TALKING TURKEY WITH THE EXPERTS

Lovett Williams On Becoming A Turkey Hunter

EDITOR'S NOTE: To help those of us who are frustrated more often than not by America's most famous game bird, I posed some questions to several of the nation's top turkey hunters and turkey authorities. Today, Lovett Williams, wildlife biologist and turkey specialist with the Florida Game and Fish Commission for many years and author of "The Wild Turkey" and "The Voice and Vocabulary of the Wild Turkey," answers questions.

Question: What is the quickest way to become a turkey hunter?
Answer: Although that should be an easy question to answer, most people make the sport of turkey hunting so complicated they wait a long time to begin hunting turkeys. Many folks think you have to become a good caller before you can hunt turkeys. Other people are convinced a turkey hunter must be a master woodsman to be able to take a tom. And other sportsmen suppose that having all kinds of biological information about when turkeys mate, where they want to strut, when they like to eat, and what type of terrain they prefer to be in is critical to turkey-hunting success. And although all that information does help a hunter bag a bird, the best way to learn to hunt turkeys is to buy a turkey call, head straight to the woods and start to call and hunt turkeys. Too many hunters are telling people too much before they begin turkey hunting. Sure, the beginner will make mistakes, but he will learn from those mistakes. I believe the quicker he actually hunts turkeys, the quicker he will become a turkey hunter.

Question: What type of shot do you prefer for taking turkeys?
Answer: I like No. 6s and No. 7 1/2s because I want a real heavy shot pattern. The denser your shot pattern, the better your odds for taking a gobbler. The size of the shot has been overrated. A little pellet in the turkey's kill zone will kill him just as dead as a big pellet. And since the head of the turkey is a small target, I want as many pellets as possible to throw at that target.

TOMORROW: ROB KECK ON TOUGH TURKEYS