FSD Outdoor Blog

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Getting The Right Ammo For Turkey Hunting

There’s a weird thing about turkey hunting that most people don’t realize, but everyone knows.

I know, sounds weird. Hear me out.

We have so much gear for hunting turkeys. We have our comfortable boots, our camo attire, our turkey call, our trusted shotgun, and all the practice and research we can cram into our minds.

But out of everything we own, only the ammo actually touches the turkey. Only our load, in the end, makes or breaks the deal.

You can find a ton of resources online about what outfits are best for turkey hunting, where to go to find your next Tom Turkey, and so on.

But there’s not a lot out there about the one thing that actually can deliver your turkey to you.

Ammo.

Recently, payloads have been used in a tighter choke that leads to a considerably dense shot column. At close range, you’re basically firing a slug.

This is one of the most frustrating things hunters experience. The closer you are, the harder it is to hit. This has been a growing trend, and there will be more aggravated hunters in the future.

Sadly, you can’t just go for a looser spread at close range because that type of payload is absolutely useless for any shot pass 40 yards, which is what you’re most likely going to be taking.

We need to find a balance.

Most loads you find are going to have a blended shot, which gives you a better chance close up without sacrificing too much for the far shots.

Federal’s 3rd Degree

This load takes the blended shot concept and takes it a step further. With 3 different shot sizes of different weights and coatings, you have a shot that is lethal up close and up to 50 yards out. The middle sized shot even has a small ring around it that makes it spread faster for those up close shots, which is pretty clever.

Winchester Xtended Range – Bismuth

What makes the Winchester Xtended Range shot impressive is the bismuth shot. This inclusion gives a greater range and better stopping power. If you think you’ll need some more reach and have to put down your tom immediately, this is a great option.

Remington Premier High Velocity Magnum Turkey Loads

This is the load for you if you just want a load to work again and again. Sometimes you’ll want a load that can do something a little special. This might cost you on those ‘standard’ shots. When you’re just starting off. Each shot will feel the same and it will let you get used to the whole experience.

This is also a great choice if you’re ever in a slump. When you’re going through those times that nothing seems to work, go with a load like this. It’ll let you hit the shots you’re supposed to make and put the ball back in your court.

Federal Premium Mag-Shok Lead Turkey Load

This load is another great choice for people just starting off or if someone that isn’t use to shooting guns. This load is pretty light compared to some of the other loads so you have much less recoil as the other loads on this list. Plus, they’re easier to carry around so you won’t get tired as fast.

This list is nowhere near inclusive. The reason for that is that there are new technologies being invented all the time. Hunters are more and more aware of what they want and the companies that create ammo respond to that demand.

You can find loads of varying weights, varying materials, and even some made to be better for the environment. In time, you’ll have even more innovative products available.

If you want to stay ahead of other hunters, give yourself the best chance for success, and see what these technologies can do, you have to be willing to try new things. Who knows where ammo might be in ten years from now? You deserve to stay on top of it each season.

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5 Bow Hunting Tips For The Fall

Fall is here and the months of eagerly waiting with anticipation have been replaced with preparation and focus.

But if you want to start your fall off right, you need to nail the basics from day one. Bow Hunting isn’t a game, it’s a season. Get off to a running start and you’ll have a good one and you’ll get to the postseason (I think this metaphor is a bit lost, but that’s okay).

Let’s get right to it.

Practice

I hope you’ve been practicing. And if you haven’t, it’s time to start now. And if you have, you best keep doing it. You’ll never be good enough of a shot. And that’s okay. Keep at it.

Keep this in mind though: most people get better the longer they get into a practice session; their first shot might be their worst. But when you’re actually hunting, how often do you get to fire 3 or 4 shots at a single buck?

Don’t just practice shooting. Practice making your first shot as good as your tenth.

Patience

There are two elements of patience if you want to be a good bow hunter.

The first one is when you’re up in your tree stand, waiting for that special buck to arrive. Too often are hunters quick to leave their spot after just a few hours.

While fishing, you might be able to predict that an area won’t have too much activity by earlier action. Or lack thereof.

But as a bowhunter you have to let yourself have enough time to succeed.

The second element of patience is that bow hunting is a season, as we said. You’re not going to win every single game, you’re going to have days when you come back empty handed. If you want to have a winning season, though, you have to take the lessons that each game offers.

Even if you don’t bag a buck on your first day out, you can still learn the land around you, how the wind and the trees are, where the deer are coming from. All this information is vital to having a good season.

Camo Rope

If you’re using a rope to take your bow up to your tree stand, and you should, make sure you don’t use bright yellow or white rope and instead choose something more muted and brown.

Same goes for any harness you might be using, again, which you should use.

