Has anyone tried for Turkey yet?

[hm2 clark]

It's about turkey season again. The regulations says "any legal shotgun, rifle, bow muzzleloader". Last year we sat on the edge of a flat open field with NO open cover. 2turkeys strutted and displayed for 5 hrs in front of us. I lased them @260 yards. They never came anywhere near the decoys or our calls. They would stay still for 10 min at a time with their heads sticking straight up. I do have a T/C Encore 12 gage with a spare 24" Grendel Barrel. I just came back from scouting the same field and the same turkeys are in the same spot-bigger this year I think. Any thoughts on the ethics of taking turkeys at long range with a rifle?

[stokesrj]

Turkeys are made for shotguns, learn to call them, I've killed more than 50 with a shotgun including a grand slam of all species. Shooting a turkey with a rifle is like, well, cheating your self out of the joy of hunting them.
if you do decide to rifle shot them, don't try a head/neck shot beyond 75 yards or so, body shoot them and accept the meat loss. If you want, I'd be glad to come over and call them for you to shoot.
Bob

[hm2 clark]

Storkesrj thanks for the advice, I'll take it and stay with a shotgun..And thanks for the offer to help, but I am bringing a buddy who claims to have won awards to call them for me. The way this is going to work out ofr me is the rancher is going to run six $2000 guided turkey hunts. When thats over with he will let his friends (me) hunt whats left over. By the time it's my turn, the turkey wll be overcalled and spooky. But who cares; its a weekend in the woods and anything can happan.

[vanguard138]

Wow, 2,000 to hunt a turkey. Sure glad I can go out on my property every year and get a Tom (with my shotgun). One of these years I really need to try it with my bow.

[CPT.CRAZY]

Leave the scatter guns at home and try with a bow. Now that is a challenging kill.

[stokesrj]

The reason that it costs $2,000 is because they are Osceola turkeys and are only found in central Florida south. Since they are the hardest to get to complete a Grand Slam, people are willing to pay this much. In my opinion they are no harder to hunt than any other, just restricted by location.
I saw 27 Saturday on the way to my rifle range, including two toms strutting for the hens.
Bob

[tomjjlcu]

Leave the scatter guns at home and try with a bow. Now that is a challenging kill.

I have wiped out a lot more than 50 having a shotgun together with a grand slam of species. Shooting a poultry having a rifle is much like, well, cheating oneself from the pleasure of hunting them.

should you choose choose to rifle shot them, do not attempt a mind/neck shot beyond 75 yards approximately, body shoot them and accept the meat loss. If you would like, I'd be happy in the future over and give them a call that you should shoot.