Everyone knows I got a fall turkey...and I filled both my doe tags and thumped the 13pt'er...all with handguns!! It's been a GREAT year!!

Well...as law dictates in PA...spring goobler season is shotgun or archery only...so I carry the long dreadful beast of a shotgun!! I only really hunt this season because my grandfather really enjoys it.

Day one had him miss a jake at 15 yards, day two and three were uneventful. Each time we set up for him to shoot...and if I have a shot and pass he growls at me. Well today this fella brings his hens my way and I fulfilled Pap's command and dropped the firing pin to harvest this very nice bird. Weight is 20#, 9" beard and 5/8" spurs. Hammered him at 52 yards w/ a 835 Ulti-Mag, 3.5" Federal #6 Flite Control Wad load, TruGlo .695" ported choke and topped with a 3-9X Tasco scope...set on 3X.

The Federal load is SWEET! They pattern VERY well and hit like thunder. At 25 yards the wad will go sideways through three sheets of cardboard. At 50 yards the wad will hit the target!!! The wad was laying at the point of impact for this turkey.

After the shot I ran up to step on him...NEVER grab the feet of a flopping bird...had a friend get sliced from the spurs once! Just as I stepped on him he flopped, ended up stepping on his tail...he flopped again and tore all but three feathers from his tail!! I had no plans for a mount...but did want a few nice pics!! Aarrggh!! That ruined the nice pics...but here's one for you fellas.

Later......

COOL!! Nice bird.

You can't eat the feathers anyway.

Now Dan there must be something going around with stepping on turkeys and pulling the feathers. I did the same thing this past tuesday here in Indiana. Smacked this one at 35yds. Went to step on the neck and he turned right around before I could react. I didn't have any plans on a mount but it's still a shame to ruin the bird for the pictures.

This bird came off of public land, he weighed 24# had spurs just under an inch and had a 11-1/2" beard.



hangunnr

Great shooting Dan. Nice bird. It is shotgun or archery here in Oklahoma and KS so I use a longbow. Here is one I took last week with my longbow. 23lbs, 9.5" beard and 1" spurs. Shot at 8 yds out of ground blind.
Mike

Nice birds fellas!
This is my 3rd season hunting them since they have never really been thick in VT.
Had 3 come to my mouth call a the other morning but hung up on some dead falls form a past ice storm.
Got a trip planned to our southern part of the state where they are thick..

No handgun for turks in VT so I too will be sporting a shot gun but also my recurve..
Wish me luck!

Congrats to those who have had success thus far!

congratulations to all on the turkeys.....they do look kinda funny without tail feathers . no luck here yet so i'll just stay after them . good luck to everyone this weekend.

Had three going this AM for pap and a friend...the last one at 15 til noon (shooting time over at noon) was coming FAST but a four wheeler entered the area and that ended the hunt.

Three more weeks to go!

congrats on the birds fellers,hey dan is that a riffle or shotgun scope?jim257

Jim...that's a regular ol' rifle scope...I added a slip on recoil pad over the factory pad to length the pull and creep back on the stock a little to keep from knocked in the noggin'! That 835 w/ 3.5" loads is a kicker!!

Well...got Pap's bird this AM. Had three going...the big boy was on top of the hill and would not come down so he flew off to another ridge...just then a jake stepped out and came down the hill to the call and got blasted at 20 yards!

You Guys should come to God's Country(TEXAS) so you can use your handguns during turkey season

I get kinda envious listening to all you guys talking about turkey hunting. We're a little shy of them here in Alaska.
Then a couple od days ago I was driving home from checking the bear bait & out in the brush beside a mash I see a couple of sandhill cranes... Hmm.... 'Bout the same size as a turkey. Got the mod. 29 sitting in the seat beside me... Then reality set in. I haven't looked in the regs, but I'm pretty sure popping cranes in the spring with a handgun wouldn't fly. Oh well.

yeah, they probably wouldn't like that too much....don't think the cranes would either

I've heard they take just l'ke chicken! My wife & I were driving home tonight & she pointed out some cranes in a tidal flat. When she said "There are some cranes", I said "No, those are Alaskan turkeys". She gave me an odd inquiring look so i had to tell her the story.

Way to go guys--Congrats all!
You may want to shoot me but we have an infestation of them turks around here, but I don't hunt em.

Hey, Dan that almost looks like a smile
I know you want to smile
ow if you had been able to handgun hunt them you may have had a pic and you would be doing this-
Well, maybe not that big of a smile

yep........me too we got lots o turkey round here, but i don't hunt em either. i'd usually rather be fishin during that part of the year. not havin a lotta luck gettin much o that done either.
what we NEED is a handgun season. i could definately find time fer that.

life is good dan.......hope ya keep having the high success rate.