There are different ways to hunt elk based on the terrain, habitat, and what your opportunities are. In this episode I talk about how to hunt less than ideal areas, unconventional tactics, and the most common way elk are pursued.
Elk are most often hunted on foot, hiking, covering ground, glassing big areas, and pushing through rough terrain. But that is not the only way to hunt them, it is just usually the best way.
Elk are sometimes ambush hunted. If you have limited property or access points, you can scout for the freshest sign in pinch points, travel corridors or near food, study the wind, and settle in to an ambush point.
Believe it or not, elk are sometimes hunted from fixed position tree stands or hunting blinds. This typically works best in more wooded or rural areas where there is less migration and big heard movement and the elk have become more accustomed to living around people. I would say this is less than 5% of all elk hunts though. In big spaces, this doesn’t work.
There are many more strategies but they are often tailored to your specific area. Search those out, study them, and get ready.
Elk hunting is a slippery slope because it can become all-consuming for those who develop a passion for it. On this episode I talk about the basics of elk hunting and how to get started planning and preparing for your first hunt.
Beginners Checklist:
Determine where you want to or are able to hunt and what the seasons are in that area.
Figure out how much it costs to get a tag to hunt there and if you can readily purchase one or have to enter a drawing.
Create a strategy for scouting that area, be it through a guide, preliminary trip, or coming in early for the hunt.
Study the tactics that are most effective to hunt in that area, I share some in the episode.
Have an exit strategy to get you and the meat out of the woods. Elk are big animals; they can be upwards of 700 pounds.
Start a regimented and growing fitness routine to get you ready for the rigors of all day hikes, carrying gear, and hunting in high elevation as needed.
Prepare yourself physically, health wise, and mentally for the challenges you may face. I cannot overstate how hard it can be to hunt elk in high elevations no matter how good of shape you think you are in.
Decide if you will hunt DIY, with a guide, or using an outfitter. There are benefits to each. But it is very hard to hunt elk in an unfamiliar state without someone who knows the land and the heard.
Begin to assemble your gear based on the season you plan to hunt in.
Elk are masters of the wind, far beyond whitetail deer. They can smell you a mile away, literally, and disappear before you knew they were there. You must plan for the wind.
Do not waste your time, money, or energy on elk calls if you are new to the sport. You will likely cause yourself more problems than anything else. Leave calls to those who are experienced.
The average first or second elk hunt is usually planned a year or two in advance. That much time is needed to nail down everything on this list.
Do not expect to just show up with a gun and expect to take home a great elk. It doesn’t work like that unless you are hunting a farm.
The best guide and outfitter does not do the work for you, they simply make it possible for you to put in the hard work and have a chance at finding an elk.
Perhaps no other single person in history has done more to advance firearms technology than John Moses Browning. His innovations laid the groundwork for almost all hunting firearms in use today, and many military firearms as well. On this episode I talk about his patriotic contribution to the world of hunting.
Before there were semi-auto rifles and shotguns, before there were pump actions, lever actions, and so on, John Moses Browning invented the comprehensive mechanism breech loading single shot rifle. No one had seen anything like it, it earned him a visit from the top brass at Winchester who came to buy the patent rights for an astronomical sum of money in those days and started a long and fruitful relationship.
Not only did John invent a masterful way to operate a single shot rifle, but he also pioneered the repeating rifle, invented the pump action shotgun, went on to invent the automatic shotgun, created the automatic pistol from thin air, and would go on to invent the machine gun.
Almost every hunter does or has carried a gun into the field that John Moses Browning invented or influenced, even though almost none of his firearms were sold under his name. He invented guns like Winchester Model 94 in 30-30, the Browning Auto-5, the Colt 1911, the BAR, the M1 and M2 Machine guns, so much more. Some 120 patents were credited to his name, many of which were built into innovative firearms that changed the course of hunting, and the world.
Have you ever seen a shotgun and just knew you had to have it? That was the Mossberg 940 Pro Waterfowl for me. It was mine at first sight, I just needed to wait six months after it was announced until I could find a way to track one down! I am not a man of many shotguns either, but the 940 Pro Waterfowl has the perfect blend of features to make a high-performance duck hunting gun that is built to work hard for a reasonable price.
