Pattern your shotgun before going turkey hunting
By: Mark Fike
Turkey season is on every hunter’s mind this month and the spring hunting catalogs have been doggy eared and browsed through a few times already.
But have you done everything you can do to make sure your encounter with Mr. Tom goes well?
Decoys
If you use decoys for turkey hunting, you should pull them out. Look them over. Is the paint peeling off or are there any other blemishes? Touch up paint might help.
Something as simple as a mild detergent in warm water might spruce them up. They may need to be replaced. Be sure your stakes are to be found and get a new rubber band to keep the pieces together.
Vest and calls
Go over your vest. What is in it? What needs to be in it?
Pull everything out and check it over.
See if you can reorganize your calls and make things easier and faster to find. Be sure you remember where it all is though!
I also advise you to open and look at any of your diaphragm calls that you left in your vest.
I say this recalling a bad experience I had.
One year, I finished up my season after a rainy morning in the field.
I left the vest out in the hot May sun to dry and then simply put it up once I got home that evening.
It was dry, so I thought things were fine.
Later that fall I pulled out my vest to grab the plastic cases which housed the diaphragm calls and shoved them in my pocket for a fall hunt.
When I got into the woods and began hearing turkeys, I pulled out the cases, opened them, and gagged.
Apparently, the rain and humidity had ruined the new calls.
I had never used the calls but they were covered in mold.
When I got home, I checked the rest of the vest and found mold on the other calls and some of my gear as well.
Take your friction calls and rough them up with sandpaper.
Test the calls and of course practice with them as much as you can.
Check to see if you need to chalk up box calls.
Do you have any extra chalk available for field use?
I also make a point to check my boots. If using rubber boots, make sure they have not dry-rotted.
Cracks or splits can be fixed with Shoe Goo available in many department stores.
If using regular hunting boots, make sure they are waterproof. Cold, wet feet are no fun early in the spring gobbler season.
Check the soles to see if the tread has dry-rotted.
For some reason, many of today’s boots have treads and soles that last no longer than a few years before they begin rotting off.
If you have allergies, March is a good time to make sure you have meds on hand.
I have had a few hunts ruined or nearly ruined because my pollen allergies hit me while in the woods.
Try calling turkeys while you are sneezing or your throat is swelling up. It is no fun.
Get in shape and start walking or hiking if you don’t already.
Walking up and down the hills or moving quickly through the woods can put your health to the test.
Firearm
Last, you need to take a good, hard look at your shotgun.
Hopefully, you put it back in the safe in good shape. Now is a good time to pattern the gun and try out chokes for your gun too.
I have a real trust in HeviShot for turkey and waterfowl hunting.
Many hunters have their favorite brand of shells to use. See what your pattern looks like before heading to the field.
As HeviShot says, “I didn’t come this far to miss!”
The time you spend scouting and calling a bird is not worth the five dollars you would save by not patterning a shell.
I also make a point to check and oil all parts of my gun to include the sling swivels. You don’t need any squeak or noise to draw attention to your position. Work the action too.
One last thing that is well worth doing with your gun is wrapping or camouflaging it.
There are several products you can use. A gun sock works great and does not mar or change the finish.
A spray paint kit and some tape that will not leave residue behind when you take it off works well too.
Whatever you use, be sure to cover all reflective parts of your gun.
You just never know when a turkey will see the smallest thing and end your hunt with a score of Tom 1 –Hunter 0!