Traditional Turkey shoot.

[pathfinder]

At a board meeting of my "regular" Gun club,I in passing mentioned a Turkey shoot,"muzzleloader style". When asked what THAT was,I explained how it was done,just as in the "old days". Tie 'em down behind a log,when they lift their head above the log,take your shot. At @ 60yds,that's an awfully small target,off hand,with 4 of "your buddy's" next to you at the same time!

They were agast! "How can can you do that"! I said,"Very carefully'! Apperantly,not everyone has heard of it! I asked,"Havent you ever seen Sgt York?" they did,and I said,"Well"?

Anyway,does anyone else do it this way? We no longer do at the club in S.West Michigan anymore,so I'm looking for a club that still does.

Mine wont even concider it!

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

I think it sounds like a hoot. But with groups like PETA around the PC bunch would be lined up at the gate protesting. Don't know why it'd be a dead turkey or a miss, providing only his head showed. Likely just as efficient as an axe chop to the neck.

[Hungry Horse]

 I did one of these shoots up in Oregon about 25 years ago. it was a lot of fun, but today you would be in jail in no notes.
 My gun club built a target that was nothing but a steel turkey head, welded to a kind of a Z shaped rod, that allowed one end of the rod to extend forward on the ground, when the turkey head was sticking up. The end of the rod facing forward, and laying on the ground, had a chain link welded to it, that had a cheap lightweight bungie cord attached to it, and staked out with a big bridge spike. When you hit the turkey head, it went down, and then reset itself. I think we must have replaced that turkey head a dozen times. The trick is staking the bungie out with just enough slack, so the target will reset slow enough so you can score the target. If its too tight it will reset so fast you won't see it.

               Hungry Horse

[PPatch]

Makes one wonder how folks think all those Thangsgiving turkeys land on their tables every year. Those are certainly chemically raised and slaughtered under worse conditions than a shoot. Alas, live turkey shoots are a thing of the past here in the southern US too. Go to a shoot these days and it is all about the pattern your shotgun makes - closest birdshot to the + wins.

dp

[hanshi]

Even those who should know better seem to think the meat in a super market has no relation to live animals.  Ask them if they've ever heard of a turkey or chicken having its head chopped off.  THAT would horrify them for sure.

[Roger Fisher]

At a board meeting of my "regular" Gun club,I in passing mentioned a Turkey shoot,"muzzleloader style". When asked what THAT was,I explained how it was done,just as in the "old days". Tie 'em down behind a log,when they lift their head above the log,take your shot. At @ 60yds,that's an awfully small target,off hand,with 4 of "your buddy's" next to you at the same time!

They were agast! "How can can you do that"! I said,"Very carefully'! Apperantly,not everyone has heard of it! I asked,"Havent you ever seen Sgt York?" they did,and I said,"Well"?

Anyway,does anyone else do it this way? We no longer do at the club in S.West Michigan anymore,so I'm looking for a club that still does.

Mine wont even concider it!

In these parts we shot offhand at 90 yds, 2 shots for 3 bucks (as I recall) If you drew blood the bird was yours after the axe was used.  Cleaners were present to clean them up if you wanted at a few bucks per bird.  Now days if someone else kills them and sells them and wraps them etc it's okay with the law. Store bought in plain english.  I'll tell you this it was ahell of a lot of work to put on such a shoot..

[JPK]

Years ago in Nebraska one club would have a turkey shoot like you ask about. Trick was it was by invitation only and the right folks that were asked didn't talk to the wrong types about it. Perhaps you could do the same, not on the internet though. We drew lots to see who shot first so you may get a couple of shots at one or none, then the next bird was set and a new draw was taken. Good clean fun to my mind.

[Hungry Horse]

 The most educational part of these shoots, if you have never shot one, is that a turkeys head, when facing you, is a vey small target. At the shoot I attended, a shooter was shooting a .69 cal. Hawkens rifle. The balls had been cast quite recently, and were as shiny as a new dime. When he shot at the turkey, the sharp eyed old bird could see the ball as it approached, and would turn his head to watch it go past. We laughed so hard it hurt.


                            Hungry Horse

[pathfinder]

I dont understand all this peta stuff. They no more power than you give them. Allyou ned to do is counter sue for harrassment IF they carry it that far.

DO NOT belive all the media hype concerning these miss guided people. Remember who the media represent's,NOT US!

In Michigan,we have H.B.5656,which is the number,I think,that is a Grandfather clause. For example,If you buy a house next to a pig farm,you have no right to complain about it.

If you have been have these types of shoot's since I think it's '76,you are locked into it.

But,folk's get paranoid. Oh well,it WAS fun while it lasted! Ton's of great memories!

I am thinking of an "Invite only" type thing.

And yup,the turkey's are definatly treated better"before the table"here than at ANY processing plant. We raised Geese and it's not pretty once they get "behind the door's"