ARTICLES

New Turkey Hunter +ONE®️ Starter Pack Promo

Are you a new turkey hunter or hoping to be a hunting mentor? We put together this package to encourage those interested in turkey hunting to try it this year.

We welcome all who are interested in hunting to participate — from new to experienced hunters. Please share this with someone you think would like to get started.

Hunting wild turkeys can be overwhelming for any beginner, but the right information and gear can go a long way. The hunting location, the local hunting regulations, and the gear involved are the main ingredients you need to get started.

Turkey hunting is always more fun with a friend along. The strategy and scouting can become a lot easier and the shared success is truly something that makes the hunt more memorable. Don’t regret having to say “you should’ve been there” or “you had to see it to believe it!”

Your participation in this giveaway will also make sure you’re in the loop for other giveaway opportunities in the future.

From a camo hunting blind to trail cameras for scouting to eye and ear protection, we’ve got a standard list of beginner gear ready for one lucky turkey hunter!

Will you embrace the +ONE®️ mentorship mission and either try hunting for the first time or invite someone new on a hunt? It’s the best way to give back as a hunter.

More Help For Turkey Hunters

A great resource for turkey hunting is the National Wild Turkey Federation. They’ve got tips, events and a great community to get active in to learn more.

It’s extremely rewarding to get your own wild turkey and make great meals for yourself and others from the lean and organic wild game meat. We wish you the best luck in this giveaway and while hunting this year!

H U N T I N G

How to Pattern Your Shotgun for Turkey Hunting

By Vin T. Sparano, as excerpted from Complete Outdoors Encyclopedia: Camping, Fishing, Hunting, Boating, Wilderness Survival, First Aid Turkey

Turkeys make a tough target. They are difficult to see and even harder to harvest. The head and neck are the only vital areas that ensure a fast, clean hunt, but this will only happen if your shotgun throws a tight, dense shot pattern. The best shotgun choice for turkeys is a 12-gauge magnum, though the 10 gauge is gaining some ground among turkey hunters. The best shot sizes are No. 2, 4, 5, or 6. The best shotgun chokes are Full, Extra Full, and Super Full. Learn more about the Different Shotgun Gauges here.

Pattern Your Shotgun for Turkeys

Patterning Target on Adult Turkey

Patterning your shotgun for turkey hunting is simply a matter of shooting your shotgun with various shot sizes at different ranges to determine the most effective combination. To pattern your shotgun, you will need two loads of each shot size and six targets that show the full-size head and neck of a gobbler. Start by taking one shot at each target at 15, 25, and 40 yards.' With each load and choke combination, count the number of pellets in the vital area of the gobbler’s head. Opinions vary on the number of pellets you will need in a vital area to put a turkey down, but you will need at least six to harvest a turkey. Some experienced hunters, however, claim that a turkey hunter will need up to 30 pellets in a vital area to harvest a gobbler quickly and cleanly. After you have tried all the different loads at 15, 25, and 40 yards, analyze your targets and count the pellets in the vital area. Determine which load gives you the densest pattern in the gobbler’s head and neck. That’s the load to use.

Remember that 40 yards is about the maximum shotgun range on gobblers, regardless of your choke and load combination. Any turkey farther than 40 yards is not in pursuing range and you should not take the shot.

Check out this Turkey Chokes Tip From NWTF

https://youtu.be/L6TamAxpoqw?feature=shared

Wild turkeys are tough animals to harvest and a tight-patterning shot to the head and neck area is required to seal the deal.

Turkey Hunting Safety Reminders

There was a time when duck hunting was considered the most dangerous form of hunting. That’s no longer true. Turkey hunting now accounts for most accidents. There are some good rules for turkey hunters to keep in mind:

Never wear red, white, black, or light-blue clothing that could be visible to other hunters. These are the colors of a spring gobbler. Wear full camouflage, but avoid white socks or T-shirts, which might look like the white part of a gobbler.
Use your turkey call in terrain where you can see at least 50 yards in every direction.
Keep your back against a tree trunk, stump, or boulder that is higher than your head.
If you see another turkey hunter approaching, stay still and whistle or shout loudly.
Never sneak in on a turkey that is gobbling, and avoid using a call when hunters are nearby.
If you use a decoy, position it so that you are not in any possible line of fire with it. Position the decoy so it can be seen from the sides, not from in front of or behind you. Use only hen decoys, never a fake gobbler.
If you plan to hunt from a ground blind, read these safety considerations.

