Jimmy Mulvehill 14, of Terryville Connecticut shot this 24 pound turkey while hunting with his dad in Litchfeild.
March 11, 2014
By Stephen D. Carpenteri
Jimmy Mulvehill 14, of Terryville Connecticut shot this 24 pound turkey while hunting with his dad in Litchfeild.
Connecticut turkey hunting enthusiasts have a wide variety of options to consider in 2014. State land hunters may shoot two gobblers during the spring season while private land hunters may tag three birds. Approximately 1,500 wild turkeys were taken during the 2013 spring hunt, and state biologists expect a similar harvest in 2014.
Hunters targeting state lands can expect great opportunities in 2014. Pre-season scouting is important because competition is often fierce (especially on weekends) and prime turkey habitat is limited. Hunters who are willing to scour the back roads and more difficult terrain will have the best luck. Roost birds in the evening and plan to be on scene before dawn the next morning armed with decoys and a variety of calls. Plan a "run-n'-gun" strategy once the birds hit the ground and begin feeding.
Some of the best areas to hunt spring turkeys in Connecticut include the larger state forests including Tunxis, Peoples and Housatonic in the northwest region of the state; Natchaug, Nipmuck and Shenipsit state forests in the northwest portion of the state; Meshomasic and Salmon River state forests in central Connecticut and the huge (25,000-acre) Pachaug state forest in the western region.
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Most of Connecticut's state forest lands are open for spring turkey hunting under the general regulations. Shotguns, bows and crossbows are allowed for turkey hunting in 2014. Some areas are closed to hunting so consult current regulations and study the downloadable maps that are available on the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's Web site.
For a quality experience, hunters should target remote portions of the largest state forest holdings and plan to spend their time far from convenient roadside parking areas, campgrounds and pull-offs. Hunters who are willing to hike well away from heavily-used areas will find more birds and more room to hunt them.
Connecticut's 2014 spring turkey season for state lands, private lands and landowner hunters runs from April 30 through May 31 statewide. The Youth Training Hunt is scheduled for April 19 and April 26. For more information, log onto www.ct.gov/deep.com .
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Traveling at a whopping 1,450 fps, the increased velocity allows you to stretch your shots a few extra yards and put a tag on that hung-up gobbler. The 3-inch 12-gauge shells have the same velocity with 1 ¼ ounces of shot. Loads are also available in 20-gauge.
Price: $ 11 per box of 5
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Loaded with 1 ½ ounces of nickel-plated 4, 5, or 6 shot, the 3-inch 12-gauge loads have a muzzle velocity of 1,300 fps; the new 20-gauge loads travel at 1,200 fps and are packed with 1 3/8-ounce of #5 shot.
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hottest new turkey shotguns for 2014. Kent Diamond Shot Speed or pellet count? It's a debate as old as turkey shotshells.
Kent Cartridge ends that debate by giving hunters the freedom to choose a faster load or a heavier one.
Ultimate Diamond Shot lead turkey loads are available in 3 or 3 ½-inch 12-gauge loads packed with #4, 5 or 6 shot.
Here's the kicker. You can select a 2-ounce load that travels at 1,300 fps or a 2 ¼-ounce load that moves at 1,200 fps in the 3 ½-inch shell. The 3-inch options are similar, except both 3-inch shells carry a little less shot. However, the speed difference is greater. The lighter load travels at 1,325 fps; the heavier load sails out your barrel at 1,175 fps.
Price: $ 10 per box of 10
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hottest new turkey shotguns for 2014. Kent Five Star Penetrator A 50/50 blend of Tungsten Matrix and Diamond Shot, the
Kent Five Star Penetrator gives hunters a one-two punch that drops gobblers in their tracks. Both shot types are #5 pellets, a favorite shot size among turkey hunters everywhere and an effective size for a variety of distances.
The blend results in dense downrange patterns and short shot strings for maximum killing power. Available in 3 ½ and 3-inch 12-gauge, both loads are packed with two types of #5 shot. The longer shell has a muzzle velocity of 1,325 fps; the3-inch load travels at 1,200 fps.
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hottest new turkey shotguns for 2014. Remington Nitro Budget-minded hunters looking for a quality shell packed with lots of shot should take a close look at
Remington's Nitro Buffered turkey loads. The 3-inch 12-gauge shells are crammed with an incredible 1 7/8 ounces of #4, 5, or 6 lead pellets, offering dense patterns and lots of killing power.
Also available in 2 ¾ and 3 ½-inch 12-gauge shells and 3-inch 20-gauge shells, Nitro turkey loads sail downrange at velocities of up to 1,300 fps.
Price: $ 11
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hottest new turkey shotguns for 2014. Remington Premier Magnum Is it any wonder
Remington is one of the leading sellers of turkey loads? Big Green's shells have been a fixture in the spring gobbler woods for decades. There's no question
Remington's Premier High-Velocity magnum copper-plated turkey loads will keep the company at the forefront of the turkey market for many more years.
The shell's one-piece Power Piston wad and hardened copper-plated shot are flat-out deadly. The three-inch, 12-gauge loads are packed with a hefty 1 ¾ ounces of #4, 5 or 6 shot, and the 3 ½-inch 12-gauge loads come with 2 ounces of #4 or 5 shot.
Price: $ 17
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hottest new turkey shotguns for 2014. Winchester Double X It may be a 10-gauge load, but it goes to 11 thanks to
Winchester's custom-blended powders and patented Grex buffering. Two ounces of copper-plated #4 or 5 shot is packed into the 3 ½-inch load and it travels at a smoking 1,300 fps.
Double X turkey loads are also available in 12, 20 and even 16-gauge shells for those nostalgic turkey hunters among us.
The 16s come in 2 ¾-inch 4s or 6s and are packed with 1 1/8 ounces of shot that has a muzzle velocity of 1,295 fps. The 12-gauge shells are available in 2 ¾, 3 and 3 ½-inch loads packed with #4, 5 or 6 shot.
Price: $ 13 per box of 10
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hottest new turkey shotguns for 2014. Winchester Long Beard XR You need all the advantages you can get in the spring woods.
Winchester gives you the upper hand with its
Long Beard XR . The pellets, available in #4, 5 or 6, are coated with Winchester's patented ShotLok resin, which forms a barrier around each pellet.
It prevents pellets from deforming as they travel down the barrel, resulting in tighter patterns and fewer 'flyer ' pellets. That gives you a longer effective range and more dead turkeys. Available only in 12-gauge, Long Beard XRs come in 3 and 3 ½-inch shells.
Price: $ 20 per box of 10
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hottest new turkey shotguns for 2014. Federal Mag-Shok Heavyweight LR Turkey loads kick. There's no way around it. That recoil is one reason some hunters, particularly new or smaller-framed hunters, miss.
Federal's Heavyweight LR take some of the punch of each shot without sacrificing killing power. They have nearly half the recoil of standard Heavyweight loads, but still travel at 1,300 fps at the muzzle.
The 2 ¾-inch 12-gauge shells are packed with 1 ¼ ounces of #6 or 7 tungsten-based shot; the 20-gauge shells are also 2 ¾ inches and are packed with 1 1/8 ounces of #7 shot.
Price: $ 25 per box of 5
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