New to turkey hunting, so many questions

[wishinone]

Try to limit your shots to 35 yards or less, anything out past 40 yards is pushing it. In the early morning I would try and get close to the roosted birds, later I would set up along the field and put out a decoy or two and call every ten minutes or so. Keep your eyes open and try to keep still and you may be suprised by turkeys walking right past you.

[borch]

Yes, anything over 50 yards is definitely too far. In fact most hunters limit themselves to 40 yards. But the real limit may even be less than 40 yards for your gun. Check out the patterning threads on this board. They'll have more info for you.

If you search these threads you'll also find several links to targets of turkey heads that you can print out on your computer. Staple one to a board/stump and walk 30 yards away aim at the midpoint of the neck and soot. Count the pellet holes in the spine and brain. These will put a gobbler down on the spot. Your looking for about 5 in the brain and spine. If you got at least 5 in the brain and spine add a new target, back up another 5 yards and shoot. Still got at least 5? Then add another 5 yards and shoot at a new target. Fifty yards would be an absolute max for #4 shot. But most guns will not hold a killing pattern reliably out that far.

Also avoid body shots. These turkeys are tough. Their feathers act like armor and they have tough skin, muscle and bone. So unless your bow hunting head shots are the way to go(also less wasted meat).

Good Luck!

[Nut]

In my experiences turkeys will change roost sites if pressured somewhat. Always have more than one place to set up on turkeys. If they get used to people coming to them from one direction they will leave in the oppposite direction. They also will shut up per se. So do not bank on one area or roost site.