White or yellow rope in the wind is something that will easily spook a deer. Nothing is more frustrating than having a perfect shot at a 10 only to have it sprint away because of some white rope dancing in the breeze that you failed to tie down.

Scent Control

Using a deer spray is pivotal for having a successful hunt. Yeah, there are some hunters that certainly over spray. But to not use it will, eventually, cost you a buck or two. It’s safer to use some every time out, especially on your boots before you stroll to your stand.

Be Present 

Our last tip is a simple one in concept, but everyone falters here a little bit. When you’re at the tree stand, be present. Don’t be on your phone, don’t be day dreaming. This is where you want to be, act like it.

You never know when you’re deep in a rut that you might have a chance at glory, and it may just be present for a few seconds. You’ll have to be present, too.

Start off your fall right with these 5 tips. While many might start the season slow, you can hit the ground running by simply being more ready than anyone else out there.

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How To Fight The October Lull

We’ve all seen it.

The endless trail of camo clad hunters with their arrows unfired, their satisfaction unmet, their pride in low supply.

“The damn October Lull’ they’ll proclaim and others will nod in silent agreement.

And maybe, just maybe, they’ll feel better that they’re not alone.

Well, you know what would feel better than swapping stories of how the October Lull is in real effect and sharing the ‘what can ya do’ attitude among the sullen hunters filling up the sporting goods store?

Bagging some deer.

First, we need to deconstruct the October Lull.

Turns out, it’s made up…

Well, kinda.

You see, it’s true that hunters struggle in October.

But it’s not like the mature bucks they’re hunting for simply vanish.

What happens is actually pretty simple.

Bucks are smart. When there is a lot of hunting going on in one area, they simply leave the area.

Yeah… That’s it.

Trail cameras in under-hunted locations see an INFLUX of mature buck movement.

Because that’s where they all went.

In order to get around the October Lull idea, you have to change it up.

The deer will first simply go somewhere else when hunting gets too heavy.

Then, after that, they will start to travel at strangerer times.

All you have to do to break the October Lull is go where the hunters aren’t.

It’s a bit like fishing. You might see several boats in one area, all of them getting fish after fish. But give it some time and that is the one spot you don’t want to fish.

So, how can we do this?

There are few strategies we can employ.

First, 

try to set up your trail cameras in different locations. Have some in the heavy traffic areas, as per normal. But also set some up in areas that just aren’t that popular.

 

Second, 

adopt an ‘if I’m not first, I’m last’ mindset. If you arrive to a spot and there are other hunters nearby treat it as if the spot will be barren. It’s better to be alone in a slower location, especially once the deer start changing their route.

 

Third,

ignore the usual time frames. We know deer like to move around in low-light situations. But as hunters are preparing for these times, the deer will start acting differently. While obviously following all hunting laws in your state, once you see deer movement get lower, try hunting at different times.

Fourth,

think outside the box. Deer are reacting to the hunters. That is the October Lull in a nutshell. You have to out think the deer. And you can do it. Deer will always want food and safety as they travel. The more food that is plentiful the more the deer will be able to vary their times and routes for travel. Understand how a deer is going to respond will keep you ahead of the other hunters.

All in all, the October Lull is both myth and truth. Myth that some arcane art or ancient curse is preventing you from getting deer; but truth in that a lot of hunters, just like you, are struggling during this time.

That doesn’t have to be the way. Make October your month.

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Halloween is for Hunters

It doesn’t have to be all ghouls and ghosts this Halloween for hunters out there.

Instead of roaming the streets covered in sheets and cheap plastic masks, let’s go back to where we want to be: the woods.

Hunting in late October and early November is a unique time that requires unique actions if you’re going to bag the deer of your dreams.

Here’s a few tips to make it happen.

Find The Right Target

Depending on your area and the weather, you may want to target something else this Halloween.

Nowadays the weather is warmer so you often have bucks on the move earlier in the day. At night, it’s smarter to figure out where all the does are hanging out and hunt there.

Obviously this can change if you are experiencing a cooler period than normal so you should do a little research to figure out the proper movements and activity levels of deer in the morning so you can respond best at night.

Find Water

If you’re hunting in the evening, try to find a source of water to set up near. This is useful if you can’t find any clear transitions or just aren’t comfortable hunting from them. (We’ll get to transitions in a moment.)

Water is going to be very important during these times for both bucks and does. This is even more important with the warmer than normal weather during November.

Bucks and does are simply more active during this time and thus require more water. But don’t just look for any water, look for the signs of movement near the water. The more signs you see the more the deer use this water source.

Find Food

We already talked about finding water. But you also want to find where the deer are eating. Once you find the right water source with signs of action, you’ll want to look for the same signs of action but near food. This will usually be in a place that is higher than the water source; deer tend to want to eat acorns and such higher up so they can see threats, like you, better.

