Springtime Gobblers 2010

In less than two months, I’ll be chasing turkeys again. I was drawn here in Arizona for the third year in a row, and have been lucky enough to hunt in Kansas, Ohio, and with the White Mountain Apache Tribe over the last couple of years. My standard Arizona draw-tag hunts have not gone as well as the others… skunked! I have found birds on the regular hunts, but just couldn’t close the deal. Last year, hunting with my friend Jay Scott, I got too impatient and shot a bird while he was still too far away. I rolled him off his feet, but he jumped up and ran off. Ohio and the Reservation have been very good to me, though! I shot my first Eastern in Ohio and three Merriam’s on the Reservation. Plus, in 2009 I also shot a bear while turkey hunting on the Reservation. Last year on the Res I shot two Merriam’s, and then stuck around to shoot a few more with my camera.

Here are a few photos from my 2010 hunts:


Checking for tracks.


Locating roosting birds at sunset allows you to get into the right spot the next morning.


The Fort Apache Indian Reservation has phenomenal turkey habitat.


The "Res" allows you to shoot two birds.


Nothing gets a turkey hunter fired up like the sight of a couple strutting toms!


Coming to the call and the decoys - electronic calls are allowed on the Reservation.

Gear Review: Lynch’s Fool-Proof Turkey Call

When I started hunting turkeys a couple years ago, I asked around for opinions on box calls. Since there are so many options from so many companies, I didn’t even know where to start. Without fail, the hunters I trust all suggested Lynch’s Fool-Proof Turkey Call.


The Lynch’s call came highly recommended.

Two guys in particular, Jay Scott from Arizona and Matt Sheterom from Ohio, have killed more birds, and guided or helped on more turkey hunts than they can count. They both play the call like a violin maestro and I’ve watched them use it to locate birds, and then sweetly coax them into shotgun range. It doesn’t matter whether I was hunting Merriam’s in Arizona or Easterns in Ohio, the birds reacted to their calling just the same. I am probably one of the worst turkey hunting friends ever: I shot the wrong bird with Matt, shooting the jake instead of the tom, and then with Jay I wasn’t patient enough to let a big strutting Merriam's tom get closer. I took the shot too soon and knocked the bird off his keester, but he jumped up and ran off.


The Lynch’s Fool-Proof Turkey Call works just as well in the pinyon-juniper forests of Arizona…


…as the hardwood forests of Ohio.

My turkey hunting and calling skills may be lacking, but with the confidence of a good call and the help of a couple turkey hunting gurus, I have managed to take a couple birds. I drew another tag here in Arizona (yes, we have to DRAW our turkeys tags here!) so I hope for the opportunity to outsmart another wily Merriam’s. As I prepare for this year’s hunt, you can bet I’ll be on the phone with both Jay and Matt, perfecting my cadence, rhythm, tone, and volume. There is nothing better for learning and perfecting your calls than letting a couple good callers critique you.


One helpful hint Jay gave me: use Lynch’s Super Chalk, but only apply it to the lid!


Arizona Merriam’s from the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.


Even though I shot the wrong bird, both Matt and I were proud of my first Eastern from Ohio!

Gear Review: Patternmaster Chokes

Modern shotgunners rely on interchangeable chokes. It is far easier and more cost effective to screw a new choke into the end of a barrel than replace the entire barrel. A choke helps control the size of the shot pattern, typically based on its length and constriction. Shooters can use a choke suitable to the type of shooting they are doing: wide patterns for closer shots, tight patterns for longer shots. However, the folks at Patternmaster Chokes approach things a little differently.

You’ll have to check out the Patternmaster Chokes website for a full description of how and why their choke work so well, but I’ll give you a quick overview. Instead of standard chokes that constrict the shot and the wad as they leave the barrel to create more dense patterns, the Patternmaster Chokes have small studs inside the choke that slow down the wad for a split second. This allows the shot to leave the barrel unaffected by the wad, essentially keeping all the shot together in its already-dense pattern. In addition, the shot does not “funnel down” like it does leaving constricted tubes. The Patternmaster Chokes help keep a denser pattern both in terms of spread and more importantly, length. With a shorter shot string, more pellets arrive on target at the same time, which is very important when shooting anything that is moving.

My brother first started using a Patternmaster Choke quite a few years ago. After I bought a 12 gauge 3-1/2” Benelli Nova to use for sandhill cranes, waterfowling, and pheasants, I contacted Julie Leutenegger at Patternmaster. She graciously shipped me an Extended Range choke tube for the best patterning with 3-1/2” shells for the longer shots I expected on sandhill cranes and turkeys. After it performed so well, I also got the Long Range and Short Range chokes. I have used them all successfully on a variety of birds with 2-3/4”, 3”, and 3-1/2” shells.

They are available for almost every shotgun model available and come in silver or black and ported or unported. I chose black unported chokes to save my hearing and prevent glare. If you are looking at improving your patterning, take a close look at Patternmaster Chokes. Their motto is “The Science of Shot” and they have definitely taken shotgun patterning to a different level!

P.S. When you go to their website, check out the photo of the turkey hunter using a slate call in the “How Patternmaster Works” video inset. That’s a photo I took of my brother Erik! Then watch the video - it provides a great explanation of their chokes...


The black unported chokes don't cause as much glare and are safer for your hearing.


Patternmaster Chokes also come in silver ported versions.


Short Range Patternmaster Choke – (from top) Arizona Scaled Quail, Gambel’s Quail, and Mourning Dove


Long Range Patternmaster Choke – A limit of Kansas Pheasants


Long Range Patternmaster Choke – Kansas Bobwhite Quail


Long Range Patternmaster Choke – Arizona Greenwing Teal


Extended Range Patternmaster Choke – Arizona Sandhill Cranes


Extended Range Patternmaster Choke – Arizona Merriam’s Turkey