turkey shooting?

djflawless

seen a post a while back and was thinking about it since. .if we wanted to release turkeys to the wild would we be pinned to a wall with regulations on releasing exotic species or the likes?or would it be just like pheasants. .if they were bred in ireland surely we would be ok?plus is there any particular game turkey?

323

Tried, when living in the US, very few around the lease we were on, seen them but unfortunately did not get close enough to get a sure shot.
Quite difficult to hunt, nothing like we would shoot pheasant. Extremely wary bird with fantastic eyesight and hearing so imagine stalking with a shotgun. They're big and take a lot of hitting too, if I remember right the load I was give when I asked for cartridges for turkey were 3" mag #3's with copper plated shot.
Not aware of any game species, looked pretty much like the black turkey some farmers raise here for the Christmas market.

djflawless

them being wary makes it all the more exciting.and what you said about loads?id agree with the magnums but im sure some r.f.d in ireland would sell a cartridge strong enough.must have been great stalking all the same!

323

Yes, similar load to what you would use for goose.

I wasn't kitted for it properly. Not proper camo and no call as they can be called in.

But dream on, evasive species. Did a quick search though and can get quite reasonable deals for package hunts in the US though, fit it in with a deer hunt and would be a good holiday.

FOXHUNTER1

There are a good few of them around this year as plenty of clubs released 10 or 12 of them with pheasants.
I don't think they are classed as evasive but don't quote me on that.
Pheasants are not native to Ireland either but we've plenty of them too.
The problem most people have with turkeys is that they get cute and won't come down from the trees if there is any movement or noise around.
There was plenty of them for sale before the season on that anti hunting online site that we all love so much :D:eek:.

djflawless

ah to be honest id sooner be shooting them on my native grounds. .not theirs

djflawless

interesting.never knew other clubs have released them.might suggest it to the club head

FOXHUNTER1

They go for around €20 a pop so they are pricey hoores.

Grizzly 45

Stateside some states allow the use of a rifle as well for turkey hunting.
Alot of hunters use a rifle shotgun combo for this type of hunting as well.
Obviously,ground shots only with the rifle.
Been a few releases over the years here,but you never hear how they went...I guess Irish wild turkeys are as elusive as their American cousins,seeing no one seems to have shot one yet.:D

FOXHUNTER1

They had them on one of the driven shoots in Wicklow a few years ago but they didn't go very well because they just went up to the top of the highest trees in the place and all the pheasants followed them up aswell.
I believe it didn't go down very well with the punters.
I think it was a case of surround the trees and open fire

terminator2

ask mallards hes your man;);)

djflawless

ive been watching a few vids of rifle/shotgun combos. . Dont think the local gaurd station would look kindly on 1.ah sure surely there would be a way of hunting them.now that i know theres a few loopholes around it i might look into it and get on to the club to release maybe 1 or 2 even a year just as a competition. .like biggest bird on the 1st but the 1st person to get the turkey before xmas

Grizzly 45

Why would they not take kindly to them DJ???
You liscense them ,or did as a rifle.Hang over from the times when a rifle liscense was more expensive and revenue gathering I guess..
I have one,and its liscensed as a rifle,no probs getting either shotgun or rifle ammo for it too.:)

djflawless

begod didnt know they were in ireland yet tbh!just imagined they'd be considered restricted.i kinda got a bit of warning when i was applying for the licence for the pump.they told me they wernt over excited about having a young fella with that sort of gun that could be changed to a restricted-therefore unlincenced firearm

mallards

My turkey post is a bit like Slades 'Merry Christmas Everybody'. It always pops up at this time of year.

About page 3 it starts.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055768129

Mallards

323

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Why would they not take kindly to them DJ???
You liscense them ,or did as a rifle.Hang over from the times when a rifle liscense was more expensive and revenue gathering I guess..
I have one,and its liscensed as a rifle,no probs getting either shotgun or rifle ammo for it too.:)

Sorry to go a bit off thread. Been a pipe dream to get a combo/drilling, had heard there were a few in Ireland but conflicting reports on how they were licences, either could not or two licences for the same gun. so thanks for clearing that up
What rifle caliber did you go for?

meathstevie

I've personally seen a few of the small variation, .410 combined with .22wmr.
It shouldn't be impossible to get one of the bigger ones once you've got good reason to have one.

Deer and small game hunting on the same permission for example; after a fruitless stalk you could shoot an evening flight of pigeons.

Grizzly 45

323 wrote: »

What rifle caliber did you go for?

Its a Savage Model C 20 Ga/22magnum.

323

Nice combo Grizzly, not seen a US made one. Need to think up an excuse for one, 1 form have permission on, for a while last winter seemed like if I brought a shotgun would only seen deer and if a rifle only birds combo would have come in useful.

terminator2

have you seen any around this year mallards

Grizzly 45

323 wrote: »

Nice combo Grizzly, not seen a US made one. Need to think up an excuse for one, 1 form have permission on, for a while last winter seemed like if I brought a shotgun would only seen deer and if a rifle only birds combo would have come in useful.

If you found a system style gun,you could get a double rifle,rifle shotgun combo and shotgun all in one.Just change out the barrels like an O/U.:)
Valmet used to do one,but havent made it now in decades.Pity:(

CZ/Baikal do one as well,but arent recommended the recivers arent properly heat treated and wont hold up with the big cals in the double rifle setup.[Im talking above 308 cal here]

Savage does a rake of combos but in the OU rifle shotgun configuration only.But they are the cheapest of the lot .
Their problem is their trigger mechanisms are "Barn door latch" let off:mad:
You need to get a gunsmith to hone and stone them to somthing approaching usable.Thats my major gripe with the Savage.

Drillings at the moment are in plentiful supply on the second hand market in Germany a SXS 12GA with a big cal rifle barrel underneath.Pretty much the best allrounder [or big cat hunting gun:rolleyes::D] out there.

mallards

terminator2 wrote: »

have you seen any around this year mallards

No, I haven't heard of any reports of them. It would take a sustained release of a lot of birds coupled with strict predator control, good habitat and light shooting to establish them in the wild here. Sadly, sometimes, all three are lacking.