Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2017 i Deer & Deer Hunting

A good friend once told me that while hunting is not a spectator sport, adding a best buddy to the mix can boost enjoyment and add efficiency to the experience. I took that to heart when I first began hunting turkeys in earnest and as a result have shared the spring woods with a long list of top-shelf hunting partners. I’ve always believed that the measure of a man is greatly enhanced by the company he keeps. And that rings true with an even higher degree of sincerity in regard to the quality of hunting buddies he keeps. I’ve been fortunate to have known — and hunted with — many such indisputable men. Those who lurk in the early morning gloom doing their very best to imitate a seductive hen…

If you’ve killed a big gobbler with a giant beard and spurs, or multiple beards, sometimes it’s fun to find out how it would score based on the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) system. The NWTF has scads of information about turkeys, hunting areas, conservation success stories, where to find your local chapter and much more at its website, www.NWTF.org . One cool feature is its own Dr. Tom, who answers reader questions, such as the one about scoring. Here’s part of his answer: The collection of World Wild Turkey Records began in 1980 by outdoor writer and wild turkey hunting enthusiast Col. Dave Harbour and his wife, Bobbi. They established categories so differences between subspecies would not be an issue. After consulting with wildlife biologists, Harbour…

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard other hunters say they don’t hunt public land. The excuses are many: It’s too crowded. It’s too dangerous. There are too many fools out there who interfere with the birds you’re working. Yeah, well, nothing’s perfect. If you can line up good private land for your state-hopping trips — emphasis on “good” — more power to you. Jill and I hunt some private tracts every spring, and we’re always looking for more. But truthfully, we prefer hunting public land because we have access to so much more of it. Private tracts are often small, and few things frustrate me more than going to a gobbling turkey and coming to a property line I don’t have permission to cross. The U.S. Forest…

Remington V3 Field Sport — Smooth cycling meets rigid dependability in Remington’s sensational V3 Field Sport. The USA-made shotgun chambers 2¾- and 3-inch loads, and impeccably cycles moderate field loads and heavy-hitting magnum loads alike. The V3 features Remington’s Versaport, which self-regulates gas pressure specifically for the length of the shell and reduces felt recoil. A tactical-black synthetic stock completes the ensemble. For more information, visit www.Remington.com. Mossberg 535 and 835 — Mossberg now offers its 535 and 835 turkey guns with Marble Arms Bull’s-eye peep sights. Of course, key features are still present in both models: ambidextrous safety, positive steel-to-steel lockup, dual extractors, twin action bars and smooth anti-jam elevator. Both models offer a 3½-inch chamber and are finished in Mossy Oak Obsession. The 535 includes an XX-Full choke,…

The rise in popularity of bowhunting turkeys has led to a more recent proliferation of fixed-blade broadheads with extremely wide cutting diameters designed specifically for head shots. At the very least they’ll break a turkey’s neck and will often sever the head. Some, such as the original Gobbler Guillotine from Arrow-dynamic Solutions, require specific arrows. Others, such as the Magnus Bullhead and the Turkey Lopper from Hartcraft, can be used with standard arrows. However, make sure there is enough clearance around your rest, riser and riser hand when your bow is fully drawn. If not, use longer arrows.…

Knight & Hale Numerous new products for the turkey hunter from this legendary company this year include diaphragm and friction calls, accessory pouches and even snake gaiters for those areas where Mr. No-Shoulders likes to slink around. One of the hottest calls will be the Canyon Cutter, a friction call designed by Bone Collector Nick Mundt for loud, raucous sounds. The cup is created with a dense acrylic sheeting for a wood-plastic hybrid sound and acrylic soundboard, then topped with an aluminum calling surface. If you want high pitch and volume, you’ll get it with this call. Info: www.KnightAndHale.com Kent Diamond Shot It’s not enough to have ammunition that knocks down turkeys up close and personal. You also might need tight patterns at longer distances should that wily tom hang…

