I was able to fill my tag this morning on the only day I had available to hunt after not filling the tag during my original allotted time. It was a jake with 4" beard (if I stretched the beard a bit) and nubbin spurs but I'll take it over tag soup.

I didn't expect much, it is windy, cloudy, and threatening to drizzle all morning. I didn't hear a gobble until well after sunrise and the bird did the usual and wandered off to the south someplace. A couple hours and a few moves had my hopes down. I returned to my original stand area as it was the only place sheltered from the wind. I called a couple series and kind of dozed off for a minute or two. I woke and gave a couple clucks when I saw movement to my left. It was a pair of birds that looked like males but was difficult to tell due to immaturity.

I was finally able to see a beard on them but I couldn't move as both were looking at me. When they put their heads down to feed, I got the gun up but didn't have a shot as they were too close together and we are allowed only one turkey in MN. Finally, the one wandered behind a tree and I was able to shoot the other.

I was able to bloody the Mossberg 930 on something breaking its string of bad luck. A handful of excursions for turkeys and waterfowl had none seen and a pheasant hunt had it acting up due to poor cold weather ammo. Now, I have to decide between it and the Browning Gold for such duties.

I'll take meat over tag soup any day. Congrats!

CONGRATS on some tasty white meat !!!!!

Congrats on your season F bird.

MN is nice that they let us do that.


On your shotgun choice...

I've had poor luck with mossberg pumps in the past so I would keep the browning.

Yeah, it is nice they do that. It came in handy for me this year.

Until recently, I would not take a semiauto Mossberg shotgun if I were paid. I had a 5500 MK II that was pretty reliable until it broke a firing pin which it did regularly. I could (and did) change out the firing pin in the field on more than one occasion. The 9200 was given to me to try- I won't even look at one again let alone use one. Mine, and those of others I knew, had nothing but problems and is a reason for their quick demise.

The exception was the 1000 but that was made by Howa and picked up by Mossberg when S&W dropped their long guns. I had one of the S&W Supers and it ran like a champ. I kick myself for selling it.

The 930 series has been pretty good to me so far. I have a black synthetic version that I extended the magazine to 10 shots to use for spring snow geese and 3-gun type events. It has close to 5000 rounds through it since I bought it (salesman demo gun) and all I've had to do is change the recoil spring.

I picked up a slug version and then the aforementioned camo gun from the same person. The slug gun has been stellar but it has only a few hundred rounds through it by me. It has been my most accurate slug gun outside Savage and Browning bolt guns.

The camo version has a couple thousand rounds through it, enough I should change out the recoil spring as I don't know how many rounds went through it before I picked it up. My only problems occurred during a pheasant hunt in below zero temps and it was an issue with the shotshells (primer specifically) rather than gun.

I'll keep the Browning, it is a 3.5" gun so makes a great back up/loaner gun. I have used less than a box of 3.5" shells since ~1985 so the 930 would be an acceptable gun for me. It's being a few ounces lighter between the hands makes for a decent upland gun too.

Way to persevere! Congrats on your successful hunt.

Congratulations on taking your bird.