As a note, I have a media relationship with Mossberg, where they will loan me guns to test and review and give me the option to return them or purchase them afterward, some of the shells were provided by BOSS and I bought the others, thanks to them for their support.
Why The 940 Pro Waterfowl?
I wanted a backup gun for my Mossberg 930 Waterfowl which served as my all-purpose shotgun for hunting ducks, geese, turkeys, pheasants, crows, doves, and anything that flew. I wanted to upgrade to a better gun but a friend recommended I just get a second 930 because I knew how it worked and was comfortable with it and I could use the guns interchangeably. While exploring that idea I found the 940 Pro Waterfowl and realized I could have the best of both worlds, it works just like a 930, but better. For more info check out my podcast episodeAll About Shotguns & Shells For New Duck Hunters.
940 Pro Waterfowl Features
The 940 Pro sold me easily on its features. Primarily that it was much more corrosion resistant inside and out with a self-draining stock. A big plus for a gun I will use to hunt in rain and on boats. I also liked the creature comforts like the improved loading port and larger more manageable charging handle and slide release.
I didn’t care much about having camo on the stock, but it is a nice touch. The improved gas system was a biggie though. Mossberg re-engineered it to be able to fire 1500 shots between cleanings. Not that I would ever test that limit, but gone are the days where I have to wonder if the gas system needs cleaned between hunts to be reliable.
The Mossberg 940 Pro series of shotguns was designed with input from Jerry Miculek, one of the most decorated and impressive sport shooters the world has ever seen. It was the fact that he used the Mossberg 930 in competition that initially drew me to it years ago. The 940 Pro series builds upon that platform with many features which improve the gun’s function and reliability.
The 940 Pro Waterfowl Has:
3″ Chamber with 4+1 Capacity (Restrictor Plug Included)
Oversized Charging Handle, loading port, and Slide Release
Clean-running Gas-vent System (Up to 1500 Rounds Between Cleanings)
Quick-empty Magazine Release
Adjustable Length of Pull + Drilled and Tapped Receiver
Adjustable for Drop at Comb/Cast
A 28″ Cerakote Barrell in Patriot Brown
Self-Draining Stock + Chrome-lined Chambers/Bores
True Timber Prairie Stock
X-Factor Extended Ported Accu-choke
HIVIZ CompSight Fiber Optic Sight
If you watch the video down below I go into more detail showing most of the 940 Pro features side-by-side with the 930. My favorite feature on the 940 Pro is the difference in the fore-end stock compared to the 930. It is just tighter, more streamlined, easier to grab and use. I’ve long felt that the 930 front stock was too bulky. The 940 Pro fixes this perfectly. It is the ideal size and feels good in the hand.
Initially I was not a fan of the new front sight that 940 Pro comes with, I didn’t like the color or the shape. But it grew on me during the testing. Now I find I actually prefer it because I think it helps me aim more precisely for certain shots.
There was only one thing I did not end up a fan of though, and that is where the fore-end stock meets the receiver there is a little bit of give from the sides of the stock. It’s not loose, it doesn’t wobble or rattle. But if you turn it upside down and squeeze it, you can see it gives a little. I even recorded a video and send it to Mossberg’s customer service team, and they said that is normal and nothing needs done. It doesn’t affect performance; you cannot even tell in the field or while shooting it. I am more irritated to know they designed it like that than anything else.
But overall, the 940 Pro feels like it has a better fit and finish than the 930. The trigger feels crisper. The gun just feels like a higher level piece of machinery.
940 Pro Waterfowl Performance
All those features are nice. But if the gun doesn’t perform, they do not amount to much. Thankfully, it performed, and very well. I wanted to make sure my opinion of the 940 Pro was based in performance not me just salivating over the marketing. So before doing anything I put it to the test.
After getting the gun I immediately cleaned it and put it in my car to go to a sporting clays event that I already had scheduled. The first time I shot the gun was at a clay target on the course. I did a full course, 20 stations, 100 clay birds. The gun performed really well, in fact I ended the day with the high score and won the event. I was not the best or most experienced shooter there, but I had a great day and the 940 Pro Waterfowl proved it was more up to the task and very easy to pick up and get the hang of.
