A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[Huntmaster]

Yes I know. Lol. I've been watching him hoping he was a hen. He looked and acted like a hen until fairly recently. Very timid and more quiet like a hen. The males are usually more bold and will be all up on you at feeding time. He didnt strut fairly early on like the others. I realized he was a male when he started shock gobbling when the other toms would gobble. I moved him out of the pen he was in and into the goat lot with my Red sweetgrass tom and they've been good buddies. But it wasn't until I moved him that I noticed his crooked keel. I plan on processing extra toms, just wanted to get him to a good size first. He's getting plump so it will be soon.

Ya them darn turkeys do make it tough.

 

[Huntmaster]

At about 4 yards the turkey shot groups close. And a head shot leaves no pellets in the meat.

And at 4 yards with a turkey choke there will be no need for loppers.

 

[KF0002]

@Molpet

And at 4 yards with a turkey choke there will be no need for loppers.

Exactly. Lol. Quick and no stress to the bird. He won't know what hit him.

 

[Huntmaster]

My turkey gun replaces loppers out to about 25 yards. got to love those turkeys chokes.

 

[KF0002]

Ya them darn turkeys do make it tough.

I've never had so much trouble telling the sex of any of them than I did with that jake. He even had a Mohawk for the longest time. The Tom he was penned with wasn't the least bit aggressive toward him, despite the two hens he was breeding. He didn't seem him as competition I suppose.

 

[R2elk]

How redneck would it be to dispatch my turkey with a 12 Guage and turkey shot? We had to "catch" a rooster the other day with that method and we processed him afterwards. It was very easy and effective.

He won't see it coming and it would be less stress. Im pretty attached to them so the most minimal stress I can put on them during the "end" the better.

Thoughts?

I wouldn't. Meat is much better without shot in it.

 

[KF0002]

My turkey gun replaces loppers out to about 25 yards. got to love those turkeys chokes.

Do you use this method with your domestic turkeys also or just hunting? If it's good enough for the wilds, it's good enough for the domestics I think. And you don't get beaten to a pulp with those wings.

 

[Molpet]

I'm sure it wasn't too easy to hit him on second and third shot.

for sure on this

Lol he was hit in the head and standing all 3 shots... until he flopped on the ground and started crawling, about 30 ft before I got in there.
Not a normal flopping but a desperate attempt to get away crawling

 

[Huntmaster]

I've never had so much trouble telling the sex of any of them than I did with that jake. He even had a Mohawk for the longest time. The Tom he was penned with wasn't the least bit aggressive toward him, despite the two hens he was breeding. He didn't seem him as competition I suppose.

Ya I have had a few real late bloomers; they were usually a little smaller than most jakes and very slow developing any tom features.

 

[KF0002]

I wouldn't. Meat is much better without shot in it.

At close range to the head, no pellets get into the meat when the shot is good.