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Author Topic: Turkeys or Coyotes?  (Read 1135 times)

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Offline Bowhunter57

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Turkeys or Coyotes?
« on: April 23, 2012, 01:48:10 PM »
I went out turkey hunting this morning, but didn't see or hear any turkeys. I hunted in one location the first portion of the morning and in another location in the late morning. In both locations I neither heard or seen any turkeys, BUT I did see a coyote in both locations.  >:(

I was thinking of going out for coyotes tomorrow, during the first couple of hours in the morning, instead of turkeys...in hopes of putting a dent in their population and possibly restoring some space for the turkeys and deer. Then switch weapons (rifle back to shotgun) and go back out for turkeys in the late morning.  8)

What would you do, if you were seeing more coyotes than turkeys?
Thank you, Bowhunter57
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Offline PowPow

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Re: Turkeys or Coyotes?
« Reply #1 on: April 23, 2012, 01:56:49 PM »
My experience is if I go coyote hunting, I see turkeys.
If I go coyote/turkey hunting, I see deer.
Regardless of what I am hunting for, I end up shooting at crows.



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Offline woodchukhntr

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Re: Turkeys or Coyotes?
« Reply #2 on: April 23, 2012, 03:42:53 PM »
Now do you see the advantage of a good combination gun?  When you have one you are ready for anything.  Here in New York we can't possess rifle ammo when hunting turkeys with a combo, but where you can, they are great.
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Offline Bowhunter57

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Re: Turkeys or Coyotes?
« Reply #3 on: April 23, 2012, 04:08:45 PM »
Quote from: woodchukhntr
Here in New York we can't possess rifle ammo when hunting turkeys with a combo, but where you can, they are great.
woodchukhntr,
It's the same regulation, here in Ohio. Legal weapons are bows, crossbows and shotguns (even blackpowder) that are smaller than 10 guage.
 
I suppose I could take both choke tubes and both types of ammo...start out loaded for coyotes and switch them as the morning goes.  ::)
 
I may toss a coin in the morning and see what happens.  ;D
Bowhunter57
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Offline PowPow

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Re: Turkeys or Coyotes?
« Reply #4 on: April 23, 2012, 04:36:48 PM »
Can you have buckshot?
If so, take an O/U with a turkey load in one and #4 buck in the other.
(Here I am saying that and I just got rid of my O/U)
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Offline Bowhunter57

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Re: Turkeys or Coyotes?
« Reply #5 on: April 24, 2012, 07:53:11 AM »
Thank you, for the replies, guys!
 
I decided to stay with hunting the turkeys, instead of the coyotes and it paid off...BIG TIME.  8)
 
Bowhunter57
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Offline dukkillr

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Re: Turkeys or Coyotes?
« Reply #6 on: April 24, 2012, 09:03:17 AM »
We don't take coyotes before 9:00 am during turkey season.  It's not particularly uncommon to have them come into the decoys and we kill a handful most years, but if you're shooting them early in the morning you are probably going to be screwing up the turkey hunt.  I told the kid I was guiding to pass when a coyote walked by at 30 yards Saturday morning, right at sunrise.  A couple of hours later he had his first tom ever. 
 
At reasonable ranges regular turkey loads will kill them just fine.  I've killed them with 6s at 40 yards more than once.
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Offline Bowhunter57

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Re: Turkeys or Coyotes?
« Reply #7 on: April 24, 2012, 05:27:16 PM »
Quote from: dukkillr
We don't take coyotes before 9:00 am during turkey season.  It's not particularly uncommon to have them come into the decoys and we kill a handful most years, but if you're shooting them early in the morning you are probably going to be screwing up the turkey hunt.
dukkillr,
I can see your reasoning on this one. Both of the coyotes that I seen on Monday, were around 10:45 to 11:15 a.m. For future reference, I will keep your "rule" in mind.
 
I'm going back out tomorrow and hope to post some pics of dead coyotes later in the day.  8)
 
Bowhunter57
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Offline Buckskin

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Re: Turkeys or Coyotes?
« Reply #8 on: April 25, 2012, 04:54:58 AM »
What a coincidence!  I had a yote come in at 8 yds this morning, and yes turkey loads do just fine on them.  Actually at that range the main hole was about 1", looked like a hole from a slug.  You can kill them out to about 40 yds with a good turkey load, maybe further.  And shoot freely, turkeys are stupid they don't know what a gun shot is. I went to pull him out of the field after the shot and spooked a hen that was about 75 yds and walking towards me.   Unless turkeys see something they don't spook from sound alone.  Couple weeks ago I was testing some loads in my rifle and had a flock of about 20 birds in the same field that I was shooting in.  They were about 200 yds from me and couldn't see me because they were over the hill and.  Slowly fed out of sight, but that was the direction they were headed anyway.
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Offline prairiedog555

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Re: Turkeys or Coyotes?
« Reply #9 on: April 26, 2012, 09:06:49 AM »
Just went out this morning.  Had 3 toms about 150 yd out coming in when first 1 coyote, then 2 more lopped in.  They were mangy shaggy.  Anyway the interesting thing was the coyotes saw the turkeys and moved toward them, kind of a 3 way setup.  The turkeys just stood their ground, did not move, one coyote got withing about 15 yds, then just moved off. 
I had seen a big tom run off a small coyote once before, but these were big dogs.
I guess they are pretty tough customers.
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