940 vs. 930 TESTED
Later I went to the range alone, just me and a video camera and I put both guns through a series of tests in their factory configurations. They had the same length barrel and are built with the same frame. Really the 940 Pro is an upgraded 930 with better features and furniture. The upgrades are significant, but they shine the most under grueling field conditions. I didn’t drop both guns in a river to test the self draining stock, or hunt for weeks in the rain to test the corrosion resistance, nor did I fire both guns thousands of times to see when they started to fail. The 940 Pro was designed to work better, and longer, under adverse conditions.
My testing was quite tame relatively speaking, but it did demonstrate several observable performance advantages of the 940 Pro under regular conditions. Watch the video below to see the tests and the full results.
Weight – The 940 Pro weighed in at 1-2 ounces less than the 930, depending on the choke used. With the same choke it is a 2 ounce difference but the 940 Pro comes with an extended ported choke that weighs an ounce more than the 930’s factory flush choke. That is not enough difference to make a difference in my book but at least it was lighter and not heavier.
Trigger Pull – Both guns had about the same trigger pull, an average of 4.5-5 lbs. My trigger pull gauge isn’t precise enough to get the measurements more exact to note a difference with how close they are. However, due to the slightly better trigger feel, the 940 Pro feels like it has a lighter trigger even though it technically does not.
Recoil Test – I used theMantis x10 Elite Shooting Systemto measure the recoil amplitude and recovery time for both guns by test firing 10 shots with each and averaging the data. The 930 actually had slightly less recoil, both in the data and in what I could feel as the shooter. But my 930 Waterfowl is actually an older 930 that has a ported barrel. Mossberg does not make ported barrels anymore for either the 930 or 940 pro. So if you were using a modern 930, the recoil would likely be the same or the 940 Pro would come out on top.
Pattern Test – I tested both guns with their stock modified choke tubes and then with the sameCarlson’s Sporting Claysextended ported modified choke. The Mossberg 940 Pro Waterfowl came out on top both times. It consistently put more pellets on paper in a 30” circle at 40 yards than the 930 did. For the test I used BOSS Copper Plated Bismuth 3″ shells with 1.5 oz of #4 shot at 1350 fps.
Point and Shoot Drill – I did a quick turn, draw and shoot drill with two shots at stationary targets in order to practice target acquisition and how each gun points and is balanced, as well as the sights. I ran the drill several times with each. I learned two things. First, this drill looks pretty lame with my GoPro and second that I could not tell any meaningful difference between the guns. The 940 feels better in the hand, but in the shooting drill, both did well.
Some people are critical of the 940 Pro and the 930 because neither shoot 3.5” shells. Well, you do you, but when it comes to bird hunting you don’t need 3.5” shells, in fact the majority of hunters shoot worse with them, which is why I created the video Why You Should NOT Hunt With 3.5″ Shotgun Shells covering the science and practical application of why most hunters are hindered, not helped by shooting 3.5” shells. So you could take that as a con if you like, but I don’t want a shotgun that shoots 3.5″ shells myself. So I would rather have a gun like the 940 Pro that is not oversized or overengineered and is made for 2.75″ and 3″ shells only.
Feature wise, the 940 Pro Waterfowl is superior to the 930 Waterfowl. It has so many nicer features and little extras that help it last longer, feel better, be more reliable, function easier, and be more user friendly. Hands down, the 940 Pro wins on features. When it comes to test results, the 940 Pro has the edge over the 930, but the improvement in the test results is not drastic.
Out of the box, the 940 Pro is not going to magically make you a better shooter or a better hunter. But where it will really outperform the 930 is under grueling conditions. After weeks of duck hunting when the 930 locks up and needs a deep cleaning, the 940 Pro will keep going. When you struggle with the 930 to load shells and release the slide in the field with heavy winter gloves on, the 940 Pro will be much easier to operate. When weeks of hunting in driving rain saturates your 930 and it starts to rust and not cycle right, the 940 Pro will keep firing.
That is the beauty of the Mossberg 940 Pro Waterfowl. It works, it works good, and KEEPS ON WORKING when other guns fail, seize, or cannot be effectively handled under field conditions.
I think the 940 Pro Waterfowl is one of the best waterfowl hunting shotguns on the market for the money, in fact it may be THE best.