COULD THE ZIKA VIRUS INFECT WILD TURKEYS? Following the mosquito-spread outbreak in south Florida of the Zika virus, researchers began investigating whether the disease could affect animals as well as humans and in what way. Given that wild turkeys inhabit many areas where mosquitoes are found, especially the Osceola subspecies found in south Florida, it’s natural to wonder if they could be at risk. So far, however, no evidence has been found that the virus infects animals the same as it does humans. According to the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only apes and monkeys have shown any sign of infection when exposed to the virus. That resulted in only mild fever with no other symptoms. The Zika virus may cause birth defects in pregnant women infected with…

Primos Take Out Turkeys love tasty, nutritious food plots and the insects that are present there throughout the spring and summer. Find the best location for optimal sunlight and growth, conduct a soil test, follow the seeding directions and fertilize if necessary. Using quality food plot seeds, such as those from the Primos Take Out lineup, definitely can help. Its Row Crop blend includes oats, soybeans, alfalfa and barley. Once these plots are established, you’ll have great supplemental forage and a big insect hangout for your hens, poults, gobblers and other wildlife to use for months. Info: www.Primos.com Ameristep Supernatural Turkey hunting often is a run ‘n’ gun deal, but sometimes you might want a ground blind for bowhunting, or to keep squiggly, wiggly kids from spooking birds. Whatever the…

Trulock Chokes If you can’t find the choke tube from Trulock you’re looking for then you might be out of luck, because they have scads of options for turkey hunters. One of Trulock’s most popular is the Longbeard XR, designed for the popular and hard-hitting ammunition of the same name. Trulock designed each Longbeard XR choke model to be specific to the shot size being used, so you’ll have confidence every time you pull the trigger. Plus, the Trulock Shot-Lok Technology protects the shot as it exits the muzzle to produce better long-range patterns. Info: www.TrulockChokes.com Gamehide ElimiTick Hunters hate ticks and, fortunately, ticks hate Gamehide’s great ElimiTick apparel that keeps insects at bay when you’re in the field. ElimiTick’s Insect Shield Technology binds the odorless repellent to the fabric…

I was feeling a tad nostalgic as I handled Savage’s new Model 212 bolt-action turkey slayer. In ways it felt like reconnecting with an old friend. I’d ordered my first shotgun back in the late ’60s, a bolt-action Western Field 20 gauge, from the worn pages of the sporting goods section of the family Montgomery Ward catalog, and paid for it with hard-earned paper route money. The Model 160A Western Field was actually a Mossberg Model 385 that was branded by “Monkey Ward,” and sold between 1960 and 1986. While it never made it to the turkey woods — we didn’t have a modern day turkey season in the Gopher State until 1978 — it saw a lot of action in the local woods where I hunted all sorts of…

Winchester Long Beard XR — Winchester offers Long Beard XR in 3- and 3½-inch magnum configurations, and in shot sizes ranging from No. 4 to 6. Payloads range from 1¾ ounces to 2⅛ ounces. What makes this load stand out from others is pattern density and downrange energy. Shot-Lok Technology protects shot during in-bore acceleration, which distributes it in a circular pattern for excellent density and hard-hitting performance. The result is 10 percent greater penetration than standard lead loads and double the pellets in a 10-inch circle out to 60 yards. For more information, visit www.Winchester.com. Federal Premium 3RD Degree — Federal incorporated science to design its 3RD Degree turkey load. It includes 40 percent No. 7 Heavyweight, which groups densely at the pattern’s center for long-range performance; 20 percent…

The sage old tom gobbled incessantly from across the clearing. Though I couldn’t see him, I knew he’d hung up — waiting for the “hen” to come to him. I also knew I needed to throw in a change up before the bird lost interest. I’d been working him with a mouth call, so I pulled out my slate and mimicked the sounds of two hens purring and fighting. It worked. The gobbler’s head periscoped above a nearby hummock and he irritably eyeballed my strutting jake decoy. Believing two hens were fighting in the woods beyond the decoy, the tom proceeded down the logging road toward the feathery phony. A swarm of No. 4s from my grandpa’s 10 gauge H&R somersaulted the bird into a lifeless heap 12 yards away.…

