I'm heading for South Dakota on a spring turkey hunt and also to do some deer country scouting/landowner contacts in Wyoming. I noticed in the South Dakota regulations that rifles with 700 ft.lb. energy are legal weapons. What rifle/bullet type is used for turkey hunting? I assume that a .223 would be the ticket but with what bullets? FMJ's? Any tips that anyone could give me as far as terrain, calling, set-ups, or anything else that someone would like to offer on western birds. Please feel free to post or PM. Much appreciated. Thank You.

Don't be enamored with FMJ's. I shot a gobbler broadside at 33 steps, in the wing butt (where wing meets body) with a 150gr Nosler from a 30/06. Bird fell over at shot, got back up and ran 80 yards before dying.

I've found a bigger bullet at modest velocity is nice, since I have no desire to sniper attack them. If I can't get one within 35 steps I pass and Merriam's are about as easy a bird to work as any I've hunted.

I've always hunted them here in Michigan with a shotgun but since I know nothing about hunting them in the west I was thinking that the shots may be long. So am I wrong? Sounds like I may be. Any tips?

I've never hunted S Dakota, but in ID (shotgun only) and MT I have taken all of mine within about 40 yards. It sure is possible to shoot one strutting in a field or across a canyon at a couple hundred yards though.

Do the regs specifically require 700 ft/pounds for turkeys or was that in a general big game section? That seems kind of a lot to me. The few I have taken with a rifle were with a .17 Rem and that was more than enough.

They are turkey, I'm sure you can set yourself up to bust them at 200 yards, not sure why.

When I hunted Merriam's I used a shotgun.

Well I went back to the SD site and I was wrong. It has happened to me a couple of times. LOL! The only rifle that can be used is a muzzleloader. So I will be taking my 12 Gauge. Thanks for calling into question the rifle thing. That could have been ugly for me. Is there any particular type of terrain that those Merriams like to hang out in? I'll be hunting the Black Hills. And Thanks for your military service. As a Vietnam veteran I really appreciate your service to the country that we all cherish.

Bring a coyote howler

As a shock call or to bring in the coyotes to shoot?

Thanks for the support and same to you. I'm 4th generation Marine war vet. I wouldn't have even thought about not serving. Anyhow, I've seen Merriams in steep sparsly treed canyons, deep forests as well as farmland. You just have to get out there and look/call around. The coyote howler works well to shock gobble, as well as bring in coyotes. I've blasted a couple while turkey hunting.

They would gobble their damn fool heads off to a coyote howl.

I just read the regs and you can use a rifle in SD I have in the past,must have 700 fpe at muzzle.I use a 22K hornet 45 gr sierra gameking at 2800 fps. A coyote howler works good for locating and if you go early bring your cold weather gear changes are you will get snowed on.