Price & Availability
The Mossberg 940 Pro Waterfowl has an MSRP of $1,092. I have seen the street price be as low as $850. The 930 Waterfowl has an MRSP of $707 and I’ve seen it for sale as low as $520. While I didn’t think to document prices historically, it seems the cost of the 930 has gone down since the 940 Pro was released. Which is expected. You could not go wrong with either gun, they are both leaders in their price brackets, but I do believe the 940 Pro is worth the extra cost. Worth it enough for me to upgrade to it from the very capable 930 which I have used as my main shotgun since I started hunting.
Till next time. God bless you, and go get em in the woods!
George Konetes Ph.D. – Founder and Host of the New Hunters Guide.
The New Hunters Guide is simply what George wishes he would have had when learning how to hunt; a single place to get practical hands on knowledge about different kinds of hunting, gear, strategy, and tips that can improve your comfort and fun factor in the woods.
As a note, I have a media relationship with Mossberg, where they will loan me guns to test and review and give me the option to return them or purchase them afterward, some of the shells were provided by BOSS and I bought the others, thanks to them for their support.
Every time I hear someone laboring to try and make wild turkey meat palatable, it blows a fuse in mind. While turkey is delicious! On this episode I share secrets, that shouldn’t be secrets, for how to make wild turkey taste great.
Unfortunately, most hunters are not great cooks and most people’s approach to cooking game lacks some basic principles for preparing it well.
Just because someone else says they like it and it tastes good does not mean they have any idea how to cook well. But that also doesn’t mean the meat cannot be cooked well.
Wild turkey is not chicken, don’t try to cook it like chicken!
Wild turkey is not store-bought turkey, don’t try to cook them the same!
Most people have no experience whatsoever cooking any turkey outside of thanksgiving style. There is a big knowledge gap!
Wild turkeys are lean well exercised birds. They MUST NOT be overcooked and dry out quickly.
Listen to the episode to hear the wild turkey cooking secrets.
Some people hunt for pragmatic reasons, others are spurred on by much deeper things. On this episode I delve into the heart and mind of a hunter to examine why people hunt. Not only is this encouraging but understanding your personal motivation can help you better align your hunting style and pursuits to get the most possible enjoyment out of the sport.
This episode is also a bit of a celebration of 200 episodes, that is 200 weeks of teaching, encouraging, and helping people get into the woods and enjoy their time there as much as possible. Please leave some feedback on this one!
It is more exciting to hunt turkeys early when they are most vocal, but you can have just as much success later in the day. On this episode I talk both about the reasons and strategies to never give up on a turkey hunt.
Take Aways
A turkey’s morning tends to be cyclical, and if you understand the cycle, you can kill them even later on even if they don’t gobble.
You have turkey hunters, and you have turkey killers. The biggest difference is not experience or skill, it is mindset.
If you hunt with other people, you want them to match your goals and level of enthusiasm.
Turkeys can be completely silent and still come in. You need to always be alert.
Your odds are better when hunting around sign than with the unknown. Don’t be quick to abandon a good spot.
If you are in the woods you always have a chance, if you are hunting near sign you have a better chance, and if you are stealthy and still, you have the best chance.
Listen to the episode to hear the reasons and strategies for hunting after the birds quiet down.
Whether you are hunting ducks, geese, pheasants, turkeys, deer, elk, or anything else, theTetra Alpha Shields and Custom Shieldsare a game changer. They are much more than hearing protection. They actually make you a better hunter.
Before I go on, I should say this review is not sponsored nor requested by Tetra. These opinions are my own. And I have indeed used the Multi-Pursuits AlphaShields on every hunt I have been on for last 1.5 years or so. I have even used them for frequent shooting hunts like waterfowl and upland birds, for hunts that involve less shooting like turkey and deer, and also while archery hunting. Why do you ask?
As a note, Tetra kindly provided me with these devices to do this review, and I am thankful for their support. I have since bought my own Tetras. They are also a sponsor of The New Hunters Guide, and I earn from qualifying purchases using their links and code.
You Can Hear Better
Tetra has done far more than just make hearing protection. In fact, hearing protection is not complicated, you can protect your hearing by putting your fingers in your ears or using foam ear plugs. The Tetra’s preserve the experience of the hunt, allowing you to hear like normal. Actually, better than normal.