This leads us to…

Transitions

Deer are going to be on the move a lot around Halloween. Often there will be the spot they feed, the spot they drink, and the spot they hangout.

When you find the place they eat and the place they drink, you have a huge advantage over them.

Instead of taking a shot at one of these spots, find the places that connect them. Deer will travel on safe, high ground areas between these spots often. If you’re set up in these transition spots you’ll have access to both groups.

Sleep In

You don’t need to be up and out by 3 am to have a successful hunt this Halloween. At night, the bucks and does are very busy. This usually means the mature ones you want to bag will rest up a little bit before going on the move again, like 9 to 10 am is when they’ll start. This means if you don’t want to waste your time, you too should plan for a later day.

This Halloween, when others are out ghost hunting, we can be real hunting. And it’s a special time, hunting during Halloween. It is a moment between two types of seasons and you must adjust for both in order to have your best chance to catch a buck. It’s a truly fun experience if you’ve never done it.

But it is safe to say, once you start hunting on Halloween, you won’t be trick-or-treating ever again.

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8 Gun Safety Tips For Parents

Every single year there are over 31,000 deaths because of guns. There are even more injuries than that. What’s tragic is that these accidental shootings can be prevented.

While it is of the utmost importance for everyone to have gun knowledge, if you’re going to have a gun in the same home as a child or teenager, it becomes even more imperative.

Here are 8 gun safety tips every parent should know about.

1. Be on the same page as your partner

It may seem like an afterthought, but gun safety begins with you and your partner teaching the same lesson to your child. When each parent has a different idea about gun safety the child will have a muddled idea about what’s right and what’s wrong.

Take the time to go through a step by step plan with your partner before you start teaching your child. This will be a great time to get all the information needed for gun safety and to create a plan of attack.

2. Real or Fake

There are thousands of different kind of toy guns; some of them super over the top and absurd, others strikingly realistic. It is crucial that your kid knows what is a real gun and what is a fake gun.

Many accidents happen each year when a child doesn’t think the gun is real only to be surprised by firing off a round at someone.

This leads us to our next tip…

3. Always Assume

If your child is not sure a gun is real or fake, they should always assume that it is in fact real. It is necessary that your child treats any unknown gun as if it is a real one.

And they must always assume that the gun, whether real or fake, is loaded. Never assume a gun is not an immediate threat, especially when they find one unexpectedly. They should, in this situation, leave the gun alone and go and find an adult immediately.

4. Not “Adult Supervision”

Adult Supervision is not enough to handle a gun. How would you feel if your child was playing at a friend’s house only to have some unknown adult say it’s okay for them to see or touch a gun they have?

That is absolutely not okay but it is technically ‘adult supervision’.

Make sure you teach your child that they are only allowed to touch a gun with you or your partner and have specific permission. Sadly, some adults are not meant to be trusted and if they feel uncomfortable with an adult trying to show them a gun they should leave immediately and come find you.

5. No Pressure

Explicitly tell them that no real friend would ever, ever pressure them into touching a gun or ask them to get one of your guns.

If they do have a friend like that, your child has to know they can come to you and tell you and you will not get mad at them.

Many times a child will keep something secret, something dangerous, just because they think they might get in trouble with their parent. Make sure they know they can express something like this, even if they already made a mistake, and you’ll be on their side.

While teaching your child is of the utmost importance, there is more you can do. The last few tips were about communication and teaching. The next couple will be more physical deterrents you can take.

6. Store Apart

You should make sure that the gun and ammo are never stored in the same location. Keeping the gun and ammo apart should make it extra difficult for a mistake to occur.

Another good idea is to have different locks for each of them. Say you have a key to your gun safe. You’d want a number lock to where you keep the ammo. And do NOT keep the key to your gun safe with the ammo.

7. More Locks

Not only should the gun and the ammo be under lock, but a trigger lock is a great idea, too. Each layer of protection you create will dramatically reduce the chances of something terrible happening.

Each lock and key, or code, should not lead to one of the others or ever be stored in the same place.

8. Teach

Finally, the best way to protect you, your partner, your children, and everyone else comes with teaching. The more your child knows about how to handle a gun, what is allowed and what is not allowed, the safer everyone will be.

Most of the time the mistakes that come from guns are because of ignorance, a lack of knowing. When you teach your child openly, they will have respect for the destructive and awesome power of a gun.

Having a safe home is a must if you are going to have a gun and a child co-exist. While the news might be full of horrible situations, you can prevent them as much as possible by following these steps.

If, for any reason, you don’t feel that you or your child is safe with a gun in the house, then get rid of the gun. You can keep your gun somewhere else and the peace of mind you’ll have for yourself and your family will be irreplaceable.