There is simply no excuse for failing to know what kind of pattern your gun will throw with a particular shotshell. Don't go hunting until you've taken the time to take a few practice shots at the range. Failure to pattern your load could result in as many crippled birds as clean misses.

ONE BIRD TOO MANY
The mistake we dread most is the kind that puts us on the local game warden's "must-see" list. My aforementioned friend Wayne calls it "the silent partner" scenario, and it results in killing one turkey more than the law allows.

Here's how the silent partner mishap usually happens. A hunter calls in not just one, but several, toms, and the terrain or vegetation is such that each individual bird moves in and out of the picture. Finally, one gobbler steps into reasonable range. At the shot, the bird tumbles, and then vanishes briefly from view. The hunter sees it get up and fires again, this time anchoring it to the ground.

When he walks up to the bird, he is shocked to find another bird a few yards to the left or right, just as dead as the first. He has inadvertently killed two turkeys, one over his limit!

The best way to avoid the silent partner mistake is to pick out one bird among the several that are coming in, focus intently on it, and shoot only when you are absolutely confident of killing it.

Easier said than done? You're right, but that's true of turkey hunting in general, and just one more reason why we love it so much.