Tetra studio recorded thousands of different game calls and sounds and digitized those sounds to develop complex audio algorithms. So when a duck quacks or a turkey gobbles the Tetra devices recognize those sounds as game sounds and amplify them for the hunter. So whether it is the whistle, quack, or honk of waterfowl, turkey calls, pheasants flushing out of the bushes, or even the sounds of deer walking through the woods, you will be able to hear them more clearly and from further away by using the Tetras.
The AlphaShields can amplify the sound of a birds wings flapping while simultaneously filtering out sounds that you do not want, like wind noise. In fact I never notice the wind blow while I am wearing these, not something I can say for any other electronic hearing protection I’ve used.
You can either buy the Tetra device that fits the game you want to hunt, or pay a little more to get the Multi-Pursuits and have them programed with multiple game sound profiles. For example, You can just tap side of the Alpha Shield Multi-Pursuits to cycle between the sound profiles for deer, waterfowl, turkey’s and more.
Customized To Your Hearing Level
The other things the Tetras do is fix your hearing. When you order them, you take a brief online hearing test to determine how well each ear hears. If your left ear is weaker, then they will turn up the volume in the left unit so you can hear perfectly with both ears. If both ears are bad they can turn them both up so someone with very poor hearing can walk into the woods with perfect hearing.
Tetra’s are giving so many hunters new life and passion. Like those who never again thought they would hear a turkey gobble, or a deer walk through the woods, or a wood duck whistle.
They essentially work like hearing aids, because they are. They use state of the art hearing aid technology coupled with Tetra’s patented game sounds recognition and amplification technology to create the most amazing piece of hunting equipment I’ve ever seen.
The hearing aid technology alone costs around $6,000 per pair if you were to buy medical grade units with the appropriate inspections, certifications, and insurance paperwork. Since Tetra’s devices are classified for sporting use, not medical use, they can produce them much cheaper using the same components. Did I mention that the company was founded by a Doctor of Audiology who became nationally renowned for treating hunters who injured their hearing?
Remarkable Hearing Protection
And as amazing as all of that is, it is not the most important part. The best part is when that flight of ducks come in which you heard from a mile away, you hear their wings flapping on their final approach and you hear your buddy whisper “shoot now”, you draw your shotgun loaded with magnum shells using a ported choke tube and pull the trigger… What do you hear next?
I can only relate it to the sound of a BB gun, a pump action air rifle. With every trigger pull the muzzle roar is reduced to the plink of a child’s toy. But then immediately the full volume comes back and you hear those ducks hit the water with a big splash. You then realize, you’ve never heard that sound before. Your ears were always in shock from the shot, you may have heard the bird hit the water in the past like a wet thud, but never the clear subtle sounds of the splash.
Whenever the Tetras detect a sound above safe volume range, like a gun shot or just as dangerous, excessively load calling, they dial back the volume to safe levels. They become instant ear plugs when you pull the trigger. And you would be surprised how much better you can shoot when you are not distracted by the crack of a shotgun over and over.
Why It Matters So Much
Alot of hunters do not think they need to protect their hearing while hunting. They feel invincible somehow. But what they do not realize is with every shot you take you are potentially knocking off a bit of your hearing. It may not be perceivable for awhile, but often there comes one shot that changes their hearing forever.
The doctors told me that the proteins that make up the hearing structures in every person’s ears vary in strength. For some people they fall apart easier than others. For other people they are much more robust and can take more of a beating. But what tends to happen is the more a person abuses their hearing the closer they are to the brink of loosing it.
Often it occurs when shooting a new gun, or from a new blind, to with a new choke tube, or perhaps sitting next to someone with a new gun. Or there are at a bad angle relative to another person shooting. One shot, then half of their hearing is gone. They hear ringing in their ears thereafter, and there are endless headaches, migraines, and worse.
Historically the only option was ear plugs, which just ruined the experience of being outdoors. Then some electronic options emerged but they were woefully lacking in preserving the sounds of the hunt and did nothing to improve the experience. Tetra came on the scene and began to change peoples lives. The were like the answer that everyone, myself included had been longing for.
My Journey To Find Tetra
I will never forget the day that I came back from a waterfowl hunt having shot half a box of shells at geese and ducks of all types. I was nearing my car when a flight of mallards flew overhead. As a hunter I wanted to shoot, but I really didn’t want to shoot. My ears were ringing, and I felt terrible about it.
