Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting They think it's spring: First bird with a .410.

My 2023 hunting season has been next to nothing. I used up most of my paid time off traveling. So I only got a few days in the woods for deer season. But it's 2024 and it all starts anew. Today was the first day of the 4th segment of our 2023-2024 Fall turkey season. I call this segment the "Winter Season" or "Pre-Spring Season." Deer season is over and I can hunt fall birds without having to wear blaze orange.

I set the alarm for 4:30 AM this morning and when I got up, the wind was howling and the rain was driving. Back to bed. Figured I might take the day off. But I got back up about 6:30 and the rain was over, but the wind was not. I did notice the clouds were breaking. What the hell, off the to the woods I went. I toted along my newish Browning BPS .410 and Indian Creek Choke, a few #9 TSS rounds, a Quaker Boy push pin call, a Primos Water Board box call, and my well used and trusty Perfection Screamin' Demon.

I got to where I park at about at about 8:15. I no sooner got out of my truck than a Bald Eagle started to circle over my head at tree top height. (I also saw a juvenile Bald Eagle in the road on the way in eating a dead Opossum.) Not sure if this was an omen or not. But I strapped on my vest and headed in to the pine thicket.

We've had a pretty mild winter so far. The tweety birds around my house are scoping out nests and claiming boxes. They are pairing up. And the Blue Birds are already fighting themselves in my car mirrors and house door glass. They are acting very spring-like. Are turkeys the same? I don't know why not.

After a 30 minute brisk walk to the pine thicket, I arrived at about 8:45. The sun was up. The wind was blowing. It felt like it was about 60 degrees. It felt very March or April-like. I stepped into the thicket. Everything was still wet. And it was dead silent walking to the spot where I like to start hunting. Just the sound of wind and creaking trees. I found a pine with a laurel on either side overlooking a shallow area. I like this area. It's just young pines. And I can see quite aways between the trees.

After taking a seat and kicking a clear area for my feet, I pulled out my Perfection Screamin' Demon glass call and acrylic striker. I gave three raspy yelps and set it down. I kept and eye out left and right. Within 10 minutes, I had one, no two, wait, three, holy cow, four, holy double cow, five birds coming from my left into that shallow area. Totally silent. Then it happened. One of the birds fanned out and strutted. Never seen that in January. They worked their way from my left to dead on in front of me. Then started coming up the hill. All of them had sizeable beards. Four of the birds stopped. One kept coming. I had my gun up. He stopped at about 25 yards. Bang.

I didn't see any feathers fly. I know my gun shoots a bit high and I aimed for his lower neck just above the breast. The other four took off. This one hit the ground and started flapping his wings, then went still.

I hit him dead in the head. In fact, I only found one pellet in the thick of his neck.

Here's he is. My first bird with a .410. And my second bird with TSS.

He's a double bearder. Solid inch long spurs. I am thrilled with him.













He's been eating Beech Nuts.

Very Nice, congrats.

Sweet! 2 beards and strutting in January, and a .410 no less. Sometimes it does work out. 👍👍

Congratulations!

I have used TSS out of my 20 gauge, I really like it. Has performed well on two turkeys, hoping to make it three this spring.

We have turkeys around our house year round. Have seen them strutting every month. The weather has to be nice though.

I patterned that choke and TSS a few weeks ago and it patterned well. I noticed it was shooting a bit high. I had every confidence it would work if I got a clear shot. I didn't start to think the .410 might be inadequate until I laid that shell next to that bird's head. The .410 shell looks mighty small. But I guess a #9 TSS pellet at 1100fps is tha same regardless if it's coming out of a .410 or a 20 gauge.

I'm not the only one noticing all the eagles. On the way out to the highway, the forest road cross a big swamp. There were two pick ups parked there and three guys in waders so I stopped and talked to them for a bit. They had been hunting wood ducks. One of them told me as soon as they started calling, two bald eagles came in and started circling and they never had a duck come in. The Bald Eagles are thick here.

Way to go Glocks, congrats. That little 410 did you well. Great story as well. I will have to hand it to you, back in the day I had a gun that did not shoot POA/POI and in the heat of the moment, I almost forgot to hold off, good on you for knowing what your gun needs to make it happen.

LGS I go to has a BPS 410 in the consignment rack, might have to give it another look! Last 410 I had was a beautiful Browning Citori Skeet that I shot just about as ugly as one can shoot a shotgun! Lol!

Thanks, Pullit. That was my fastest hunt ever. Under 15 minutes from the time my butt hit the ground. I also never saw that many mature Toms back there. I've see one here and there. But that many kind shocked me.

I also decided no hens this year. I killed two last season and didn't want to shoot anymore so I wasn't going to pull the trigger on a bird without a beard. So I was pretty pleased to see all the birds had swingin' whiskers.

Funny side note: I took the top pic where the bird fell. He flopped a bit but folded up. But his back feet were still peddling. When I picked him up by the feet after that pic, his feet let out one last peddle and one of his spurs went across the palm of my hand leaving an inch long cut. Still hurts.

Congrats 10! Nice bird..reminds I me need to fill out some applications.

Do it. I don't know how I would do on a flying target, but it's a great small game gun, and it works for turkeys. I think you'd enjoy it. I may try it again for turkeys. Though that .410 shell looks mighty small next to that head.

Congratulations on a good bird !

Man oh man that gets me excited for spring turkey seaon here. Congrats!

First one I've plucked in a long, long time. Should have ran a flame over him. Missed a few hairs. But they'll digest.

No extra charges for the hair!

Started my son on a 410 with tss. For whatever reason it doesn't fly true as stated. After having the gun tapped and installing a red dot it became a turkey killing machine!! He killed his first bird at the age of 5 and hasnt looked back. He has now graduated to a 20 gauge. Still lots of fun to chase birds with these little scatter guns

Thanksgiving in January, got to love it.

OUTSTANDING !!!!!

Very well played !!! And very well plated !!!

MUCHO CONGRATS !!!

Nice bird!!

Damn, I'm jealous and you got my turkey juices flowing.

Can't wait until 3/15 in Florida!

I really like this season. In fact, it's not really a season. It's the last segment of the 4-segment fall season. It's just the only fall segment that doesn't coincide with a deer season. You only have to wear blaze orange during deer season. So this 2 week segment is orange-free if you want. It's a pretty new segment. It only started in the last few years. Not evey county has it, but the ones I like to hunt do.

The birds are flocked up. And they are fairly quiet. But occassionally you can hear some fly-down chatter in the mornings. Otherwise, they are almost completely silent. No gobbling. But they do come in to calls. And I did see one of the birds I called in strut for a few seconds. Maybe he was tricked by the warm weather and my hen yelps.

I'm going to try and get out one more time before the segment is over on January 27. But I am going to hunt a different county. Hopefully I can go back to where I shot this bird in the spring and one of his 4 buddies will oblige me. Who knows.

best of luck on the rest of this segment 4 hunts

With this super-dry weather we've had and a little borax and the tail meat is rock hard now. I think it turned out pretty good.

I like it, turned out great

That's pretty snazzy. If I ever kill a double beard he's goin on the wall

I got my little brass plaque from Amazon



Saturday the 27th is the last day of this segment of our fall turkey season. Then its all over until April. Last Saturday, it was dry and 16 degrees. This coming Saturday it is supposed to be 55 with a 75% chance of rain. I can deal with that better than 16 degrees. I am going to go to a different county and see if I have any luck. I tend to see birds when I am squirrel hunting where I am going. With any luck, maybe I can get one. But even if I don't, a day in the wet turkey woods is better than working.

Nice story and bird