grayghostsafaris

I think calling any game is the most challenging part of a hunt. Congrats on getting one in for your Uncle!

Thanks. Actually, both birds had double beards, just younger birds. I've tried before to spot mature birds by checking their spurs, but in TX you couldn't see them either in time to use bino's or the grass was just high enough to cover them. I'm not trophy hunting at this point for sure, so if a jake walked in, I'd have no questions about shooting him, as I find the meat outstanding. Maybe at some point I'll only look for good spurs but dang if I can tell most of the time. My friend took the 3rd tom off that property two days after my second bird. We won't hunt that place again until other toms move in or next year. I've enjoyed getting to hunt with my friend and with luck I'll go again before the season ends. Good hunting!

Congrats Hogwild! I've only shot Gemsbok in Africa but I can tell you the meat is outstanding. I have buds in NM that guide on and off the range and they tell me they are as wild as anything in the west. Tough to sneak up on so watch the wind and hope for some cover. Good luck on your hunt, I hope you tag a whopper!

I struggled with slug guns for years. I finally bought a Benelli slug barrel for my SBE. Best money I ever spent. Tried several loads but when I put the Winchester Supreme through it...bingo. My first slug buck with the new rig was 100 yards away. Dead on. I have no worries out to 150 yards. This combo is very accurate. FYI: I have a Nikon 3x9x40 camo (to match my SBE) mounted on it.

We have been hunting Elk for two years now in TN. 4 bull tags for the general draw and 1 up for auction to put money back into wildlife resources. Anyone can enter. I believe it is a $10 application fee. Check with TWRA (Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency). I've hunted Elk in ID, MT and CO. DIY and Guided. IMHO, guided is the way to go unless you really know the area, where the Elk go after the first day of pressure (archery too) and have good friends that will sacrifice their hunt to help you cut up and haul out an Elk.

The next morning after taking my first Eastern (I've taken 4 Rio's a couple of years ago) I returned with my friend to his honey hole. That morning we coaxed another tom within short range. This time I shot him at 35 yards with Winchester XX Magnum #5s. DRT. This bird weighed 17+ lbs, 5" and 9" main beard with 2 - 15" hairs and one measuring 15.25 inches. Spurs were only 3/4ths of an inch but a nice tom regardless. It wasn't until the next day one of my friends advised me about the beard "the longest hair counts as length." I'm guessing that's a good one. I thought nothing about it when we arrived at my friends home. As with the previous night, we took two photos with his camera, but nothing showing a close up of the beards. However, if you look close enough, you can see the 3 strands of long hair in the large beard.

I admit I'm not a dedicated Turkey hunter. I find that odd within my ownself as I've been a waterfowl fanatic for many years. Love calling in Elk, Antelope, Deer...but I could take or leave Turkey, and learned how to be a fairly good caller years ago when I mastered Elk calling. I've only hunted Eastern's maybe 10 times and all I came home with were some lessons from Ole Tom. Well, recently that changed. A good friend of mine took me to one of his "spots" and I took my first Eastern. 22.8 lbs, 5 inch and 9 inch beards, 7/8 inch spurs. I'm guessing a two and a half year old bird? I used my SBE with Federal Mag Shok #5s. Only 20 yards but so stone dead he never kicked or flapped a wing...not once. Those 3.5" shells are bad medicine. I killed my next Eastern the next morning. Would you believe 15.25 inch beard? I'll post that photo next.

I always try to fit in some waterfowling everytime I'm in Africa. Although you sometimes have to search hard for ducks or geese, a little advance request to the PH usually pays off. On this morning we only had a few boxes of #5-#6s between us, but the Egyptian, Spurwing geese, Knob billed ducks and Guinea's flew well.

It should be no problem to email Benelli and inquire.

16ga would be my choice

Personally, I use the 26" barrel on all of my semi-autos, SBE included. The Benelli factory chokes have all (5) proven outstanding on all fowl, from dove to turkey. I prefer the IC for ducks/geese over the decoys; IM for light geese over decoys & or pass shooting and F for turkey. I can't say enough good things about the Benelli factory chokes.

I was in Mack's (Stuttgart) twice this past season but never saw any. In fact, they were about sold out of everything. I went with my usual standby: Kent Fast Steel in #1s and BBs. Death on ducks and geese and at fairly tall ranges. I do not make a practice of skybusting anything, but when a flock of conservation season Snows/Blues/Ross geese are climbing like F-16s...those Kent FS BBs will tumble them out of the sky...smoking and flaming all the way to the crash site. Interesting the use of hexagonal shot. Will be very interesting to see how well it holds a decent pattern at 40-50 yards.