I realized that day that I could not do this anymore. Something was going to have to change or I was going to have to stop hunting waterfowl and other game, if I wanted retain my hearing. So I began searching for something, anything, that could help me. I had already ruled out ear plugs, they sucked the fun out of hunting.
I found some cheap electronic hearing protection and tried that. It did protect my hearing but it was lousy at everything else. I could not hear things well, they constantly fell out, there was an unending hissing sound, and other issues. I was discouraged. And then I got my hands on a set of Tetras. It was game changing. They were everything I had wanted, everything I needed for duck hunting, turkey hunting, and so much more!
Not only did they protect my hearing and preserve all of the enjoyable sounds of the outdoors. They helped me to be a better hunter. I became an instant advocate. I saw them as the answer. Something every hunter should invest in. Something that could protect new hunters so they could still have perfect hearing once they had hunted for 40+ seasons. And today, about a year and a half later, I believe that just as strongly, if not more.
How To Pick Your Audio Programs
You can have up to six audio programs on the Alpha Shield Multi-Pursuit or Custom Sheild for the different kinds of game you are hunting. These programs amplify the sounds these game animals make and filter out unhelpful sounds for those hunts. The programs include waterfowl, turkey, deer, elk, upland game, dangerous game, predators, sporting clays, land management, etc. Each program has a regular level and a boost level which further amplifies your hearing with that program. Both the regular and boost programs are great to have for your favorite game. But it can be hard to pick the best options for your second and third favorites, etc.
I made this video to help you better pick the programs that are best for you. And yes the discount code in the video is the same one listed further down on the page. I also did a full-length overall Tetra video review further down the page as well.
My Tetra Tips
I have used the Tetra’s to hunt everything, ducks, pheasants, geese, crows, deer, turkeys, etc. They are an indispensable piece of my gear, and I enjoy hunting so much more because of them.
When you first get a pair, they take a little getting used to. Mine felt like they fit too tightly, even with the smallest ear buds on. But after a few hunts I realized I didn’t even notice I was wearing them. The fit is exactly what I needed, to make sure they didn’t fall out in the field. My ears seemed to adapt to them size wise. They are very comfortable now.
When you first put them on, you will likely do so indoors. And fair warning, they do not sound great indoors. Their sound amplification technology is meant for use outside. At first I thought there was something wrong with them, wearing them in my dining room. But then I walked outside, heard a bird chip, and realized they are exactly what I wanted. That said, they do take a little getting used to. But it doesn’t take long, a couple hours or a couple hunts and you don’t even remember they are on anymore.
The foam or silicone tips that go into your ears do not last forever, and they make replacements for them, but they are actually compatible with many kinds of foam and silicone ear bud tips. You may already have some you really like that will fit and work perfect.
You can use HSA (Health Savings Account) funds to buy Tetra’s. So, for some people that could defray the cost or completely pay for a pair. I used to have an HSA and had to use or lose the funds every year. If I had that now, I would by a new pair of Tetra’s every year!
Tetra Hearing Discount Code
After I decided I was going to do this review, I reached out to Tetra to ask some questions and clarify some points. They were kind enough to provide me with a code you can use to get a Free 2-Year Service Plan. Which has a $275 value.
Just add this Service Plan to your cart when purchasing a device and use this code at checkout to get the service plan for free: NEWHUNTERSGUIDE
That stacks on top of any sales or discounts Tetra is running. The code only works when both the service plan and a set of Tetras are in your cart at the same time.
The Big Take Away
It is true that the Tetra’s are not cheap, they cost as much as a good firearm. But my advice to many new hunters has been this. When you are ready to upgrade your next rifle or shotgun, hold off on doing that for another season. Invest that money in a pair of Tetra’s first. A new gun can only do so much to help you hunt better.
Tetra’s can do more to make you a better hunter, and protecting your hearing today has lifelong value. If you buy Tetra’s to use when hunting now, you could save yourself from needing hearing aids every waking hour for the rest of your life. Check out my full review on the Tetra CustomShield to learn more about how to take things to the next level.
Till next time. God bless you, and go get em in the woods!
George Konetes Ph.D. – Founder and Host of the New Hunters Guide.
