Time to Turkey Hunt

By Andrew Clarke

Summer/Winter Sports Sales Manager

Now is the time when the weather warms, the fields start growing and the turkeys strut.  If you’re like us, you love the hunt and nothing is more of a challenge than pursuing turkey.  Between a turkey’s phenomenal eye sight, cautious behavior and territorial reach, Turkey Hunting requires a strong combination of scouting, patience and luck to take one home.  Here are a few things to consider when you are getting set up for your 1^st or even 50^th turkey hunt.

Preparing for a turkey hunt is fairly simple.  The core components you’ll need are good camouflage, a trusty shotgun (or if you’re looking for a real challenge, a bow) and a turkey call.  There are other things to aid you along but we’ll get to that later.  Once again, turkeys have great eye sight making your camouflage choice extremely important to match the foliage you will be in.  If you use your duck camo in a forested area, you may as well be wearing blaze orange and blowing an air horn because no turkey will go near your spot.

Effects of shooting steel shot
through a full choke.

The next item for your kit is a shotgun capable of handling a Turkey Load.  Most shotguns can use a 2 ¾” and 3” shells but for Turkey, you want to maximize your spread and reach so you will want a shotgun that can handle 3 ½” shells.  You will also want to look at what Choke Tube you want for range and type of shot.  Some areas require that you use Steel Shot or a non-Lead load and need to make sure you have a choke tube capable of handling those types of shot. A few shotguns worth looking at are the affordable Remington 870 / Mossberg 500 series pump action shotguns or for something that won’t kick like a mule with 3 ½” mag shells, the Benelli Super Vinci is a shop favorite.

The last item to round out your basic hunt package is your call(s).  There are 3 main types of turkey calls each with a varying degree of complexity and sound.  The easiest of the three turkey calls to use is the Box Call.  The box call is the easiest to learn and use but lacks the ability to use different tone inflections to keep a Tom interested in your location.  The next call to look at is the Slate Call.  The Slate Call is a circle tab of slate rock with a carbon or wooden striker that allows you to scrape the tab and create a call.  The slate call takes more practice to get used to but offers a crisper tone that you can play with for different calls.  Finally, there is the Diaphragm Call.  These calls sit in your mouth and you become the turkey call as you use your lungs to change pitch and volume at any point.  The Diaphragm Call is the most difficult to learn and use but with practice, the most effective and natural sounding way to lure a turkey to your position. 

A few items that will help along the way but aren't necessary are decoys, camouflage wrap, a comfortable seat and a mount to display your tail feathers when you win your prize bird.  While these items won’t break a hunt, they will certainly help tip the odds in your favor and give you the best odds to bag a bird.

We wish all of the hunter’s good luck this season and if you have any questions, stop on by, call us at 1 (888) 468-6563 or email us at info@joessportinggoods.com.

Until next time, get outdoors!

Live From The Northwest Sportshow

By Andrew Clarke

Summer/Winter Sports Sales Manager

Hello one and all!  We are writing to you now from the Northwest Sportshow at the Minneapolis Convention Center.  We are blown away by all of the new tech and toys from our vendors including Rapala, Minn Kota, Lowrance, Berkley, Shimano, G·Loomis, and the many other friends of Joe’s Sporting Goods.   We even got to say hi to the folks at MetroGun Club over in Blaine, MN. If you’re looking for your new bass boat, pontoon, RV or looking to get outfitted, it’s worth stopping by.  There are even live shows featuring alligator wrestling, a live trout pond to fish and seminars from pro fishers and Joe’s partner Ron Schara from Minnesota Bound.  While you’re there, stop by our booth in the 1200’s and say hello.  We have great preseason deals on everything from rods to electronics as well as have the know-how to get the best out of your days on the open water.  That will do it for now.  We will update you as the season continues with tips, tricks and stories from our staff of their exploits on the water.

Until next time, get outdoors! 

Outdoor Insights From Your Outdoor Experts

By Andrew Clarke
Summer/Winter Sports Sales Manager

As spring attempts to make an appearance, we at Joe's Sporting Goods are looking to further pursue our collective passion for the outdoors and take you along for the ride.  Over the coming months we will be posting outdoor tips, personal experiences, and news about the latest in equipment from all of our departments (Skiing, Fishing, Hunting and Camping).

For those that do not know us, we are Joe's Sporting Goods, a family owned and operated sporting goods store that has been servicing the Twin Cities for almost 85 years.  Our early days began as a Buick repair garage that sold minnows to local anglers that eventually developed into our "new" store 11 years ago.  We have amassed a collection of employees that take their outdoor sport(s) of passion and pass on the lessons they have learned to anyone wanting to further their own outdoor pursuits.  Today we continue to look for the latest and greatest ways to land that record catch, find that secret camping spot, or cut through the freshest of winter powder.

We are also suckers for a good story so if you have one, share it with us in the comments below or any post you find interesting.

Until next time, get outdoors!