From my recent article for The News Journal.
Spring brings warm weather, new growth, yard work and the start of the Phillies quest for another trip to the World Series.
Spring also brings wild turkey hunting.
The increased number of Delaware turkey hunters undoubtedly means that more first-time turkey hunters are opting to hunt the large, intelligent (and tasty) birds. Before heading to the turkey woods however, it is important to practice with the shotgun, muzzleloader or bow that you will be hunting with.
For shotguns and muzzleloaders, a properly placed shot at a turkey is on the head and neck area. It is important to use a choke tube that holds the shot pattern close together at the various ranges where you will be shooting the turkeys. Specially designed choke tubes are manufactured specifically for turkey hunting, but adequate sighting-in is crucial.
Practice shooting at turkey head/neck targets (available for purchase from gun and sporting goods shops and free on the Internet) at different distances and with different shells or loads. Your shot pattern will change based upon the distance and load, so carefully check your targets to ensure there are enough pellets in the kill zone. Although frequently overlooked, be sure to take a few shots at close range. You may be surprised to see that your pellets miss the kill zone completely when shooting at close targets.
To increase your chances of success, consider enhancing your standard shotgun or muzzleloader sights by adding fiber-optic or holographic sights that enable you to draw a bead on a turkey more quickly and accurately.
If you are up for the challenge of bow hunting wild turkeys, I can’t stress enough the importance of practice. Turkeys present much smaller areas for successful shot placement when compared with the vital organ areas of large animals like deer, and their keen vision makes it extremely difficult to draw a bowstring when turkeys are in range.
When hunting turkeys with a bow, optimal shot placement is the turkey’s wing butt, hip joint, heart, neck, or head — all extremely small targets. Pinpoint accuracy is key. Many successful bow hunters use mechanical broadheads for hunting turkeys because of their accuracy and wide cutting diameters. The extra cutting diameter allows a little forgiveness for a shot that is a bit off the mark. As an alternative, consider broadhead designs with long, fixed blades that extend perpendicular from the shaft and are designed for shooting at a turkey’s neck.
Whether using a gun or bow for turkey hunting, make your practice mimic as closely as possible actual hunting conditions. Since most turkey shooting is done from a seated position, practice shooting while sitting on your rear-end and while kneeling. If you will be hunting from a blind, practice shooting from your blind at multiple distances and angles. Since sleeves, hats, gloves, masks, glasses, and other necessary turkey hunting items can affect your shooting, be sure to take some practice shots wearing your turkey hunting attire.
DEL. TURKEY HUNTING INFORMATION
DELAWARE 2010 SPRING WILD TURKEY HUNTING SEASON:
April 10, 2010 to April 30, 2010. Private land hunters may hunt all 18 days of the season. Public land permits can only be used on the property for which they are issued.
TURKEY HUNTING HOURS:
Half-hour before sunrise until 1 p.m.
LEGAL BIRDS AND BAG LIMIT:
Bearded birds only. Bag limit is one turkey per year.
DELAWARE TURKEY CHECKING:
All turkeys must be checked at an authorized turkey check station by 2:30 p.m. on the day the bird is killed.
DELAWARE TURKEY CHECK STATIONS:
Ommelanden Hunter Education Center, Woodland Beach Wildlife Check Station, Little Creek Wildlife Area Check Station, Williamsville Store, LP Sports Center, Wildlife Recreations, Rattle and Reel Sporting Center, Hook’ em & Cook’ em, Nanticoke Wildlife Area Headquarters
MORE INFO:
Division of Fish & Wildlife or 302-735-3600