The New Hunters Guide is simply what George wishes he would have had when learning how to hunt; a single place to get practical hands on knowledge about different kinds of hunting, gear, strategy, and tips that can improve your comfort and fun factor in the woods.
As a note, Tetra kindly provided me with these devices to do this review, and I am thankful for their support. I have since bought my own Tetras. They are also a sponsor of my YouTube channel and I benefit from use of their affiliate links and discount codes.
This is an often asked and misunderstood question when it comes to turkey hunting. Calling is a critical part of almost all turkey hunts, often it is overdone, and there are times when it should be completely avoided, at least temporarily. In this episode I share principles and common scenarios to help equip you for the many kinds of situations you may encounter in the turkey woods.
Take Aways
There is no such thing as a call shy turkey. Turkeys are calling to each other all the time. There are human shy turkeys though.
You do not want to be perceived as an overly eager hen, because gobblers expect those hens to come to them.
If a gobbler can see you, and you call, he will expect to see a hen there and will expect that hen to see and come to him.
The worse you are at calling, the less you should call. Stick to the calls you are best with.
Do not stress over how good you sound, often turkeys don’t call well. The amount and intensity of calling are easy for even a novice to control.
Nothing works every time in turkey hunting, these are wild animals.
Listen to episode to learn about when you should call or not call.
BOSS Tom shot shells are one of the most impressive tungsten turkey loads that I have yet seen and tested. And no, this review is not sponsored or incentivized. TheBOSS Toms are available in 12, 20, and 28 gauge as well as .410 bore.
These shells are innovative for two main reasons:
First they feature copper plated 18 g/cc tungsten shot, commonly referred to as TSS (Tungsten Super Shot). If you don’t know why copper plated shot matters,check out this studyI put together.
Second they one of the most reasonably priced shells in the super performance turkey load category. As of this review, they sell for $45 for a box of 5, which is between 25-60% cheaper than many of their competitors. Keep in mind that many loads labeled TSS are not 100% 18 g/cc tungsten. Many cheaper ones are a blend of tungsten and steel or polymers or something else. BOSS Tom is nothing but pure tungsten shot.
As a note, BOSS sent me these shells at my request for this review, and Carlson’s sent me the mentioned choke tubes, thanks to them for their support.
The Specs
In every gauge, you have two options, #7 shot or #9 shot. The 12 gauge and the 20 gauge both have 2 oz. of tungsten shot in 3” shells. The only advantage the 12 gauge gives you is an extra 50 fps topping out at 1150 fps.
Do other manufactures give you the option for more shot? Yes. Do they give you the option for more velocity? Yes. But consider this, as velocity increases patterns tend to disperse much faster. More speed will not kill the turkey any deader, more on that later. Also, 2 oz. of #9 TSS shot is 724 pellets, do you really need more pellets than that? Certainly not. And you pay for those extra pellets and that extra velocity that other brands give you, you pay both in dollars and in recoil. That said, limited configurations are going to be a negative for some hunters.
How They Tested
I did both pattern testing and ballistics gel testing comparing the BOSS Tom 12 gauge #9 with what I consider to be the best lead turkey ammo on the market, the Winchester Long Beard XR 12 Gauge #6. I’ll put that video below, but the results were as such, the BOSS Toms provided 50% more pattern density and 32% more ballistics gel penetration.
The BOSS Tom #9 actually penetrated deeper than the Long Beard XR #4 shot in another test I did at the same time in the same gel. You cannot kill a turkey any deader than with copper plated #4 lead shot. But the BOSS Tom #9 will outperform it.
My Take On Pattern Density
In my Mossberg 930 with a 28 inch barrel using aCarlson’s Long Beard choke tubeat 0.660 constriction, the BOSS Tom put 290 pellets in a 10” circle at 40 yards. That is a lot of pellets. Now some folks want to see even more pellets in a 10” circle at that range, and with other chokes/barrels you may.
But I don’t want my shot denser than that at 40 yards. Why? Because denser than that does nothing but cut down on my margin of error. Whether you have 290 pellets in a 10” circle or 10,000 pellets, the end result is the same, the gore just goes up. I prefer a little pattern dispersal, I want some wiggle room. In fact, I want my pattern to be EXACTLY the way it is in the BOSS Toms. Which makes them a great fit for me. If you have other goals you may want to test other chokes.
