Pattern your shotgun prior to turkey hunting. Patterning you shotgun results in shooting at a board or turkey target at 25’ yards and knowing where the majority of your shots are hitting. Success will be within reach!
Sandhill Cranes fly fast and glide long distances. They are heavy bodied and have a dup wing beat like a great Canada Goose or Swan. Lead the the key. I always suggest to give at least a school bus lead to women & 8’ to men hunters.
Space four or five decoys out and double up a pair or two. Place decoys into the wind. Use spinning-wing dove decoys also to offer an added attraction from a distance (check state laws if moving decoys are legal).
Shooting fleeing ducks after a directional shift…if helicoptering rapidly for the heavens, swing up and through the duck as shooting a springing teal clay target.
Wood ducks don’t often decoy in classic fashion. They do not circle endlessly or offer multiple chances of a shot. You shoot them as they make their first pass.
Etiquette in the field is compared to being a house guest. You are only there for a short time. Manners make a difference…even paying guests are not invited back.
Exaggerate your lead: Over shoot like you are going to miss. Most doves cross in front of you. Work at over exaggerating your lead by 6 feet or more, which means your barrel needs to be 6 inches in front of the dove. One inch of barrel movement equals about 1 foot of distance when …
Maintain good form and continue to focus on your gun mount. I suggest you practice shooting a few clays from a sitting position before heading out to the field.
Silence is golden in a blind! Wearing perfume is a no-no. Scent blocks are a good cover-up for human detection. Selfies are easy to see from miles away!
Coming in shots at doves require a different sight picture. As a dove descends over decoys or about to land on a fence, power line crop field or trees, let it begin to descend and begin your swing below it. Just as the gun barrel blocks the bird from sight, squeeze the trigger.
When walking a line during a bird hunt such as pheasant, quail, chucked, guinea fowl or etc. stay within your line walk at a pace set by the group. The hunter ahead of the line is referred to as a “Field Hog” thinking they will be first to harvest the bird.
Sandhill Cranes are the longest living survivors amongst birds, They are also the most thrilling type of waterfowl to hunt. Not all states permit crane hunts. Cranes pose significant challenges and frustrations to the inexperienced hunter.
50-100 yards are too far to take shots. Shots should be 35-50 yards of range for tiny rockets. Open Chokes: Use modified or improved cylinder choke tube to provide a wider pattern.
Sandhill Cranes are notorious for not flying into feeding/hunting fields in the fog. Be patient on foggy mornings…just wait it out. When fog burns off the birds will be up & moving in a hurry.
Judging a mature bird: Toms have a long paintbrush size beard, 8-12” long. Young males, or Jakes, have a small one-two inch beard. Aways shoot the mature bird!
Geese are attracted to movement on the ground and they will come closer for a look. Too much movement in the blind can deter geese from taking a second look!
Hand signals are used in the blind and/or field while walking silently or light on your feet is a good thing. Animals have a keen sense of hearing or movement on the ground. Alligators can feel movement five miles away.
Shooting into a large flock of ducks is difficult for an instinct shooter because you are glancing from bird to bird. Shoot under a high, retreating duck to intercept its course.
You’ll actually need to aim a few inches below the bird to shoot in front of it. Envision the bird floating on your gun barrel as you squeeze the trigger.
Keep gun muzzle pointed up if shooting a semi-automatic or broken over your shoulder when shooting an over/under shotgun when walking through fields. Safety is the key!
Canada geese don’t typically nest until they are two to three years old. Juveniles (young geese) begin their migration earlier because they do not have nesting privileges. They are easier to call during hunting season.
When I mentor new inexperienced huntresses or youth in the field and/or blind, I explain etiquette is really important and being respectful of others is key to being successful harvesting game. If a bird is closer to opposite end do not shoot over or crisscross a shot of another hunter. It takes only one to …
The color of the tip of the turkey’s tail is a sure sign what species your turkey is…i.e.. white, Merriams, and rust, Rio. The tail is referred to as a fan.
Concealment! Concealment! Concealment! Sandhill Cranes have excellent vision and flare the second something doesn’t look right on the ground. Blend into natural setting with face painted and being total camouflaged – head to toe!
7 1/2 or 8 shot for dove…at close range, there are so many pellets in shells that you can pulverize your birds. I upsize my pellets for dove – 4s, 5s or 6s. There are still plenty of the larger pellets for a dense pattern and the knock-down pattern is better at longer range.
Never wear black on your head while hunting, geese can see you miles away. Black will keep geese from coming to your calls. It is called flaring in the blind.
Never wear black on your head while hunting, geese can see you miles away. Black will keep geese from coming to your calls. It is called flaring in the blind.