Here are some roosting pattern insights and tips for each of the four major wild turkey subspecies we hunt. Eastern — In the Midwest, East and Northeast, oaks (especially white oaks) and basswood make prime roosts, as do surviving elms. Eastern cottonwoods are good, too. Pines and other conifers are often chosen in inclement (rainy or snowy) or cold weather. In the South and Southeast, cypress, sycamore, live oak and loblolly pine are important roost trees. Merriam’s — Ponderosa pine is a preferred nesting tree across Merriam’s range. This subspecies prefers an open area (instead of dark, thick forest) for the good visibility provided as birds approach the roost in the evening and come down in the morning. Look for good-sized trees spread out across a pasture or meadow. Rio…

“ Plop! Plop-plop! The first plop was right beside me on the pine needles. The second was on the bill of my cap and my left shoulder. Exploring fingers revealed the awful truth: turkey turds.” I’d been hunting turkeys only seven or eight years when I met the turkey I eventually named Blinky. He lived on an unusual land feature for the Ouachita Mountains — a steep-sided ridge shaped like a New Mexico mesa. The sides of this thing weren’t quite vertical, but steep enough that you needed both hands and both feet to climb the 600 feet to the top. Once you got up there it was flat as a football field, about 200 yards wide and 600 yards long, well-timbered with a mixed stand of oak, hickory and…

TURKEY TWEETS @TWITTER.COM/TURKEY_HUNTING TURKEY POLL! What’s your favorite call to use when you’re chasing thunder chickens during springtime? BOX CALL 20% MOUTH CALL 37% SLATE/GLASS WITH STRIKER 36% “HERE TURKEY, TURKEY!” 7% SHOP DEER HUNTING.COM Bug Off, Mosquitos! Only a few hunting products can earn the “once you use this, you’ll never go back” distinction. The ThermaCell Mosquito Repeller is one of those rare finds to meet that high mark and the Turkey & Turkey Hunting crew uses them regularly throughout the hunting season. The ThermaCell Mosquito Repeller provides 225 square feet of coverage against mosquitoes, black flies and other insects. Each unit comes with three mats and one butane cartridge. They’re available at www.ShopDeerHunting.com along with holsters, tree hangers, butane and mat refills, and a larger lantern with a…

The beauty of spring turkey hunting is that virtually any shotgun will get the job done. But if you’re looking to reach out and touch a gobbler that has hung up well outside of your decoy spread, it might take a little more horsepower, and a shotgun specifically designed to anchor tom turkeys at 40 yards and beyond. Small-bore shotguns can kill gobblers stone dead, as long as you keep shots within their effective range. But even a 12 gauge shotgun has limits. Pound for pound, a wild turkey is one of the toughest critters to anchor unless you wallop its head really hard, and one or more pellets penetrate the brain or break the spine, immobilizing the bird. When sighting-in a turkey gun — using a turkey head and…

Sweet Suzie Snood: The Sweet Suzie Snood from Hunters Specialties is a compact pot call with a frosted glass-over-glass surface. It produces high-pitched hen calls that drive gobblers wild, with ample volume to reach out to long distances or cut through windy conditions. A rougher pad is included with the pot and striker, all for the low MSRP of $9.99. Visit www.HunterSpec.com for more information. Zink Calls Z-PAK: Each Zink mouth call is hand stretched and built by champion turkey caller and hunter Josh Grossenbacher. The Z-PAK Combo includes three exceptional Z-Series mouth calls — Z-Yelper, Z-Cutter and Z-Combo. These three calls produce a range of pitches and sounds from clear to raspy and everything between. This combo pack arms you with everything needed to make irresistible calls, including a…

Alps OutdoorZ Super Elite 4.0 ALPS OutdoorZ and the National Wild Turkey Federation have partnered to release dual-branded turkey-hunting gear including vests and pack systems, furniture, gun cases and ground blinds. In this lineup is the Super Elite 4.0 turkey hunting vest, which has 22 pockets including two large slate call pockets, three striker pockets, a box call pocket, two mesh diaphragm call pockets and an easy-access cell phone pocket. If you can’t get all of your turkey gear in this vest, you might need help! To protect your tush from rocks or roots, the vest comes with a comfy 2-1/2-inch thick foldaway seat so you can comfortably sit anywhere. The Super Elite 4.0 is made with a combo of comfortable cotton but has breathable mesh panels throughout. Info: www.AlpsOutdoorz.com…