This past turkey season I was hunting with the BOSS Toms and I missed a turkey at 38 yards. I killed it though, even with a missed shot. I pulled the shot to the side and the 10 inch circle was next to the turkey and hit squarely on a mound of dirt. Yet several pellets still hit the bird in the head and neck and dropped it right to the ground. With BOSS Tom’s, the peripheral pattern that hits the bird when you miss with the core pattern is still better than best core patterns in most regular lead loads. For me, this kind of pattern is ideal. But you do you.
The Final Analysis
So why use the BOSS Toms? I like them because they give me more margin of error at regular range and they extend my effective range. I also like how I can get more penetration than with #4 lead and almost double the pellets of #6 lead. That is a pretty big advantage.
Most see it as a disadvantage but I honestly like how they only have one payload offering per gauge. I like the simplicity of knowing they decided this is the best performing load and that is the only one for sale. Since they focus on the top loads, they are always in stock. I looked for other TSS brands to compare against the BOSS and none where in stock anywhere when I was looking, but BOSS had plenty of supply.
When comparing BOSS Tom to other brands selling TSS loads like Federal, Apex, Hevi-Shot, and the dozens of other good companies, I prefer the BOSS Tom because it is copper plated and less expensive. Performance wise, BOSS Tom destroys every lead and tungsten blended shot on the market.
Comparing BOSS Tom to other pure TSS loads, results are going to be very close, your barrel/choke combo could sway it one way or another. Considering it is way cheaper and will perform as good or better than the best competitors on the market makes it a no brainer for me. Some say $9 a shell is a lot for ammo, and they would be right, but I typically shoot 1-2 shells per year, so once you get it sighted in, that is $9-$18 a year for turkey ammo. For me that’s fine, I spend more than that on my post hunt lunches.
I was drawn towards the BOSS Toms because of their lower price in the TSS turkey load market and BOSS’s reputation for outstanding quality. They are able to be below market pricing because BOSS is a direct-to-consumer company, so they can provide high quality shot shells, that are made in the U.S. at lower prices than the bigger brands because they cut out the middlemen. BOSS is perhaps best known for the copper plated bismuth waterfowl hunting shells, for which I also did a full review like this one.
BOSS Tom 2.0 Update
As an update to this review, BOSS released a new version of their turkey shell this year with even more shot in it. The new BOSS Tom’s weigh in at 2.5 oz of #9 TSS going at 1050 fps. And they are very impressive shells. These 3″ shells have the same amount of shot as many 3.5″ shells. The extra payload is very impressive. Here is a multi-choke tube pattern test video I did with the new shells.
The new BOSS Tom shells are very impressive, so much so that I decided to see what they could do at both 40 yards and 60 yards, with both the #7 shot and the #9 shot. I did a full pattern test for both shells at both ranges and did a ballistics gel test to see how much penetration each provides at 60 yards. The results were very impressive.
The #9 shells had much more pattern density at both ranges. The #7 pellets had more ballistics gel penetration which is a given of course. BUT the #9 still had nearly 3″ of gel penetration even at 60 yards. So even these slow 1050 fps tiny #9 are super effective at 60 yards. And due to the penetration and extra pattern density, the #9 will actually give you more range than the #7. Yes the bigger #7s will have more energy but their pattern will degrade long before it matters.
In fact, the maximum range on this #9 ammo is going to be much further. It appears that they will retain enough ballistic energy to kill a turkey as far as you could hope to maintain a decent pattern. I didn’t test them this far, but I assume they are likely effective out to 70 yards, maybe even 80 yards before the pattern becomes to thin to effective. Here is another video I did with that entire long-range test.However, you do want to consider that shooting turkeys at those ranges is going to put a lot of pellets in the breast meat of the bird. So, I do not recommend hunting them from that kind of distance, but the ammo is good enough to do it.
Till next time. God bless you, and go get em in the woods!
George Konetes Ph.D. – Founder and Host of the New Hunters Guide.
The New Hunters Guide is simply what George wishes he would have had when learning how to hunt; a single place to get practical hands on knowledge about different kinds of hunting, gear, strategy, and tips that can improve your comfort and fun factor in the woods.
As a note, BOSS sent me these shells at my request for this review, and Carlson’s sent me the mentioned choke tubes, thanks to them for their support.