About the Author: Vin T. Sparano is the author of Complete Outdoors Encyclopedia as well as three other guides for Rizzoli. He has been an outdoor editor and writer for more than fifty years. He is editor emeritus of Outdoor Life, and has written and edited more than fifteen books about the outdoors. In 2013, he was inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. Special thanks to StepOutside.org for providing this insightful content. You may also be interested in:

https://www.letsgohunting.org/resources/articles/game-birds/five-must-haves-for-turkey-season/

Check out these delicious Turkey Recipes

https://www.letsgohunting.org/resources/articles/recipes/wild-turkey-buffalo-cheese-dip/ https://www.letsgohunting.org/resources/articles/recipes/wild-turkey-schnitzel-recipe/

Modern Rifle Hunting Photo Challenge

Submit a hunting-related photo including a modern sporting rifle for a chance to win a hunt!

How to Enter via Instagram:

Take a photo while hunting using a modern sporting rifle.
Post the photo to Instagram including #LetsGoHunting in the caption.
Submissions are reviewed to ensure they meet requirements.
@letsgohuntingusa may reach out via Instagram to request permission to share the photo on its pages.

📸 Post to Instagram 📸

-- OR --

Good luck!

Modern Sporting Rifles and Hunting

Hunters have been utilizing the latest advancements in technology and tactics for centuries. Today's hunters have a wide array of tools to choose from when it comes to weapons, concealment, lures (decoys, calls, scents, etc.), and scouting. Modern sporting rifles (MSRs), today’s very popular semiautomatic rifle designs, are used by more and more hunters and offer a number of benefits that can suit most hunters. These rifles’ accuracy, reliability, ruggedness and versatility serve hunters well. They are true all-weather firearms and their modularity often allows them to be configured for various applications and body types. For hunting use, these rifles are utilized for many different types of hunting, from varmint to big game. The NSSF encourages hunters to share memorable moments from the field when using modern sporting rifles through its #LetsGoHunting with MSRs Photo Challenge. There are many photo styles that can be submitted including selfies, trophy photos, group photos, and firearms in the field. Modern sporting rifles are semi-automatic rifle designs, including the AR-15, AR-10, carbines and similar variants. We challenge you to share a snapshot or video from the field while using your modern sporting rifle for a chance to win a Mississippi deer or Louisiana hog hunt. Prize options generously donated by:

Instagram: @theconfluencegroup

WIN A 2023 MISSISSIPPI DEER OR LOUISIANA HOG HUNT

Fall 2023 - Prairie Wildlife Whitetail Deer Hunt

Two-person two-night stay at Prairie Wildlife.
Lodging and meals included.
Hunters will be responsible for state hunting license and travel expenses.

Hunt value is $9,000.00

Fall 2023 - Honey Brake Hog Hunt

Two person - 2 night stay at famed Honey Brake Lodge for hog hunting.
Meals and lodging included.
Hunts will utilize night vision gear.
Hunters will be responsible for state hunting license and travel expenses.

Hunt value is $7,500.00

All valid entries must include a photo with a modern sporting rifle (MSR) in use, which is, by definition, a semiautomatic rifle, including the AR-15, AR-10, carbine and similar variants. Please read the official Photo Challenge Rules for more information. NSSF would like to thank The Confluence Group for donating the prize hunts to help encourage hunters to participate in the Modern Rifle Hunting Photo Challenge.

Gallery of Submissions

#LetsGoHunting

Review the sweepstakes rules.

More About Modern Sporting Rifles

AR-style rifles are no more powerful than other hunting rifles of the same caliber and in most cases are chambered in calibers less powerful than common big-game hunting cartridges like the .30-06 Springfield and .300 Win. Mag. Despite their popularity, modern sporting rifles are widely misunderstood. Why? Confusion exists because though these rifles look like military rifles, they do not function the same way. Also, groups wanting to ban these rifles have for years purposely spread misinformation about them to aid their cause, including using the terms “assault rifle” and “weapons of war.” MSRs have been utilized by law-abiding Americans since the 1960’s. They are functionally similar to any other semiautomatic rifle and the cosmetic misnomers do not change that fact. MSRs are not machine guns and are subject to all local, state, and federal regulations including the 1968 Gun Control Act and the 1934 National Firearms Act. These rifles are used by hunters, competitors, millions of Americans seeking home-defense guns and many others who simply enjoy going to the range. Help NSSF combat attacks against these misunderstood firearms by participating in this photo challenge.

Game Bird Hunting Organizations

The following organizations are good sources of information on some popular American game birds. Also, visit Wingshooting USA which provides an online directory of preserves across the country that offer bird hunting opportunities.