey, you need to distance trees and bushes. You can be 30 yards away from the tree or bush. Then when the turkey steps into that area, you know that you can take the shot. But before that, make sure there are no obstructions between your gun and the turkey’s neck or head.
Be Sure Turkey is Standing Still
Another thing to remember about the shooting is that the turkey must be stationary when you pull the trigger. When you take a shot while he’s walking or turning his head, you’re less likely to hit your bird.
Know Where to Aim
People often ask me where to aim when shooting a turkey. It is best to aim for the turkey’s neck, where the feathers meet the skin. Suppose you’re shooting with a shotgun that has a pattern about as big as a basketball. In that case, two-thirds of your shots will go over the gobbler’s head and will be more likely to hit its vitals instead of just missing altogether or hitting its wings or tail feathers. You just have to make sure you’re using the right gauge for your shotgun.
You can check out this site to learn more about the fundamentals of turkey hunting.
Frequently Asked Questions About Shooting Turkeys
California’s wild turkey populations are doing well and growing. You can hunt wild turkeys on your property if safe and legal. You will need a hunting license and an upland game bird stamp to do this. The legal methods of taking a turkey are with a shotgun, bow, or air rifle.
If you want to kill a turkey for Thanksgiving, it is best to shoot it in the body with a deer rifle. When aiming at the turkey, keep its head above the bead. It is common to aim for the turkey’s wattle. Killing a turkey with a bow is more difficult than killing one with a shotgun.
Shootings using shotguns and paper targets are the most common way to hold a turkey shoot. However, the tradition of turkey shoots dates back to at least James Fenimore Cooper’s time. Back then, live turkeys were tied down in pens, and people would shoot them from 25-35 yards away.
Just like hunting rabbits, hunting turkeys with a rifle is only permitted in a few states. In most cases, you can only hunt during the fall season. There are many reasons why it isn’t a good idea to hunt turkey with the rifle from your boyhood. First of all, it is often illegal in many areas. Secondly, there are other reasons why it might not be the best choice for hunting this type of game.
It is best to shoot their head and neck when hunting wild turkeys. Shotguns are the best firearm for this, but bowhunters should aim for the heart or lungs when shooting from the side.
If you want to preserve your turkey from deteriorating, there are a few things you can do. Immediately after the kill, you should gut the turkey. If you want to wait to clean it, that’s okay, but removing the guts will help keep the meat spoiling. You can also hang the turkey for 1-3 days in a cool, dry environment if you want to age the meat.
If you’ve shot at the gobbler and missed him, plan to leave the woods, and don’t hunt that turkey again for a few days. Do not call from the same spot where you’ve missed the turkey.
In general, a fatally injured bird by a shotgun won’t travel very far. Most turkeys are recovered within about a 200-yard radius.
If you are standing, shoot the turkey like other upland birds. But avoid body shots that might cripple the bird (and ruin its meat). Practice this when shooting sporting clays or other flying upland birds, and you’ll be ready if the moment presents itself while turkey hunting.
When shooting a bird, aim your arrow between the base of the beard and the base of the neck. The breast feathers frequently create a thin vertical line that serves as an aiming point.
This is the fleshy appendage that hangs over the beak. It might look like a small elephant’s trunk, but its real purpose is to get a mate’s attention.
The full chokeholds the shot together. It is good for squirrels, turkeys, and other animals shot from a long distance. People who shoot far away sometimes use “Extra Full” or “Turkey” choke. They do this to have a more tight pattern at those distances. Choosing the best turkey choke is important to improve your performance.
A new high-quality turkey load has been developed by Federal Ammunition. Instead of lead, it employs small pellets. This load contains significantly more pellets than a #6 lead load.